storing opened wine

[Kristy]

Help! I'm just starting to develop an interest in wine. How do I store an opened bottle of wine? On the counter? In the fridge?

[SoCal]

Great question Kristy! Since we are on the wine topic, how long can you keep opened bottles of wine (if you only use it in cooking)?? Any help on this topic would be appreciated. TIA...

[Beth]

My suggestion is to look for a Vac-U-Vin (I think that's right). It is a pump that pumps the air out of the bottle, using grey rubber stoppers. My husband and I have been using them and giving them as gifts for years. How long the wine will last will depend on how well you pump all the air out, the quality and character of the wine, etc., but we've kept wine days to weeks.

With these stoppers and the air pumped out, you can store reds on the counter or in the pantry and whites in your fridge. You can buy them at wine shops, cooking shops and even some grocery stores.

One tip: I don't know that the stoppers are dishwasher safe. We've tried them in a basket on the top rack, and they look fine, but we've had a couple lose their tight seal and don't know for sure whether they were ones that went in the dishwasher or ones that have just gotten too old.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 10-22-2000).]

[gabbyh]

I'm in total agreement with Beth! We use the same system, and it works great! I have never put them in the dishwasher. Just make sure the little slit on the inside of the grey stopper is not stuck together, and it will work fine!

[emilycat]

This thread may turn into a rave review for wine stoppers, but I have to third Beth's write-up of Vac-U-Vin. These things are awesome, especially if you're not one to down the entire bottle in a night (or a week). They work so well; my roommate got me one last year as part of my graduation present since I'd been using hers all year long!

[laden]

I had posted the same question a couple of months back. I got the same responses you did so I got a Vac-U-Vin. It works great!

I found mine at Williams Sonoma for about $13-$14. Although I did see one at TJ Maxx last weekend for $9.

[Gail]

Hmmm... seems our prior thread on this subject has dissolved. Can't find it anywhere and I don't recall what conclusions we reached.

Vac-u-vin certainly is an excellent suggestion. Loving my wine, and not being a purist, it's rare that we have unfinished bottles. However, on those rare occasions we don't finish a bottle, I recork and store reds on the counter, whites on their side in the fridge. If I'm planning on drinking it, I do it within a day. The longer it sits, the more the flavor is going to break down and change, due to the air that's gotten into the bottle (which is why the Vac-u-vin is a nifty idea.) I should mention that my wine opener does not pierce the cork, so I'm able to hammer the thing all the way back in if I choose, or else I use one of those nice marble-topped corks you can buy from companies such as The Wine Enthusiast. Now, if you're planning on not drinking the wine, using it for cooking, no biggie as to how long you keep it. On the extreme, cooking with vinegar works fine, after all, and if your wine changes taste, you're less likely to notice.

[SHERRY]

For the true enthusiast, like my husband, you must invest in a wine keeper. We have a single bottle keeper. Basically, as soon as you take out the cork, (before even pouring a glass, which increases the amount of O2 contacting the wine, you insert a handy pour spout that hooks to a nitrogen cannister. The nitrogen replaces the wine you remove and helps preserve the wine by not allowing it to spoil due to oxidation. You can keep a bottle of white in the fridge this way at least a week and reds on the counter at least 5 days. The nicest thing is you just lift the lever and it despenses however much wine you want at a time, no need to pull a stopper, pump, pull a stopper, etc. its great!!! We have just a single dispenser, but these things come in any size you want. A local restaurant has a 130 bottle keeper, they can offer that many wines by the glass at any time without worrying about spoilage. winekeeper.com

[SoCal]

A big thanks to all for taking the time to help Kristy and I out!! Your feedback is very appreciated and useful indeed. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Cathy]

Hi. We used to use the pump and rubber stoppers too. Then we discovered 'Private Preserve' wine preserver. It is a can of blended inert gases that prevent oxidation of wine by putting a fine layer of protective gas on the wine & blocking the oxygen from spoiling the wine. It is the same method of preserving used by wineries. An opened bottle of wine using this preserver easily will last a week to a week and a half & taste just like it was opened. Even down to the bottom of the bottle. We often have 2 or 3 bottles open depending on what we are having for dinner or are in the mood for. I would strongly suggest you give this a try. It is by far the best way of keeping opened bottles of wine fresh that we have found. A can will run right about $10 and can be found at a good wine shop or high end gourmet shop.

[Kristy]

Wow! Thanks everyone! Your feedback has been helpful!