Wine storage,
I have just bought this 2 excellent wines (rose and merlot). I want to drink them sporadically but I don’t want them to get spoiled (if that’s possible). I will be drinking them at home with friends or by myself
I am learning about wines. What are the serving & storage procedures after you open the bottle? Any tips??
October 14th, 2010 · 5 Comments · Wine Storage Racks
Tags: wine storage·wines
Pontac // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:57 am
Do you mean in a restaurant situation or at home?
In a restaurant you should show the wine to the customer before opening so theycan confirm its the wine they ordered.
After opening it, you should pout an inch or so into the glass of the person who ordered the wine so theycan taste it.
When they accept, you should pour the guests wines (females first) and lastly the orderer. Do not fill the glass tothe brim, no more than two thirds full.
Then place the bottle on the table. If it is a white, in a ice-bucket.
But many restuarants havetheir own way of doing things – some keep the bottle on a side table.
If at home, well, relax. It is only a drink. Pour you glasses as you wish.
Storage? You can’t store a wine after opening. You can keep it for a day if you stick the cork back in and put it in the fridge door.
+++
Added as a result of the additional comment.
Once you open a bottle of wine it starts changing with the effect of oxygen.
How long before the wine gets unpleasant depends on many factors, especialy how young it is, how much alcohol etc etc. There may be for a short while after opening that the wine improves by softening tannins, because the exposure to air simulates aging.
If you want to drink the wine the next day, the best thing is to insert the cork as soon as possible and keep the bottle upright* in the fridge door.
If you want to keep the wine for longer, then you need to remove as much oxygen as possible, and there are only two effective methods I know. Easiest is to pour the unused wine into a smaller bottle up to the top and seal it.
The other is to replace the oxygen with an inert gas, such as nitrogen. This is how some professional wine bars do it, and there are some home kits, but they’re not so effective.
There are some devices that supposedly to pump out the oxygen, but these cannot get all the oxygen out, and they have a reputation for ‘scalping’ some of the flavour.
If you find that a 75cl bottle is too much for you, look for wine in half bottles. They are not so easy to find in supermarkets, try a good wine shop.
You will notice in most cases that the wine tastes less pleasant two days later. I wouldn’t keep it any longer myself.
* this is to avoid contact with the cork. Usually people reverse the cork to stick it back in the bottle. You don’t wan’t the wine touching that end.
sawmill // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:57 am
Don’t store it. Just keep seving until the bottle is empty or you are in lala land. Next time, open a fresh bottle. Saves space in the fridge.
paintedpony27 // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:57 am
Whites and blushes last alot longer than reds. Reds will get that crappy vinegar-y taste after a few days. Even though reds are supposed to be kept just a wee bit cooler than room temperature, I’ve found that keeping them in the fridge (ALWAYS on their side, regardless of red or white), will get you an extra day or two. It’s so easy to kill off a bottle of wine, though, just go for it, and have fun!!! Don’t forget to take a few Advil before bed, it makes the next morning a little more bearable…
sayliffe // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:57 am
Ok everyone on here thinks they know what they are talking about but usually dont. First reds and rose’s are completly different. If your red is old then it needs to be served and drank imediatley. If its not too old it can be stored for a few days and still keep its original flavor. If your new to wine you could probabaly have a bottle of corked red for a few weeks and not notice the difference.Roses’s are chilled so they last a little longer. The best way to preserve wine is to buy a pump and rubber cork that allows you to take the air out of the bottle which preserves the wine a little longer. But your wine will never taste better than after it has originaly been corked and allowed to brethe for a few minutes.
Pirate // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:57 am
With all dues respect to my fellow answer providers here are my opinions.
Storage – Unopened: For either red or white best to store on its side, slightly tilted toward the cork. Best temps for either wine are between 55 and 60 degrees with humidity around 40 to 45%…if it’s possible to regulate your humidity. If your temperatures swing it’s generally OK as long as you stay within a +/- 5 degree range but do your best to stay in the 60 degree range.
Serving – whites should be cooler when served but not necessarily icey cold. You can take a bottle stored as described above, chill it for an hour and be confident it will serve well. If you’re done and want to store it, best thing I’ve found is one of those vacuum pump corks – they remove ambient air and help preserve the wine. Store it chilled on it’s side.
Serving reds – now this all depends upon the red but most times I take a bottle from my basement racks (they naturally stay about 60 degrees year round!), open it about 20 minutes before serving and then enjoy the bottle with friends and family. If it’s just my wife and I we won’t always polish off the bottle so we use one of those handy vacuum corks and set the bottle on its side and keep it handy for drinking. Usually gone within a week and still quite tasty. Now the better reds we own I’ll actuall yopen and decant then let them sit for up to 45 to 60 minutes before serving to let them breathe and let the flavors release a bit. Those get finished no matter what – they’re just too good to put away!
Enjoy!