Storing red wine: here is a topic that will let you enjoy your wine, even once it is open. We have all opened a bottle of wine when only a few of us were tasting it. After a glass, the bottle is still half full and you wonder: how do you keep an open bottle of red wine? With this article, you will know everything about keeping a bottle of wine once it is open. You can keep an open bottle for 3 to 5 days. With our tips, storing wine will no longer be a problem.
What temperature to store red wine?
The storage temperature for red wine. The temperature of a wine cellar is crucial for keeping wine well. As a rule, you should avoid all heat sources when storing your open wine. So avoid leaving your bottle of wine in living spaces or near heat sources. You can keep an open bottle of red wine in the fridge and take it out a few hours before serving. While keeping an open bottle of red wine in the fridge is possible, some prefer to avoid this solution. In that case we recommend keeping it in a cool room away from light. A scullery can be an excellent option. Or your cellar.
Storing open red wine
How do you keep an open red wine? Now there is a good question. As we have seen, temperature is crucial, but you also need to focus on other factors such as light and oxygen.
Storing red wine: avoid light
Keeping red wine once it is open depends in particular on light. Light is the enemy of wine. So the best advice we can give you is not to expose it to daylight. Choose a dark room, such as a cool scullery, for example.
Storing red wine: the question of oxidation
The moment air comes into contact with the wine, a slow process of oxidation begins. It will gradually alter the wine’s quality. So if you want to keep a bottle of wine after opening it, you should reseal it once you have finished serving. To do this, you can use dedicated stoppers (like these). We advise against using the bottle’s cork upside down: it might be slightly dirty. Also, the emptier the bottle, the more room there is for oxygen, and so the more problematic oxidation can become. To limit this process, you can use glass marbles. By slipping them into the open bottle of wine, you will raise the wine level and so reduce the room for oxygen. Finally, there are tools aimed more at professionals to limit the room for oxygen in a bottle of wine. You will find these in the last paragraph.
Where to store red wine?
How do you keep red wine without a cellar? Once the bottle is open, it is perfectly possible. You can store it in a room away from sunlight and heat. As we mentioned, keeping red wine in the fridge is possible, provided you take your wine out a few hours before serving. Temperatures that are too low can lead to a clumping of tannins in your wine. It is worth noting that storing red wine in a bag-in-box lasts far longer than in a bottle. You can keep it for one to two months, always protecting it from strong heat sources.
Tools for storing red wine
Professionals or the most seasoned enthusiasts can use special tools to store red wine. It is then possible to use instruments that remove the oxygen present in the bottle. Storing red wine is then better, since the oxidation process is slowed. This vacuum pump will let you greatly extend the storage time of your open bottle of wine. Finally, other systems allow wine to be served by the glass without even opening the bottle: a needle is inserted into the bottle of wine. Nitrogen is then sent into the bottle, putting pressure on the wine and pouring it into a glass. This system lets you serve great wines by the glass. These are instruments used in the finest establishments.
