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Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:40:55 AM

JustBusiness

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This is becoming a topic on another board, wine.woot, and no one has weighed in with a definitive answer (other than fill a 375ml with the remainder).

What is the best way to preserve wine at home? I drink between 1-3 glasses per night, but many nights skipped (or drank at a bar). I've seen vacuums (manual and automatic), argon mixtures sprayed into bottle, home wine bars, etc. Well, I want this to be my present to myself for Christmas, so what's the best option (under $500?).

Thanks for the input.

< Message edited by JustBusiness -- 12/2/2009 10:15:50 AM >

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:45:03 AM

pjaines

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For reds I think NiklasW uses a screw cap 375cl bottle to preserve the rest of any unfinished wines- he may even have stuck it in the fridge to preserve it.

I usually use a vaccum pump and if the wine is less robust I stick it in the fridge.

For the more hearty wines, I leave them out in the kitchen and they usually taste pretty decent the next day.

Of course, there are not many empty bottles in my house

Having said that, I've just finished a bottle of southern french wine that has been decanting for 48 hours in a big ass decanter and it is just getting ready for business

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:47:14 AM

mrj300

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I know opinions vary widely on this, but after some experimentation I've concluded that the fuss is somewhat overhyped. I'm drinking about 1/3 to 1/2 bottle at a time now since my wife is pregnant. Sometimes I open the bottle and pour, other times I will decant 1/3 or 1/2. In either case, as soon as possible I re-seal the bottle with the vacuvin (pretty cheap solution) and put it back in the cellar. I've had little to no problem drinking a bottle over three nights, and sometimes even longer. In fact, it's interesting to see how some wines develop over that time. Mind you, I'm not opening ancient stuff for these purposes.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:47:32 AM

TexasWineGeek

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JustBusiness

This is becoming a topic on another board, wine.woot, and no one has weighed in with a decent answer (other than fill a 375ml with the remainder).

What is the best way to preserve wine at home? I drink between 1-3 glasses per night, but many nights skipped (or drank at a bar). I've seen vacuums (manual and automatic), argon mixtures sprayed into bottle, home wine bars, etc. Well, I want this to be my present to myself for Christmas, so what's the best option (under $500?).

Thanks for the input.

Don't know if it is the best but the manual vacum works for me. Now, having said that, it wasn't working as well until I started refrigerating the left over red wines. I would always return the whites to the cooler but not the reds. I have found that the reds retain their structure and fruit more completely and longer if I return them to the wine cooler as well.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:49:52 AM

cgrimes

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I agree with Paul. I use a vacuum pump. Big reds, I leave out, more delicate reds I put in the refrigerator. Not 100% foolproof but works most of the time. If you are willing to spend some money, try one of those wine dispensers (like in a restaurant).

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:54:05 AM

Eric

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I usually just drink half a bottle, stick a cork in the rest and tuck it into the fridge. I have tried pumps, gases etc and conclude they are a waste of time. I do use the rubber vacuvin stoppers as exactly that, stoppers. But I long since have given up on the pump part.
Any Seattle locals want my can of private preserve or a spare vacuvin pump, it is all yours. Just let me know.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 8:58:51 AM

pbm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Eric

I usually just drink half a bottle, stick a cork in the rest and tuck it into the fridge. I have tried pumps, gases etc and conclude they are a waste of time. I do use the rubber vacuvin stoppers as exactly that, stoppers. But I long since have given up on the pump part.
Any Seattle locals want my can of private preserve or a spare vacuvin pump, it is all yours. Just let me know.

What Eric said. I actually listed this as one of my "learnings" for the year. Stick the cork back in and put it in the fridge (or even just leave it on the counter for the bigger wines) you'll be fine.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 9:06:59 AM

gbm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Eric

I usually just drink half a bottle, stick a cork in the rest and tuck it into the fridge. I have tried pumps, gases etc and conclude they are a waste of time. I do use the rubber vacuvin stoppers as exactly that, stoppers. But I long since have given up on the pump part.
Any Seattle locals want my can of private preserve or a spare vacuvin pump, it is all yours. Just let me know.

I'm with Eric and mrj300 and pbm. I stick it in the fridge when I'm done for the night and I take it our an hour or two before I plan to drink it again. I have never had one turn south on me. Often, the wines improve. This probably wouldn't work so well for an aged Bdx or the like, but then again, I probably couldn't bring myself to leave any of that over for the next night.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 9:35:36 AM

GoodToGrape

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I re-cork, stick in fridge. Last night I even had a robust Aussie Cab on it's 3rd day and it was fine. I like the 375ml idea, but that ends up being one more thing to clean out

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 9:43:23 AM

YoDaddyO

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I have given up on the vacume stopper but i do have a counter top chiller.

I'll keep the red on the counter at room temp...then kick the chiller on about 30 min before toget the temp to around 70 - 72f...

I've found this a lot more rewarding than the fridge...

Rarely do i let a bottle go past 2 days.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 9:44:09 AM

cgrimes

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An opened Aussie Red has a longer shelf life than a Twinkie...

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 9:50:27 AM

Hollowine

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Pretty much the same as Eric, pbm, gbm... Stick it in the fridge if it's something older but most of the time I just cork and leave on the counter overnight. Have had a couple bottles lately that went 2-3 nights on the counter and were amazing on day 3, but obviously not for every situation. I don't put every bottle in the fridge mostly because I don't remember to take it out prior to wanting to drink, and I hate waiting for a glass to come up to drinking temp (haven't been brave enough to try the microwave trick some claim to use).

I have thought about getting an empty glass soda bottle with screw cap, I read that somewhere before that they work great and it's easy to keep the bottle and cap cleaned. I've had some corks get nasty on me after repeated use when I was doing the spare 375ml thing.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:10:01 AM

JustBusiness

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I think I need to start drinking better wine, staying away from WTSO and the like (those daily or more e-mails magically loaded my cellar with 100+ bottles, but my wallet didn't take much of a hit, wish I had half the bottles at twice the quality....I'm learning).

My current practice has been to recork, between 1/2-2/3 of a bottle, and let it sit on the bottom of my cellar. When I go back to the bottle a couple days later, it generally has not developed, but lost much of it's bouquet. The bottles I drink are generally between 2003-2006 California or Australia reds (a few french, spanish, and oregonian mixed in). I have a few nicer bottles, I'll open one soon (Sunday night), probably an Arroyo PS (mine are young, just delivered a few weeks ago.

Thanks again for everyone's input, looks like you've just saved me some money on a home wine bar, or the like.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:15:58 AM

annerk

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I've had good luck with gas. I had gassed a bottle of white and stuck it in teh fridge, then forgotten about it until over a week later. I was expecting that when I opened it it would be spoiled, but in fact it was perfect. I've had similar experiences with bottles of red--gassing them while at the local wine bar and putting them in my locker, going back 4-6 nights later and the bottle wasn't showing even the beginnings of oxidation or spoilage.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:20:41 AM

JustBusiness

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quote:

ORIGINAL: annerk

I've had good luck with gas. I had gassed a bottle of white and stuck it in teh fridge, then forgotten about it until over a week later. I was expecting that when I opened it it would be spoiled, but in fact it was perfect. I've had similar experiences with bottles of red--gassing them while at the local wine bar and putting them in my locker, going back 4-6 nights later and the bottle wasn't showing even the beginnings of oxidation or spoilage.

What gas, or mix of gas was it?
Anyone else have similar experiences?

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:28:24 AM

annerk

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JustBusiness

quote:

ORIGINAL: annerk

I've had good luck with gas. I had gassed a bottle of white and stuck it in teh fridge, then forgotten about it until over a week later. I was expecting that when I opened it it would be spoiled, but in fact it was perfect. I've had similar experiences with bottles of red--gassing them while at the local wine bar and putting them in my locker, going back 4-6 nights later and the bottle wasn't showing even the beginnings of oxidation or spoilage.

What gas, or mix of gas was it?
Anyone else have similar experiences?

Not sure the name, comes in a can, bought at the local wine shop.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:30:19 AM

Eric

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I bet it was PrivatePreserve. Big, tall, thin aluminum can, right?

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:33:19 AM

clintsf

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quote:

I've had good luck with gas.

I agree. I've had better luck with gas than with just putting the cork in and leaving it.

Clint

(I'll have to go look at what the gas mix is.)

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:49:55 AM

ob2s

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For pedestrian wines and wines under 10% ABV, I just vacuvin

and put in the fridge (red on the counter). For quality wines I bought, 100ml, 200ml, 300ml and 500ml versions of these

I fill it up to the line in the neck, and then spray a little Nitrogen from 'private reserve' in there. I have tried almost all other methods and this one gives me the best result. Wine Enthusiast makes something like this, but I can tell you after sending 3 sets back, they are pieces of shoyt. The glass on glass seals of these beakers are effective.

PS Yes better than even spraying a large amount in the wine bottle and putting in the cork, but I can say that method requires the least cleaning !

< Message edited by ob2s -- 12/2/2009 10:57:26 AM >

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 10:56:02 AM

annerk

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Eric

I bet it was PrivatePreserve. Big, tall, thin aluminum can, right?

Yes, gold color if I recall.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 11:31:14 AM

NiklasW

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quote:

ORIGINAL: pjaines

For reds I think NiklasW uses a screw cap 375cl bottle to preserve the rest of any unfinished wines- he may even have stuck it in the fridge to preserve it.

Yup, cost me a whole 2 euros to get the bottle AND I drank the slosh that was in it.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 11:40:47 AM

grafstrb

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another vote for re-cork and put back in fridge. most reds don't start "losing it" until Day 3 ... many don't start "losing it" until day 5. Sauternes, tokaji, and some sweeter Rieslings will last for a much longer time than it will take you to drink them.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 2:05:17 PM

dsGris

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I agree with the re cork, fridge for longer periods, counter for over night. I have been sampling several bottles at a time and found that even with the cheaper stuff,($10) it improves over time or at least changes. A few have deteriorated, but most have gotten better. Some which I thought were undrinkable actually improved to where they were decent. I am almost to the point, this is for reds, of opening them a night in advance for a taste to see the change for the next night. If they are going to be longer than several days in the fridge, I will use a soft drink stopper. I do that with beer if I only want half a bottle. I know most will say why not 2 or 3, but will a strong bitter or stout, for me half is enough.
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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 2:06:42 PM

JustBusiness

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quote:

ORIGINAL: grafstrb

another vote for re-cork and put back in fridge. most reds don't start "losing it" until Day 3 ... many don't start "losing it" until day 5. Sauternes, tokaji, and some sweeter Rieslings will last for a much longer time than it will take you to drink them.

What's lost over that period? I notice loss of bouquet and an unpleasant taste at some point around 3 days for most (ABV 13.5+).

I'm going to try the gas with nice stopper, and see if that helps. Otherwise I will just have to drink more quickly.

When you say put it back in the fridge, do you mean a wine only fridge (like a Vinotheque), or your normal kitchen refrigerator?

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 3:38:51 PM

annerk

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I put the whites in the normal kitchen fridge, I leave the reds at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Ports I put back in the wine cooler, and I don't gas them.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 3:59:44 PM

pbm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: JustBusiness

quote:

ORIGINAL: grafstrb

another vote for re-cork and put back in fridge. most reds don't start "losing it" until Day 3 ... many don't start "losing it" until day 5. Sauternes, tokaji, and some sweeter Rieslings will last for a much longer time than it will take you to drink them.

What's lost over that period? I notice loss of bouquet and an unpleasant taste at some point around 3 days for most (ABV 13.5+).

I'm going to try the gas with nice stopper, and see if that helps. Otherwise I will just have to drink more quickly.

When you say put it back in the fridge, do you mean a wine only fridge (like a Vinotheque), or your normal kitchen refrigerator?

Normal kitchen fridge for me.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/2/2009 4:01:47 PM

pbm

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quote:

ORIGINAL: cgrimes

An opened Aussie Red has a longer shelf life than a Twinkie...

Though some might say the taste is often not that different.

Not me of course.

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RE: Preserving an open bottle at home - 12/4/2009 12:39:37 AM

MindMuse

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I'm like most others. I stopper or recork and put in the refrigerator. Usually when I come home I'll open the fridge and put what's there on the counter for a while to start warming up.

I have a vacuum device which I use sometimes, but I cannot honestly say it is any different than any other stopper. I also have a bottle of the Private Reserve gas (I'm thinking that it's argon). I use it on rare occasion if it is an expensive bottle that seems possibly vulnerable or that I might not get back to for two nights.

I used to leave opened reds on the counter, and most of the time that was fine, but just often enough some of them deteriorated noticeably so that I switched to refrigerating them, and I find that works a bit better.

The one thing I would mention that I don't think has been (though it should be obvious) is to make sure it is stored upright, not sideways, to reduce surface area exposed to air.

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