You went home after a long tiring workday. All of the workloads are done, signed all the papers needed to be signed, filed all the documents, etc. You changed your clothes and went to the fridge to look for something to eat or drink. Then you happened to glance at your most favorite bottle of wine, unopened, untouched, and still fresh. You decide if drinking tonight would be a wise decision since you are not exactly sure if you could finish up all the content of the bottle.
It is an anxiety-inducing question to ask yourself since it is your favorite wine and you don’t want it to turn into vinegar because you can’t finish the whole bottle. Worry not, since there are ways for you to preserve Sokolin wines after opening it. You only need to follow these easy tips below.
How long before your wine goes bad?
Many wine enthusiasts and experts would know the question to this one. In white wines, they would last for about half a day before spoiling. On the other hand, red wines last about 2-3 days before turning into vinegar. Of course, this is only applicable to wines that were opened and intact with the cork.
Know your wine
Not all of the wines in the market with the same quality. Some wines turn into vinegar much faster than the others, while some last longer when opened. The most common wine that there are more sensitive to oxidation is red wines. Take note that when you open a bottle of wine and leave it open, oxidation will occur, letting oxygen into the wine and making it into vinegar. Specifically, organic wines and wines that aged for at least a decade spoil faster than the rest. However, many wines and champagnes do need to breathe when first poured in order to get the full flavour, which is why you need to choose the right champagne flute or wide-rimmed red wine glass to give it the room it needs.
Always recork
After pouring one glass of wine, you should never forget to recork. The cork will slow down the oxidation and will make your wine last longer. When storing, keep it away from light and keep it in a place with a cold temperature. This slow down the process of oxidation. Usually, wine bottle with their intact cork would last for at least 3-5 days in your fridge.
Store in a new container
If you don’t trust the previous method, you can pour your unfinished wine to another suitable container. There are a lot of bottles in the market that is not just suitable for wine storage but are also efficient in keeping the quality of your wine. You could also store it in a mason jar of your choosing. Just find yourself a mason jar big enough for your unfinished wine and pour the wine inside. After that, close the lid tightly so that air wouldn’t come in to avoid oxidation. With the mason jar, the wine could last for at least five days or more.
Gadgets
Wine preservers consist of sealers and pumps. The sealer comes with a color system that lets you know if the bottle is tightly secured. You could also use a wine shield. The wine shield is a simpler one as you would only make it float on the surface of the wine. The wine shield would build a barrier to prevent oxygen from coming in contact with the wine itself.
Keep it away from humidity
Humidity does matter when you decide to recork the wine bottle, or otherwise. When you choose to store your wine without a cork, it is okay if you keep it in the fridge at a colder temperature. But when you decide to save it with the cork or with any other tool that will seal the bottle, it is best to leave it at the right temperature.
Leaving your wine bottle to a freezing temperature would lose the moisture of the cork. That means that the cork will dry up and will let the air seep inside the container, then oxidation will occur, making your wine into a bottle of vinegar. Leave it in a warm place; however, it would harm the quality of the wine. You wine would be “cooked,” meaning the flavors and aromas of the wine would flatten, the taste bland, and the wine itself be undesirable.
Speaking of warmth, never expose your wine to sunlight or even light bulbs. The sunshine has UV rays, which will break down the chemicals in the wine. Always leave your bottle of wine in a dark and cold place.
Takeaway
There is a lot to consider to decide how to store your unfinished wine. Sure, leaving a bottle of wine unfinished is quite unpleasant, but storing it in the wrong way would be even worse. You got to make sure to do all the things necessary for you to enjoy the same wine the next time around.