Do you have an opened bottle of red wine and aren’t sure how to store it? Maybe you only fancied a glass or two, but don’t know where it should be kept now it’s opened?
Or are you curious and want to know more? Whatever the question might be that brought you here today, we have the answer for you!
Storing red wine can be tricky, especially if the bottle has a cork. The last thing you want to do is leave the wine to go bad, no one wants to take a sip of some gone off wine, or waste a perfectly good bottle!
But what can you do? Is there a correct way to store your opened bottle of red wine?
Well, that is what we are here to tell you! Keep reading to find out how to store opened red wine and everything else you need to know about your beloved bottles of wine today
How To Store Opened Red Wine
There are a few things you need to consider when storing an open bottle of red wine! The first is that it must be kept in a cold and dark place.
The refrigerator, a wine chiller if you have one, or even a cold room like your garage, will help to slow the oxidizing process of wine and keep it fresher for longer!
When putting your wine in a cold and dark place to store, you also want to consider how you are storing it in the cold area.
There are a few ways that you can store the bottle of red wine to keep it as fresh as possible, so let’s look at your options now!
Use The Cork
If you can, plug the bottle of red wine with the original cork to keep it fresh. For those whose wine came with a screw cap, simply screw the cap on tightly and you are good to go!
How well you can get the original cork back in the bottle will depend on the quality of the cork.
Plastic corks are almost impossible to get back in but don’t fear, our next step is one for you! If you can, make sure to put the same end of the cork that was facing in the bottle of wine when you bought it.
Use A Wine Stopper
If you can’t get your cork back in, you can use a wine stopper. Some brands will offer a bottle stopper that is pre-molded to fit the opening of a wine bottle.
They are super easy to use and can keep your wine as fresh as possible!
Use A Vacuum Pump
You can also purchase a rubber cork and vacuum pump. These will suck the air out of the wine bottle to stop the oxidation process to help keep the wine as fresh as possible!
You can purchase these from specific wine brands, or generic brands online, the choice is yours!
Use An Argon Gas Spray
The inert gas argon can be sprayed into an opened bottle of wine to keep it fresh without changing its flavor!
Make sure that you use one specifically designed for keeping red wine fresh!
A spritz of argon before you re-cork a bottle and put it in a cold and dark place can work wonders and help it last longer!
Keep The Cork In Place
There are now ways where you can open your red wine without removing the cork! By sticking a needle into the cork, you can pour yourself a glass of wine without opening the bottle, keeping it fresher for longer!
We recommend that you buy a device designed to do this rather than trying to make one yourself to prevent injuring yourself.
How Long Can I Keep An Opened Bottle Of Red Wine?
Providing you have stored the opened bottle of red wine correctly, it should stay fresh for three to five days. After this time, most wines will start to lose their fantastic taste and will start to go bad.
However, this does vary depending on the wine you have. The more acidity and tannin a red wine has, the longer it will last after opening!
You might see it last longer than five days if you have a super-rich red wine!
Some wines also improve the day after they have been opened!
It is often worth checking which wines improve after opening, that way you know which wines can be enjoyed a glass at a time, and which ones you should save for when you want to drink the entire bottle!
You can also check on the label of your wine bottle, where it should say how to store your wine and how long it will last once it has been opened!
You should use this as a more accurate guide to determine how long your opened bottle of red wine will last.
What Does Gone Off Wine Taste Like?
If you have left your wine longer than the recommended five days, tasting it is a good way to tell if it has gone bad!
You should first notice a sharp, vinegar-like smell from the wine.
This is caused by the acetic acid bacteria consuming the alcohol in the wine and metabolizing it into acetaldehyde and acetic acid.
If you take a sip of this wine, it should have a bruised fruit and nutty taste, rather than the fresh, fruity flavors you normally get with red wine.
Providing that you store your wine correctly, the lower temperatures should slow the process down, so you don’t need to worry too much about this.
Of course, make sure that you are drinking your wine in the recommended time frame to avoid being left with a poor-tasting glass of wine. No one wants that to ruin their Friday night!
Final Thoughts
And there you have it! The best way to store opened red wine is to keep it in a cold and dark place with the cork, or a wine stopper in place.
You can also add argon if you want to help slow the oxidation and keep your wine fresher for longer.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure that the wine stopper or cork fits the opening of the bottle snugly to prevent any more air from entering the bottle!
Hi, I’m Rachel Edwards and I enjoy a glass of wine as much as the rest of them. Well, maybe slightly more.
My parents own a vineyard in Napa Valley and were constantly making new wines for the locals to try. Their brand was one of the most popular across the US at one point. My sister and I loved running up and down the vines, picking the grapes for our parents, and even helping with the ideas.
Since moving out of the family home, my love for wine has not waivered - in fact, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur. I’m always the one to bring the wine to our girly gatherings, family meals, and picnics - let me know what we’re doing, and I’ll supply the goods.
