The fridge is your friend (or how to make an opened bottle of red wine last longer)

Sometimes I get home from work and feel like a glass or two of red wine- not a whole bottle. This puts me in a great predicament. I know that if I open a bottle of wine, but don't drink the whole thing that night or the next one, it will surely go bad. Re-corked red wines rarely, if ever, last more than 48 hours after they've been opened- even when a wine vacuum has been used.

Faced with this predicament on many occasions, I've done some research, and found out something rather surprising. When it comes to extending the life of a red wine (especially a young budget one), the fridge is your friend!! In fact, it's your best friend. It can add an extra 3-5 days to the life of your bottle.  The cold temperature slows down the oxidation process and keeps that bottle fresh long enough for you to find the time to finish it.

There is a process you need to follow. It's simple.

1. Re-cork the bottle of red wine. If possible, use a wine vacuum to remove any air from the bottle.
2. Put the red wine in the fridge for no more than 5 days. It doesn't matter if the bottle is lying down or standing up.
3. Remove the bottle of red wine from the fridge approximately 30 minutes before you want to serve it. This will give the bottle the necessary time to warm up to just below room temperature. This step is key.
4. Drink the wine and congratulate yourself for preventing unnecessary waste!

Comments

[Katie]

I have noticed some wine stores selling a product that apparently extends the life of the wine by adding a few drops of it into the bottle. Have you heard of this? If so, what are your thoughts?

[Nate]

I sympathize with your predicament - truly a vexing problem for all hardworking wine lovers! I agree that the fridge can help to keep your wine from doing the whole "bruised banana" thing and oxidizing into an unappetizing mess, but I think you've slightly under-emphasized the importance of the wine vacuum system in prolonging the wine.

I use the Vacu Vin wine saver (like a lot of people, I would imagine). I find that the (red) wines keep for around 3-4 days in near "fresh" condition simply pumped and at room temperature. I guess this could vary a bit based on what "room temperature" means to you - here in Maryland there are only a couple of months a year where my room temperature rises past mid-60.

I find that I'll pump whites and throw them in the fridge and they'll last for a week or more, whereas I pump my reds and keep them at room temp for the day or two it takes me to consume them. I find that the "manual re-corking method" (i.e., jam the cork back into the bottle by hand) has almost no effect on prolonging the wine - you've got 24 hours at best.

[farley]

I have the same problem. Living alone means the fridge is definitely my friend for those leftovers. Though it's sometimes hard the next time to wait the 30 minutes (maybe longer) when you need a glass of wine after a hard day at work.

[TJ]

Again, the very reason I mentioned in my last comment comes up in today's post!

More wine available in the 750ml than you want to drink! I WISH the 1/2 bottles would be more readily availble on the retail market!!!

My wife and I also use a vacuum pump with a rubber stopper and the fridge. My problem is that with my growing pallet (or perception...one and the same?!) I notice that after 2...maybe 3 days in the fridge that the wine is too vinegry for my tastes.

Again, this is a personal thing and my wife doesn't even notice it. Just a warning for others that even with a good wine rubber stopped and using a pump to get out O2 from the bottle, after a few days even in the fridge the wine could still "not stay" well. Especially some of the more "budget" wines ;)

[Wilf Krutzmann]

Another couple of best friends for me are a 375ml empty wine bottle. If I am only drinking a few glasses (a half bottle) when I open a bottle I immediately pour half of it into the 375 ml bottle, cork it and it will keep nicely for days. My other friend is the argon/nitrogen preserve spray. I find they work quite well and have had wines a week later still in good shape. If you use the pump and don't intend to drink the rest of the wine until 3 or 4 days later, be sure to use the pump again in a couple of days.You have created a lot of negative pressure inside that wine bottle and a rubber stopper is not going to stop outside air from slipping past that rubber stopper for too long. Happy drinking!!

[TJ]

THANKS for the tip Wilf!