Is there a general rule of thumb for how long a bottle of red wine will last? Is it different from white wine? Should I recork it or no? Use the vacuum caps?
Any info will help
thanks
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I assume you mean once it's been opened. In general, you should drink the wine the same day you open it, although some reds will be OK for a couple of days. If you're not going to finish it the same day you open it, recork it and stick it in the fridge to slow any deterioration.
In most restaurants reds by the glass could be open for a couple days before they are ordered if there are alot of offerings and not oxidize.
I have experience with this subject cause i'm the only wine drinker in my family and i rarely drink more than two glasses in a night, i recork the bottle and put in the fridge stand up cause if you lie down the area of contact with the air increase and deteriorated the wine faster, the whites can take one day or two, and the reds between two and four, that's my personal opinion.
I didn't try the vacuum caps but i thinking in buy one.
I didn't try the vacuum caps but i thinking in buy one.
Depends on the wine. Simpler wines won't last as long. Very old wines can fade really quickly sometimes, even as you're drinking them. Some wines just hang in there, although they're not as good the next day. Some wines hold up really well - usually bigger, younger wines.
My rule of thumb is not to leave the bottle overnight. But if I'm not going to finish a bottle, I make that decision before even opening it. And in that case, I don't open something that I particularly care about.
The best plan for keeping wine that I have found is to open the bottle and immediately and carefully pour half of it into a 375ml bottle, then seal that and put it in the cooler or fridge. It does incorporate some air, but the wine will hold on for a few days. I don't have one of those devices that injects some inert gas, although I'd like to try one just to see what happens.
If you pour repeatedly from the same bottle and simply cork that when you don't want any more, you've ensured that there is plenty of air in the wine and bottle. I'm not sure that standing it or laying it really matters a that point. The most I have ever kept a bottle like that is one day, because after that point I just use it for cooking and open something else.
My rule of thumb is not to leave the bottle overnight. But if I'm not going to finish a bottle, I make that decision before even opening it. And in that case, I don't open something that I particularly care about.
The best plan for keeping wine that I have found is to open the bottle and immediately and carefully pour half of it into a 375ml bottle, then seal that and put it in the cooler or fridge. It does incorporate some air, but the wine will hold on for a few days. I don't have one of those devices that injects some inert gas, although I'd like to try one just to see what happens.
If you pour repeatedly from the same bottle and simply cork that when you don't want any more, you've ensured that there is plenty of air in the wine and bottle. I'm not sure that standing it or laying it really matters a that point. The most I have ever kept a bottle like that is one day, because after that point I just use it for cooking and open something else.
I definitely think it all depends on the wine from age, to grape variety and winemaker - - oh and even the vintage.
I am not into a lot of fancy gadgets and the very most I use is the vacu-vin. It seems to serve the purpose. And if you really care about the wine and want a convenient and affordable way to preserve wines for a couple extra days, take an regular plastic screw cap water bottle (empty of course) and pour your wine in that. Squeeze the air out and immediately cap it. Of course the bottle will have a few dents in it because of the elimination of air and it will force the wine to the top. But it works. Toss it in the fridge for even extra good measure.
And if you saving a white in the fridge, don't panic if you take it out a few days later and it has little white crystals in it. A little potassium bitartrate doesn't hurt anyone. Means that possibly the winery didn't do their own cold stabilizaton.
I am not into a lot of fancy gadgets and the very most I use is the vacu-vin. It seems to serve the purpose. And if you really care about the wine and want a convenient and affordable way to preserve wines for a couple extra days, take an regular plastic screw cap water bottle (empty of course) and pour your wine in that. Squeeze the air out and immediately cap it. Of course the bottle will have a few dents in it because of the elimination of air and it will force the wine to the top. But it works. Toss it in the fridge for even extra good measure.
And if you saving a white in the fridge, don't panic if you take it out a few days later and it has little white crystals in it. A little potassium bitartrate doesn't hurt anyone. Means that possibly the winery didn't do their own cold stabilizaton.
quote:Originally posted by Walla2WineWoman:
And if you really care about the wine and want a convenient and affordable way to preserve wines for a couple extra days, take an regular plastic screw cap water bottle (empty of course) and pour your wine in that. Squeeze the air out and immediately cap it.
Hey, W2WW. Enjoying your contributions so far.
I will disagree with you on re-using plastic bottles designed for "one time" use. This type of plastic is not designed to take the high heat necessary to properly clean after use. Subjecting them to these temperatures can cause chemical leaching, which isn't a really good thing when food and drink are concerned. The science isn't completely in on this, but why take any chances?
This came to my attention, because a while back, I stopped buying bottled water because it's pretty environmentally unfriendly in addition to being ridiculously priced. I started re-using the plastic bottles and filling them with filtered (Brita) water from the tap. I cleaned the bottles in the top rack of the dishwasher and shortly after being refilled, I noticed that the water had taken on a distinctly "swampy" aroma. It would blow off but returned as soon as the partially filled bottle was recapped. I'm not sure where the smell came from, but did a little research on this type of bottle and decided to quit doing this. The potential for chemical leaching and the off smells were just too much.
PH
I recommend the 375ml + vacuum pump + refrigerator. Just the half-bottle and pump will usually get you 24 hours for a red. Don't worry about cold wine - just microwave it! (somms do it all the time - just a few seconds).
Tannic red wines tend to last longer. If it's really really tannic, it might actually benefit from being decanted for 24 hours. This type of oxidation can mimic the effects of aging.
Tannic red wines tend to last longer. If it's really really tannic, it might actually benefit from being decanted for 24 hours. This type of oxidation can mimic the effects of aging.
interesting thing is the phrase "rule Of thumb"came from the old english law that states a man cannot beat his wife with aything wider then his thumb,thus the rule of thumb.
quote:Originally posted by bodhi:
interesting thing is the phrase "rule Of thumb"came from the old english law that states a man cannot beat his wife with aything wider then his thumb,thus the rule of thumb.
Almost certainly myth.
There is no such law in print, and although the phrase was used in some nineteenth century citations, the use of "rule of thumb" in other texts predates by far any use in a legal sense.
My rule of thumb for california cab is "when in doubt, drink 7 years from the vintage date". Rarely will an early drinking cab be too far gone at 7 years, and most ageworthy cabs will be opening up by then. With California Pinot Noir, I would change it to 4 or 5 years. These are only generalizations of course, and it depends on the grape, the region, the producer and the vintage, so there is no simple rule for all red wines. Whites are the same.
Another rule of thumb: If you paid less than $15 for it, drink it now, white or red. Even this rule has some exceptions, but they are usually European wines that have little reputation but come from great vintages (cheap 2005 Bordeaux, for example, or obscure Spanish regions, like Yecla)
Another rule of thumb: If you paid less than $15 for it, drink it now, white or red. Even this rule has some exceptions, but they are usually European wines that have little reputation but come from great vintages (cheap 2005 Bordeaux, for example, or obscure Spanish regions, like Yecla)
quote:Originally posted by GregT:
The best plan for keeping wine that I have found is to open the bottle and immediately and carefully pour half of it into a 375ml bottle, then seal that and put it in the cooler or fridge. It does incorporate some air, but the wine will hold on for a few days.
I do the same, except I use a 375 with a screwtop, fill to the point where the wine is just about to leak out, and seal with the cap. If done properly, as you screw the cap back on, a small amount of wine dribbles out and you've created a perfect seal with no air in the bottle.
JMBlooz,
One thing you might try, and hasn't been discussed on this thread, is freezing. I do this all the time with a moderate/less expensive wine I want to taste, and don't think I'll finish off within a few days, or want to save for a few weeks for some reason.
I'll take a clean 500ml water bottle (Fiji works well), immediately pour just-opened wine into it, all the way to the top, cap, and put in the freezer. You might want to leave some head space for expansion, but I've never had a problem with a busted bottle (my freezer doesn't get too low). When you're ready to drink, thaw out and enjoy. A bit of a caveat though, you'll get some crystaline deposits in the thawed bottle though. Just decant them away, and your wine should taste fine.
Good luck!
One thing you might try, and hasn't been discussed on this thread, is freezing. I do this all the time with a moderate/less expensive wine I want to taste, and don't think I'll finish off within a few days, or want to save for a few weeks for some reason.
I'll take a clean 500ml water bottle (Fiji works well), immediately pour just-opened wine into it, all the way to the top, cap, and put in the freezer. You might want to leave some head space for expansion, but I've never had a problem with a busted bottle (my freezer doesn't get too low). When you're ready to drink, thaw out and enjoy. A bit of a caveat though, you'll get some crystaline deposits in the thawed bottle though. Just decant them away, and your wine should taste fine.
Good luck!
I think the freezing temperature of wine would be a good bit lower than the freezing temp for water. The higher the alcohol percentage, the lower the freezing point. So, I suppose a "hot" Shiraz at 15% would freeze at a lower point than, say, a 12.5% Bordeaux. (I don't know how much lower)
When you go to drink it, I hope you don't tell me that you microwave/defrost it.
When you go to drink it, I hope you don't tell me that you microwave/defrost it.
Irwin,
Yep, you're right, the freezing temp is lower, the higher the ETOH content. Last winter, I popped a couple of plastic bottles in my car overnight, just to see. I found that with the ones I used, it took temps in the low teens before the wines would start to freeze/slush.
To raise to drinking temp, I just put the bottles on the counter (I don't own a microwave) for a while.
Yep, you're right, the freezing temp is lower, the higher the ETOH content. Last winter, I popped a couple of plastic bottles in my car overnight, just to see. I found that with the ones I used, it took temps in the low teens before the wines would start to freeze/slush.
To raise to drinking temp, I just put the bottles on the counter (I don't own a microwave) for a while.