Wine tasting at home - how to store unfinished bottles

[C_Mc_Cart]

Further to Ethan’s suggestion above, I’m currently beginning to test this approach based on Fu’s Zoom tasting group and the suggestion in Charlie’s original thread from someone that sited that an MS candidate had done this previously with great success.

It really looks like the key is making sure there’s very minimal headspace when you fill a bottle, not how you fill the bottle. I’m using 375’s with screwcaps and will be holding wines for weeks and possibly months in order to test this for myself.

[Paul_Gordon]

thanks for the advice. I don’t have a half bottle, but I’ll get one asap and go with that and I’ll also invest in Corivan. In the meantime, for tonight and this week what is the best option?

1. Keep the two red bottles open until tomorrow, store in a cool area and taste again tomorrow
2. Cork the two red bottles, store in a cool area and taste again tomorrow
3. Cork the two red bottles, put in the refrigerator and taste again tomorrow

thanks again for all your insight - it’s much appreciated.

Option #3 definitely. I do this with the majority of bottles I open at home. The next night, take the bottle out of the fridge several hours before dinner, to let the bottle slowly come up to the proper temp. If this doesn’t work for you, for whatever reason, it’s best to look for another approach.

+1. I follow this regime with hundreds of bottles a year. Always with good results.

Paul

[Robert_Grenley]

I’ve tried Repour, WineSave (argon), vacuvins, etc.
For me the best results, assuming you know in advance that you will only drink a half bottle, is to immediately pour into a 375ml bottle with screw cap to the brim so no airspace (and screw cap so you don’t have to leave space to recork) and put it into the fridge.
As suggested, remove from fridge a few hours in advance to let it get up to drinking temp.

[Bob_Davis]

I used to pour 1/2 bottle into a 375ml then vacuum the 375. Now we have a Coravin.

[Dennis_Borczon]

You might be missing something if you are too hasty. Just drank a young Pernand Vergelesses (2017 Clos de la Chappelle) and consumed over three days with just corking and cold refrigeration. Last 1/3 of bottle was fantastic, stretched out with nutmeg, sexy vanilla undertones and spicy finish. Some younger wines actually do benefit with some oxidation and blossom. This is the main difference in drinking a complex wine versus a simple cheap example. Less exalted wines never improve with air, they just sit there. Better wines evolve even without special treatment. Coravining them just holds the wine in place, sort of like a bookmark…

[Thomas_Ng]

I have repour, coravin and ArT Wine Preserver. The underlying technology is iron powder or argon. I have confident that either will do better than fridge. Just my 2 cent

[David_Glasser]

If you find that putting it in the fridge with a cork in it falls short (usually works for me for 1 day, less often 2), try the Repour. That extends the life of a bottle for 1 week, maybe more in my experience. You have to keep the bottle upright after opening. I’ve heard some report occasional failures (inadequate seal?) but haven’t encountered that yet myself.

Coravin is supposed to be great for longer term but I no longer use mine. First, I can’t use it on older bottles without stirring up sediment. Second, I’ve had an occasional seal failure on long-term Coravined bottles. Third, it’s inelegant compared to Repour for short-term bottles.

[Wes_Barton]

I got some “amber 8 oz. Amber Boston Round with Black Poly Cone Cap” which is the same type people are using 4 oz and sometimes 2 oz versions of for socially distanced tastings. I’ve funneled into two bottles, then consumed the rest a few times. With a '90 Sociando Mallet I siphoned down from a higher platform. Oxygen tubing. 9 volt flashlight for even back lighting. You can lift the bottle you’re flowing into to slow and stop the flow. Just had the last bottle about 2 weeks out and it was fine.

[Chris_Seiber]

I immediately pour 1/2 into a split, put cork in and put in refrigerator.

I got a pretty good deal on an unused coravin on e-bay. You can look at previous threads on the subject but I think it is well worth it, especially if you are only trying to keep the bottles for a few weeks.

This is the best plan if you want to preserve the wine as close to its initial condition as possible.

Some smaller percentage of wines might improve if left to get more air over the next day, like if you just recork the half full 750, but that depends on the wine and your palate preferences.

[Victor_Hong]

Pour the remainder of a bottle into glasses. Pour glass contents down the throat.
The wine should store well until the next day, when you repeat the process.

[Mark_Y]

I got some “amber 8 oz. Amber Boston Round with Black Poly Cone Cap” which is the same type people are using 4 oz and sometimes 2 oz versions of for socially distanced tastings. I’ve funneled into two bottles, then consumed the rest a few times. With a '90 Sociando Mallet I siphoned down from a higher platform. Oxygen tubing. 9 volt flashlight for even back lighting. You can lift the bottle you’re flowing into to slow and stop the flow. Just had the last bottle about 2 weeks out and it was fine.

+1
Of all obscures thing I’ve learned during these social distance tastings is that Coravin is basically obsolete for me for home use. These polycone cap bottles keep the wine fresh for weeks without much concern.

[Br1an_Th0rne]

I usually don’t have this “unfinished bottle” problem, but I’ve found that storing leftover wine in 4oz boston and/or 5oz woozy bottles will keep the wine fresh and intact for upwards of a week. Just be sure to fill to the very top.

[John_Glas]

For vintages within the last 7 or 8 years I simply open and pour and cork. Wines are almost always good on day 3!

[Alex_N]

I use these and fill them to the neck.

Homebrew Beer Bottles

Amazon sells a bunch of various sizes/colors.

[Mike_C1]

I got some “amber 8 oz. Amber Boston Round with Black Poly Cone Cap” which is the same type people are using 4 oz and sometimes 2 oz versions of for socially distanced tastings. I’ve funneled into two bottles, then consumed the rest a few times. With a '90 Sociando Mallet I siphoned down from a higher platform. Oxygen tubing. 9 volt flashlight for even back lighting. You can lift the bottle you’re flowing into to slow and stop the flow. Just had the last bottle about 2 weeks out and it was fine.

+1
Of all obscures thing I’ve learned during these social distance tastings is that Coravin is basically obsolete for me for home use. These polycone cap bottles keep the wine fresh for weeks without much concern.

Another vote for this

[AndrewH]

I use these and fill them to the neck.

Homebrew Beer Bottles – Midwest Supplies

Amazon sells a bunch of various sizes/colors.

Same, though from here: https://www.burchbottle.com

I bought a case of 375s, a case of 8oz (~ 1/3 bottle), and polycone caps to match.

Put back in cellar after pouring off half. A bit more secure than the Perrier bottles I had been using.

To the OPs question though:

1. If you want to see how the wine evolves, just leave it in its bottle.
2. If you want to preserve it like it’s freshly opened, then do one of the various rebottling approaches.

[HoosJustinG]

Repour is a great option, but agree to aim for one “corking.”

[Eric_Egan]

I got some “amber 8 oz. Amber Boston Round with Black Poly Cone Cap” which is the same type people are using 4 oz and sometimes 2 oz versions of for socially distanced tastings. I’ve funneled into two bottles, then consumed the rest a few times. With a '90 Sociando Mallet I siphoned down from a higher platform. Oxygen tubing. 9 volt flashlight for even back lighting. You can lift the bottle you’re flowing into to slow and stop the flow. Just had the last bottle about 2 weeks out and it was fine.

+1. Siphon + small bottles are great (I’ve got a bunch of different ones but prefer the flip-top 100mls). Small tip: if you’ve got a soda fountain of some sorts (I’ve got an Aarke), you can release some CO2 into the bottle before you fill it. Theoretically, if you leave it for a while first, that should minimise the oxygen content at the bottom, where your siphon outlet should be. I’ve left a few for a month and they’ve been fine (though it might of course also have been good without the CO2).

[Pat_Martin]

I was shocked to read James Laube’s article on freezing wine, but it really works. You can come back to a wine weeks later with virtually no change to it. I use either a half bottle or a beer bottle, which is close. Haven’t tried microwaving the wine to thaw like he suggests (!), though— I just run the bottle under warm water.
James Laube Freezes Wine - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

I’ve been freezing leftover wines for a long time and it works wonderfully as you say. The oldest, most dedicate wines sometimes do not hold up to it well (but I find these don’t like the Coravin much either) and it can fill up your freezer fast, but otherwise it’s like magic.

[Brian_Tuite]

I’d just stick the corks back in and try them again the following day. The extra time will allow them to evolve. They’re not that old and the air won’t hurt them.

If you immediately put the remainders in splits and refrigerate they will be exactly as they are when you opened them and isn’t the point of tasting them over a few days to look for changes And development?