How Long Does Wine Stay Fresh
And which tools you can use to make your wine stay fresh longer
Your favorite wine is tarting at you after a hard day at work. That glass of Pinot Noir would be perfect with the truffle pasta you’re making, but that little voice in your head pipes in and reminds you that you won’t finish the bottle. So, it stays another three months in your cabinet because you don’t want to waste it…Fair enough! Most wines are good for 1-3 days after you open them, depending on the age, complexity, and storage methods.
Although it won’t be harmful to drink, the introduction of air will slowly oxidize the wine. You can tell if it’s been open too long when the wine loses the fresh fruit aromas and feels disjointed and lifeless. Sad. In small doses with young wine, this can help to “open up” the aroma. To learn more, click here.
Lucky for us, wine preservation technology has seen some serious advancements. Many options are available now to wine lovers- everything from re-corking the wine to a tine needle that slips through the cork and extracts a glass of wine. Here will explore some of the most accessible options. Spoiler alerts: sommeliers are loving at least one of these right now!
Re-cork your wine
This the ancient method of placing the cork back in the bottle after it’s been opened. There is a plethora of cutsie bottle stoppers that basically do the same thing, but if the cork fits, it works just as well.
Why I like it: It’s cheap
Pitfalls: This method helps to slow the oxidation process when kept in a dark, cool place, but the oxygen in the bottle will still do its work.
How long it lasts: 1-4 days
Vacuum pump
This system became popular as premium wines rose in popularity in the 1990s. The device “pumps” out the oxygen and then uses a stopper to prevent new oxygen from entering the bottle.
How long it lasts
1-5 days
Pitfalls
Although better than the “Re-Cork” method” your window of happy drinking is still small.
Why I like it
They are relatively easy to find and don’t require much expertise to use
Coravin
Invented within the last decade, this device became popular with connoisseurs because it allowed someone to extract a small amount of wine without opening the bottle. It works with a tiny needle that pierces the cork and pours wine directly into another vessel (usually a wine glass). The same device then pumps argon gas into the bottle to prevent it from filling up with oxygen.
Pitfalls
For starters, it’s pricey. The device itself starts around $200 and requires frequent purchases of the argon gas canisters, which can add up quickly if you’re using it often. Furthermore, it only works on a natural cork, as it relies on the natural expansion of the cork to re-seal the hole that the needle created. Finally, it is rather inconsistent. It works about 80% of the time, but you won’t know if you’re bottle didn’t respond well to the Coravin until two weeks later when you’ve discovered that your Cornas is dead.
How long it lasts
2 days-1 month; Non-oxidative varietals, such as Riesling, seem to work better. Also, the wine should be kept on its side and temperature-controlled for best results.
Why I like it
This works rather well as a by the glass system at home. It lasts significantly longer than any method that involves opening the bottle, so you can slowly enjoy a great bottle over a couple of weeks.
Repour
This is a popular new tool that can easily be found online. It works like a bottle stopper but is filled with argon gas. You simply place it on top of the open bottle, as you would a cork.
How long it lasts
1 day-2 months. It should replace the cork as soon as possible and is stored upright.
Pitfalls
The Re-Pour is a single-use item, but can be recycled. One sommelier claimed that it works about 80% of the time perfectly, 18% of the time it will smell oxidized but then taste fine, and 2% it’s a dud.
Why I like it
So far, sommeliers are giving great feedback because it lasts longer than any other method and is less expensive than the Coravin. It’s also very easy to use