I use the 375mL method. No fussing with gases, no cost (beyond an empty 375mL bottle) and works exceptionally well.
I don’t like the Vacuvin. Did’t think it really worked.
The half bottle approach works well and I like the gas especially for mature bottles. If you’re drinking a good bottle of wine that’s young just recorking or using a half bottle is fine and then refrigerate. Next day or two you can easily bring it to room temperature for reds by immersing the bottle in water that’s at the right temperature…quick and easy.
If you’re saving more expensive, mature wine for later then I’d invest in the gas as well but also refrigerate it.
As a producer, our reason is cost. Cost in bottling, cost in labeling and cost in shipping. Our distributors here in the US have been offered and they say there is not enough of a demand for them to go through the expense of buying and warehousing them.
We have 375ml bottles here at our winery that we reserve for baptisms, weddings, and first communions. With these bottles the party will design the front label, and we will bottle and print, for a global price. Usually they put the child’s picture or wedding couples picture and use it as a gift.
I’m with Ed.
How do those of you using 375’s wash and dry those bottles? Seems like there is a risk they never really dry and get funky.
At the moment I am using ‘Wine Save’, which is canister of argon gas, spray and corked. Simple. Seem to work for me on young reds, over period of 5 days trial (haven’t tried 7 days yet, since the wine tend to finish). Older reds, only solution Keep Drinking ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
. Stay away from SoWine, waste of money. Had 1 myself, and stopped working after few months. Noticeable oxidation on young red after day 2. And when you set the white temperature, after a day or 2, there will be lots of water coming out of the base. Not a good sight. This also happen to another friend, who bought SoWine, even after I warned him.
Cheers
Andy
Vineyard Fresh argon–cheap, easy and seemingly effective.
375 screw-capped…wow, the brand name escapes me!..green glass bottles from fancy French water bottler. Pour half in as soon as I uncork the 750; fill to brim; store in 'fridge; rinse well and dry inverted, then re-use. Works very well for me, but perhaps I have no palate.
Challenges are finding the right size bottles; paying the exorbitant price for water; and removing the reds from the fridge in time to serve at right temp.
The 375 way works well, especially with a screwcap.
I also have a Sowine, am very happy with it (apart from the odd weird shaped bottle tops which sometimes don’t close properly), and find it works well.
5 days with whites and no issues. I usually keep the reds though at the white temp, and they can last even longer this way…
I use the 375ml way too. And it works well! But sometimes I forget. So recently, I started making red wine vinegar!
For younger bottles I generally just re-cork. The change is often interesting. Or no cork if I am having it the next day.
But collecting various sized bottles with screwcaps is the way to go. Like Rick said, it will be fine for a few days easy. And often would go weeks or more.
I have 250 mls (i think), 375mls and 500 mls so I have something for every occasion.
These are great for when you want to taste multiple bottles together.
Jason
The few bottles we leave unfinished, we put a cork into it, put it back into the cellar, and drink it, usually, over the next few days.
I’ve had very good results with Vacu-Vin. They must have tightened the seal on the stoppers because they work pretty well now. Keep the bottles cool though…fridge or at least your cellar.
Agreed. If you plan to drink it the next day I really don’t think it matters much with young wines. If you care, the 375 works well–especially, as someone noted, with a screw cap. Someone asked about trouble drying the bottle. I don’t think that is much of an issue if you leave them upside down. Even if you rinsed on the spot, at most a drop or two of water gets in and that isn’t likely to effect the taste of a half bottle of wine.
Between gas and pump, I prefer gas. The pumps have never worked that well for me.
Also a Vacu -Vin user. Tight seal; pressure release upon re-opening suggest so. The bottle then goes into the frig for 1, 2 or 3 days, comes out and warms up to desired drinking temp and poured. Many years of doing this with 100% satisfaction.
If you fill a 375 to brim and close the screw cap, could you keep for longer than a few weeks?
A few weeks would be pushing it though I never tried. No issues for 1-3days. Now a days I just use a Pungo
I also use the 375 method like many have already posted.
We initially used the 375 ml method but have since switched to these bottles made by life factory. They can hold around 2 glasses of wine and I have had them in my wine fridge for about a week and the wine tastes great after.
A friend of mine used to recork mixed wines from our tastings (cleaning bottles and corks as if he were bottling new wines). I drank the last one of mine something like 15 years after it was recorked and it was great. It was some mix of 84/85 CA Cab based wines, including some Dominus and Ch. Montelena.