How to Store Red Wine After Opening the Bottle

You don't need to be a seasoned winemaker or sommelier to properly preserve an open bottle of wine. Use these wine storage techniques to keep wine fresh for days after you open it.

1. 1. Reusing the original cork: The simplest way for a wine drinker to preserve a half-finished bottle is to plug it with the original cork that came with the bottle. If you have a screw cap wine bottle, this step is incredibly simple. If your wine came with a plastic cork, this task may be impossible. With a true cork, your results will vary depending upon the quality of the cork. Always plug in the same end of the cork that faced inward when you bought the bottle.
2. 2. With a dedicated wine stopper: Some brands offer bottle stoppers that are pre-molded to fit the opening of a standard wine bottle. Keeping a few of these stoppers around may be the simplest way to store wine.
3. 3. With a vacuum pump: Some companies offer wine preservation systems that feature slotted rubber corks and vacuum pumps. Using these devices, you can suck the air out of the wine bottle to halt the oxidation process.
4. 4. Argon gas spray: Argon is an inert gas that, when sprayed into a bottle of leftover wine, can increase its shelf life without impacting the flavor. Use a product specifically designed for wine to apply a spritz of argon before re-corking your bottle.
5. 5. Keeping the cork in place: In recent years, companies have introduced ways to open red wine without actually removing the cork. These wine preservation systems involve sticking a needle into the cork that allows small amounts of wine to escape through a tiny opening. This way, you can pour yourself a glass of wine without opening the entire bottle.

Consider the following tips as you store and use older wine.

1. 1. Aeration is a good thing. While too much oxidation can kill the flavor of your wine (and too much air exposure will take the fizz out of your champagne), you do want to aerate your wine before drinking it. Pour it into a decanter with a decent surface area, which will enhance aromas and take the edge off of wines with lots of tannins or a high alcohol content.
2. 2. Store wine in a cold, dark place. Wine oxidizes more slowly at colder temperatures. Place your open, re-corked bottles in the refrigerator (or a dedicated wine fridge if you have one). If you don't like the taste of cold red wine, remove the wine bottle from the fridge about one hour before serving. It will be back to room temperature by the time you pour it.
3. 3. Different types of wine age at different rates. Sparkling wine and light red wine (such as pinot noir) will only last one to three days after opening. Full-bodied white wine like a chardonnay may last two to three days once re-corked. Light whites (sauvignon blanc and pinot gris) and full-bodied reds (cabernet sauvignon, Bordeaux, merlot) may last up to five days after opening.
4. 4. Old wine is still safe to drink. Old wine will have increased acidity and less flavor, but it won't become poisonous. At the end of the day, it simply turns into vinegar. Some wine drinkers even like the flavor of a pinot or syrah that's past its prime. If it tastes good to you, there's no shame in sipping it.

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