How to Store Red Wine After Opening?

Once red wines are opened, their acidity and tannin remain for longer, but lighter reds with less tannin are not as durable. Red wines also benefit from refrigerator preservation because, at cooler temperatures, chemical reactions are slowed down. Some wines taste even better the next day after being served. Read on to learn how to store red wine after it has been opened.

red wine

How to Store Red Wine After Opening?

To correctly store an open bottle of wine, you don’t need to be an expert winemaker or sommelier. Use these wine preservation strategies to keep the wine fresh for days after you’ve opened it.

 Reusing the Original Cork:

Reusing the cork that came with the bottle is the simplest approach for a wine drinker to preserve a half-finished bottle. This step is quite easy if your wine bottle has a screw closure. This task might be challenging if the wine you purchased had a plastic cork. Your outcomes with a real cork will vary depending on the cork’s quality. Always insert the cork end facing inward when you purchase the bottle.

 A Specific Wine Stopper:

Several manufacturers sell bottle stoppers that have been specially designed to suit the opening of a typical wine bottle. The easiest way to store wine would be to keep a few stoppers on hand.

If you unintentionally tossed away the cork, you can get wine stoppers with adorable and artistic patterns. They produce an airtight seal and are constructed of metal or plastic. Because it is difficult to insert the original cork back into the bottleneck, wine stoppers are employed. Find the ones with softer flanges at the top if you can. They are available at wine stores and online. For sparkling wines, there are stoppers made expressly for them.

A Vacuum Pump:

A few businesses sell wine preservation systems with vacuum pumps and slotted rubber corks. These tools allow you to remove air from wine bottles, stopping oxidation.

Utilizing an inert gas—one that won’t react with the wine—is a preferable choice. Ionized gas When argon or other gas mixes are used, the oxygen in the bottle is replaced, and a barrier is formed on the surface. Argon, which is non-reactive and denser than oxygen, forms a film that shields the wine from contact with the air, preventing oxidation. Once the gases have been sprayed, replace the cork as firmly as possible and place the refrigerator upright.

Argon Gas Spray:

Spraying leftover wine with argon, an inert gas, can extend the bottle’s shelf life without altering the wine’s flavor. Before re-corking your bottle, spritz it with argon using a wine-specific solution.

Preserving the Cork:

Businesses have recently developed techniques for opening red wine without removing the cork. These techniques for preserving wine require inserting a needle into the cork, which creates a small aperture through which a small amount of wine can escape. You can pour yourself a glass of wine in this manner without having to open the full bottle.

Use Half Bottles:

Consider bottling the leftover wine in a smaller container so there will be less area for air, which will result in reduced oxidation if you have only consumed half a bottle of wine. The residual wine is now exposed to half a bottle of oxygen in the bottle. If you wish to keep the wine for another day, use a half bottle (150 mL, 375 mL). Most ordinary wine bottles (750 ml) retailers also sell half bottles. This low-tech method lowers the amount of air in the bottle relative to the wine.

Wine Shield:

Here’s another strategy for preserving the wine bottle you didn’t finish. A flexible, circular disc called a “windshield” is placed inside a partially consumed bottle of wine. This floating lid preserves the wine and functions well for a few days. The plastic disc can float on the wine’s surface since it contains small air bubbles in its construction. When the bottle is upright, it doesn’t plug the neck; instead, it moves with it. For wine drinkers at home who don’t finish the full bottle in one sitting, it’s a terrific option. It is also ideal for eateries and bars serving wine by the glass.

4 Tips for Storing and Using Leftover Red Wine

When using and storing vintage wine, take into account the following advice.

1. Aeration is Beneficial

You should aerate your wine before drinking it, even though too much oxidation might ruin the flavor of your wine (and too much air exposure can kill the sparkle in your champagne). Pour it into a decanter with a sizable surface area to enhance the fragrances and soften wines with a lot of tannins or alcohol.

2. Keep Wine in a Frigid, Dark Environment

At lower temperatures, wine oxidizes more slowly. Put your uncorked, open bottles in the fridge (or a dedicated wine fridge if you have one). Remove the wine bottle from the refrigerator approximately an hour before serving if you don’t enjoy the flavor of cold red wine. When you pour it, it will have returned to room temperature.

3. Wine Ages at Varying Speeds Depending on the Type

Only one to three days after opening, sparkling and light red wines (like pinot noir) will still be drinkable. Once re-corked, a full-bodied white wine like a chardonnay may last two to three days. Full-bodied reds (cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux, merlot) and light whites (sauvignon blanc and pinot gris) can keep up to five days after opening.

4. It is still Okay to Consume Old Wine

Older wine tastes less flavorful and has more acidity, but it won’t turn toxic. It ultimately just transforms into vinegar. Certain wine aficionados enjoy even older bottles of pinot or syrah. It is acceptable to drink something if it pleases your palate.

How to Store Red Wine in the Fridge?

Once it is fastened, put your bottle—yes, even red wines—in the refrigerator.

Since the wine has a bigger surface area while lying down, placing the bottle upright will prevent spills and other wines from being exposed to oxygen. And if you don’t have a wine refrigerator, don’t worry. The wine will remain fresher for a longer period at a conventional refrigerator’s cooler temperature.

Next, remove that pinot noir and allow it to sit until the wine reaches the temperature you prefer to drink before serving. It will probably take 30 to 45 minutes for that procedure to complete, but don’t wait for the temperature to be quite right.

The kitchen may get quite warm, according to Stewart. Particularly in the summer, the red wine on your kitchen counter may be much warmer than it should be for serving.

How Long does Wine Last?

Champagne and sparkling wine survive roughly six months in the pantry, while red and white wines can be left unopened for up to a year. And how long does wine remain potent after opening a bottle? According to Andrea Robinson, a master sommelier and the author of Great Wine Made Simple, white wines, such as Rieslings and sauvignon blanks, have an acid that helps keep them fresh after being opened for around three days. In contrast, most red wines should be consumed within a day or two. In contrast, the refrigerator keeps only champagne and sparkling wine for one day.

According to Michael Aaron, chairman of Sherry-Lehmann Wines & Spirits in New York City, you should use a tool like a Rabbit vacuum pump to remove as much air as you can from opened bottles of wine to extend their shelf life to around a week. Moistening the stopper first will ensure the tightest seal.

Even if it’s not perfect, a quality vacuum pump can extend the shelf life of your wine by a few days, according to Hole. Our preferred choice is the Wine Saver Pump from Vacuum Vin.

What to do with Oxidized Wine?

A slightly oxidized wine can still be used in the kitchen if it has been stored properly—in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator—but the flavor or color is just a little off. According to Hole, they perform best in dishes that require extended cooking times, such as stews, sauces, or marinades, because this allows the alcohol to be cooked off and the flavors to harmonize.

If you’ve reached the breaking point, think about making vinegar out of your remaining wine. Hole claims that all you need to make something is raw vinegar, a clean jar, and an old bottle of wine. “You can make great vinegar to use in cooking by combining all of those ingredients and storing the mixture in your cupboard for around a month. Additionally, you can keep adding your remaining wine to the container to make vinegar.”

Does Red Wine Go Bad After Opening?

After being opened, the wine typically lasts one to five days. To prevent oxidation and keep the wine fresher for longer, the trick is to store open wine with as little oxygen touching the surface as possible. Oxidation is indeed the main cause of wine spoilage.

Can I Drink Opened Wine After a Month?

Yes. Old opened wine can be consumed without harm as long as no harmful microorganisms are present. Even if the wine appears to have mold, drinking it won’t make you sick (unlike with spoiled food, for example.) However, cork taint or ruined wine won’t have a good flavor or scent and may taste strange.

How Much Time can Wine be Keep at Room Temperature?

You haven’t yet ruined your wine, so don’t panic. As long as it’s not near your heater or in direct sunlight, wine may be kept at room temperature for around six months without suffering any significant damage.

Conclusion

You can reheat the bottle in lukewarm water to gently lower the temperature to keep your light-colored red wine fresher for longer. However, hot water is not suggested because it harms the wine. Instead, raise the bottle’s temperature to 70 degrees. Vacuum pumps are one type of wine preservation gear that can help you store your wine for longer. Vacuum pumps function by sucking the air out of opening bottles and hermetically closing them. These simple gadgets can add two weeks to the shelf life of a wine bottle that has been opened.