The meal is over and an opened bottle of wine is left on the table. To preserve its taste characteristics for a few more days, there are certain rules to follow. Goguette reveals them to you
Heat, light and oxygen are all factors that alter a wine’s aroma and accelerate its deterioration. To prolong the pleasure of your wine, make sure you:
Recork the bottle immediately after serving
The wine inside the bottle comes into prolonged contact with the air. What is the danger of this? The wine oxidizes and becomes unsuitable for consumption. To minimize this problem, recork the bottle as soon as possible after each serving.
Use specific accessories
A simple and effective solution is the preservation stopper. If your wine is particularly sensitive to oxidation, a vacuum pump is the ideal solution. This accessory extracts air from the bottle, preserving the wine’s freshness and aroma for longer.
To showcase the finest treasures in your wine cellar, opt for a bottle rack. Elegant and unobtrusive, you can display your bottles at the best angle, or keep your already-opened bottles upright until the next serving.
Put the wine back in its bottle
Wine oxidizes more quickly when decanted. To minimize air contact with the wine, we recommend decanting into a smaller bottle. The fuller the container, the less likely the wine is to oxidize. If the wine is still in its bottle, seal it with an airtight stopper and store in a cool place.
By following our advice, you can keep a bottle for up to five days after opening. However, this period varies according to the characteristics of the wine.
Shelf life depends on the type of wine and its composition. Here are a few basic rules to bear in mind, depending on the type of wine:
Elements such as tannin, sugar and acidity help wines to better resist oxidation. Conversely, a supple wine with low acidity oxidizes more quickly. Finally, young wines keep longer than their aged counterparts.
Good to know: the color of a wine can indicate whether it is still drinkable. A white wine’s color darkens as it oxidizes. The same applies to red wines, which take on a brownish hue.
To avoid accelerating the oxidation process, your wine should be stored in a cool, dry place away from UV rays. The ideal solution? A wine fridge. This appliance keeps your bottles at a stable temperature, while protecting them from light, odors and vibrations.
Although there are distinct differences between a wine fridge and your refrigerator, you can still store your bottles in the latter. For red wine, be sure to take it out a few hours before serving as it needs to be brought to its ideal tasting temperature before pouring.
Goguette’s tip: do you have a little wine left over? To avoid wasting it, why not reuse it in your cooking? You can make wine vinegar, sauces, marinades or cocktails. To do this, boil red wine and add fruit, citrus and spices. Please note: these suggestions will not work on a corked bottle.
