Drinking a glass of good wine is a great pleasure, and of course, true wine lovers would like to preserve this noble drink as long as possible to be able to enjoy it later.
And since wine, unlike the common belief, is a rather delicate drink that requires attention and care when storing it, proper conditions for keeping can significantly extend its lifespan and, of course, protect the quality of the drink from degrading.
If you are interested, stick with us!
How to Keep Wine Like a Pro
Where do you usually keep wine? Strange question, isn’t it? We are sure that most of you stock the precious bottles in a home bar or, what is even more likely, in their fridges.
Those who tend to buy this beverage long before the occasion to drink it can even freeze wine but these all fail ways of stocking the drink!
If you want your wine to last longer, we’d recommend you adhere to several handy suggestions.
Temperature matters
When it comes to wine, the temperature is one of the crucial factors that influence its quality. Too low or too high, in both cases, it will contribute to the faster spoilage of the drink.
Ideally, wine should be kept at 13 C, however, this index may vary hanging upon the sort of the beverage.
But no matter what’s the sort of it, never let the wine to stay below -4 C and above 20 C. In the first case, it will most likely freeze, and in the second, the beverage will age way faster than it should be.
Also, ensure that the level of heat is fixed at the same level. Any fluctuations can be harmful to the drink.
Lay it down
You probably know that wine bottles are stored horizontally, and it has special reasons for that. Bottles with corks must be laid like this in a wine rack to keep the cork moist since dry cork is a direct way to your wine’s aging and seepage. Screwtop bottles, however, can be kept vertically.
Keep it away from light
Everyone probably knows that wince has to be stored in a dark place even if it will be opened tomorrow. It is all because of direct sunlight – the UV rays damage the taste and aroma of the drink which is not what we want, right?
But there is another, even more, surprising advice that says: wine should be kept away from any sources of vibration! It means that we must not leave the bottles close to the dryer, washing machine, exercise areas, or even our stereo system!
Why is that? Because vibration will disturb the sediment which plays a big role in wine’s favorable aging.
Mind the humidity
In the place with a low humidity level, cork can dry out making the content of a bottle vulnerable and prone to oxidizing. That is why ensure it is always at 60-68%.
A wine fridge is the best
Why would I buy a special wine fridge if I’m not a professional taster, you may ask? Simply because the ordinary fridge keeps its content too dry and cold which is deadly for such a delicate drink. On the contrary, a wine cooler will always keep the drink at 10-15C with a proper humidity rate.
In addition, no cross-contamination will be possible.
Wine coolers take little space, so here comes the third benefit – you won’t have to search for the extra space for it.
Opened bottles need special care
If correctly kept, opened wine can easily last for 3-4 days. If you want to manage that, recork the bottle tightly: wrap some wax paper around the native cork and slide it back into the initial position. The paper will serve as a shield and protect the liquid from any parts of the cork crumbling into the drink.
If no cork is available (e.g. it was discarded or damaged), use a rubber wine stopper.
These few hints are very easy to perform but they will help to make the wine last longer and taste the same wonderful as it was when you just opened it for the first time.
Storing Uncorked Beverage. Is It Possible?
It is believed that the second the bottle of wine is uncorked, it won’t last more than several days. Nevertheless, this information is not quite correct.
Certain sorts of this beverage can perfectly last for a week and even longer!
We only need to learn several nuances regarding how to do it correctly with certain sorts of the drink.
Sparkling wine
This sort of beverage loses its carbonation quickly, so an opened bottle will be drinkable for 1-3 days if refrigerated and sealed with a stopper designed for sparkling wines specially.
Light/Sweet/Rose wine
Each of them will be ok for 5-7 days if refrigerated and re-corked. Nevertheless, the significant fruity savor will degrade a bit after one day of refrigeration already.
Full-Bodied whites
Beverages like Chardonnay or Viognier oxidize faster due to the exposure to oxygen during the pre-bottling procedure of aging.
That is why make sure they are repeatedly corked and refrigerated to enjoy for 3-5 noons more.
Red wine
This sort of drink lasts for 3-5 noons refrigerated. Beverages with less acidity and tannin (e.g. Pinot Noir) stay drinkable for less time than rich red wines like Petite Sirah.
Fortified wines
This sort of drink is a long-liver since an opened and re-corked bottle can sit in the fridge for 28 days! Some of them, like Madeira and Marsala, will last even longer due to being already oxidized.
The rule of thumb is that the sweeter the dessert wine is, the longer lifespan it has after being opened.
Bag-in-a-box wine
The beverage sold in boxed bags stays consumable for 2-3 weeks if placed in the fridge, nevertheless, they should not be kept for more than a month due to the spoilage risks.
These suggestions will help you to keep any sort of wine of its best quality even if it is uncorked and do it at home without any special equipment!
For more information visit https://beezzly.com/can-you-freeze/does-wine-freeze
