Can wine be stored once opened?

Have you ever given up uncorking a bottle of wine for fear of not finishing it? A single beer or lemonade aren't the only options for not spoiling anything. In fact, opening a bottle of wine can be the promise of three to seven days of potential pleasure.

Once opened, wine can be stored for varying lengths of time, depending on its size. Its main enemy is air, which oxidizes it. Aromas and taste evolve, and the wine may seem faded, blurred or even muted.

This is why the market promises a multitude of solutions, such as the Coravin, which "pricks" its needle through the cork to draw out the desired quantity of liquid without uncorking the bottle, or the vacuum pump, a cork that sucks out the remaining air.

Original cork and fridge

Simply put, it's also possible to preserve the contents of the bottle with its original cork, a glass cork or a champagne cork. All you need to do is place the wine in the refrigerator, whether white or red (take it out in advance for further consumption). Refrigeration doesn't stop spoilage, but it does slow down the process. Note that the more the bottle is opened, the faster it will spoil, as it is more exposed to air.

Some wines stand up better to this race against time than others. Tannins and sugars act as natural preservatives. Red, orange and sweet wines tend to last longer than light whites. Oxidative wines even seem immune, thanks to their long ageing in contact with air. In Roussillon, rancios aged for at least eight years in these conditions can sit in the fridge door after opening for a year without raising an eyebrow.

More generally, long ageing is likely to confer a certain stability on wines, including whites. For example, with the right cork, a crémant or champagne can remain intact for over a week, with a less lively bubble, but possibly leaving room for other nuances. Following the gustatory evolution of a bottle over several days is a fascinating exercise.