Q One of the most frequently asked questions about wine came in a recent e-mail: “If you don’t drink a whole bottle of wine, How long will it stay drinkable, and what measures should you take to extend its life?”
A Well, I guess you have to first determine what you feel is your threshold for drinkable. And that can only come with trial and error, or uncorking and waiting. The fact of the matter is that once a bottle of wine is exposed to oxygen it begins to deteriorate, and best thing that can be done to limit this deterioration is to consume it. I’ve kind of always said that, “If it’s good-it’s gone”.
But that might not be realistic for a lot of people and for many obvious reasons. So, here’s a few suggestions that might help out the potential wine spoilage dilemma.
First, try and track down a nice selection of half bottles. They equate to two glasses of wine and that shouldn’t be overwhelming for most people to enjoy, in fact, that’s just about doctor’s orders.
Secondly, there are a few methods involving gadgetry to remove the oxygen by vacuum pumping or spraying gas into a open bottle. I find both of these to be more cerebral than really practical. After countless opportunities I’ve had to try and extend the life of an open bottle, my own personal conclusion is that most of the gadgets are more placebo than any thing else.
Shy of going the half-bottle route, you can also buy some small bottles and make your own. The little four-packs of wine bottles that have screw caps work well because you can pour a 750ml bottle into the four units. Buy them, drink the wine if you dare, or pour them for someone you think might find enjoyment, and then you can save the bottles (after they are thoroughly rinsed out). The process of funneling the wine into the small bottles will have little effect if they are sealed immediately. You can also refrigerate them to add to the overall preservation. You just have to let the reds warm up before you drink them.
One other note, some wines, like a big, bold cabernet sauvignon will actually improve with some airing out. One of the main reasons for decanting is to oxygenate the wine, but for most of the everyday wines that we consume they will be decidedly less enjoyable after just a day or two.
Wine questions for Jeff Wicklund may be sent to wick@colbyhospitality.com.
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