by Etty Lewensztain, Wine Expert for the Menuism Wine Blog
I'm all about being resourceful when it comes to leftover food. I've been known to transform last night's seemingly dissonant dinner ingredients into tomorrow's lunch masterpiece. But when it comes to wine, leftovers are an entirely different issue.
A very innocent friend of mine once served me a glass of Pinot Noir from the fridge that she said she had opened "a little while ago." When I inquired further she confessed that by "a little while," she meant three or four months! I quickly poured the entire bottle down the drain and embarked on an open wine diatribe. Needless to say, from then on my friend relied on me to provide the libations for our dinners.
If you ever find yourself pouring a glass of three month-old Pinot, this post is for you! Read on to get the complete lowdown on how to deal with opened wine.
Champagne or other sparkling wines are pretty much useless after they've been opened, since the carbonation dissolves very quickly when the wine is exposed to oxygen. It's advisable to open a bottle of bubbly only if you know you'll be able to finish the whole thing, which to be honest, never seems to be a problem.
Fortified wines like Port, Sherry, and Madeira have a much longer shelf life once they've been opened due to their high alcohol and/or high sugar content. These elements act as preservatives and give fortified wines much more longevity than non-fortified wines. The shelf life of an opened bottle of fortified wine will vary depending on the specific wine type. Manzanilla or Fino Sherry, for instance, should be consumed within one week of opening if stored properly in the refrigerator. Port will last a bit longer, and should be consumed within two to four weeks of opening if stored properly in the refrigerator (Ruby Port has a bit longer shelf life than Tawny Port). Madeira lasts just about forever, literally years after opening if stored properly in the refrigerator.
When it comes to bottle stoppers, many models on the market are really meant to be decorative as opposed to functional. Opt for stoppers that come equipped with a side tab that clicks closed and seals the bottle tightly. Champagne bottle stoppers can be quite effective but again, you'll see a substantial dissipation in the bubbles due to the wine's exposure to oxygen.
In all honestly, I've never used oxygen removal or gas preservation systems on open bottles, so it's difficult for me to assess their effectiveness, but my general opinion on the matter is that it's better to remove oxygen from the bottle than to add a synthetic gas to the wine to preserve it.
Related Links from Menuism Wine Guides:
• The Dish on Decanting
• Fortified Wine 101
• Which Wine Glass Should You Use? (VIDEO)
A Guide to Opened Wine originally published on the Menuism Wine Blog.
Etty Lewensztain is the owner of Plonk Wine Merchants, an online shop focused on small-production, artisanal and altogether great cheap wine. The food- and wine-obsessed Los Angeles native cut her teeth in the wine biz running a marketing campaign to promote Chilean wine in the U.S., and is certified by the esteemed Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and the American Sommelier Association. Plonk Wine Merchants specializes in hidden gems from around the globe and every bottle in the store is priced below $30. Follow Plonk Wine Merchants on Twitter @PlonkOnline.
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That might not sound like a lot, but it is, since if one has food pairings from one night to the next that do not align with yesterday's (say salmon one night and beefsteak the next) then this extra time is valuable.
Some people swear by the nitrogen systems, since they blanket the surface of the wine and prevent
oxygen from "aging" (read spoiling) the wine, and claim that they are superior to the other type, like I use. The Vac-U-Vin system, which is what I use, is relatively inexpensive and ubiquitous and will easliy pay for itself with a few months. The nitrogen systems a bit pricey, and are better for higher volume operations.
The few columns that I have read by you, Etty, otherwise were insigthful and interesting, but this one really failed. Please refrain from opining on things you have not tried, like this one.
Thank you.
^ ^
1) "I would say two to three days is the absolute maximum you'd want to keep an opened bottle.", and,
2) "In all honestly, I've never used oxygen removal or gas preservation systems on open bottles, so it's difficult for me to assess their effectiveness, . ."
Look, Etty, I respect that you run a high-end wine shop and all and that you have a considerable depth of expertise, but for you to aver that wines can only be kept for 2, maybe three, days tops, is doing a real disservice to your readership, especially when you admit that you have never even tried any of the preservation systems.
Really?! . . C'mon now! . . I guess that I'd have to conclude thatyou are either a lush or have a friend who helps you consume every bottle that you open, so that preservation of any leftover wine from your tasting event is not an issue. For those of us mere mortals on a budget who are seeking to stretch our wine dollars, read on.
As a regular user of an oxygen evacuation system, I can tell you that these do really help extend
the useful life of a wine--not dramatically, but significantly. Also, I find that this time generally differs between reds and whites. Generally, I find that reds last about 4 to 5 days using this system and that whites can last up to a week.
Drink it.
What's that???
http://www.sedimentblog.com
How to stop it from oxidizing (for up to a few days) - keep it out of contact with oxygen, which means keeping it sealed covered with nitrogen or carbon dioxide, or sucking a lot of the air out.
If it's been decanted, then you're pretty much screwed whatever.
Champagne doesn't lose bubbles due to contact with oxygen, it loses bubbles because the carbon dioxide has bubbled out. Keep it under pressure. If you can keep coke fizzy, then you can keep champagne fizzy.
How long does fortified wine keep? Until you can taste that it's oxidized.
Keeping open wine for cooking is a bit of a waste, since it's more expensive that wine vinegar, which is what it is.