Having a glass of wine with your dinner can enhance the flavor of certain foods that you eat. Some people also enjoy drinking a glass of wine in the evenings as a night cap. But you’re certainly not going to drink an entire bottle of wine in one go. That’s why you should recork wine to keep it for another day.
But how do you recork wine and will resealing your bottle preserve the wine’s flavor? That’s what you can find out in today’s article. Continue reading to find out why you should recork wine and the different methods you can use.
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Can You Recork Wine After Opening?
You can recork wine after opening it but it depends on how you do it. After pouring your glass of wine you should recork it immediately and place the bottle in the fridge. By doing this you’re limiting the wine’s exposure to oxygen, light and heat which are elements that can impact its flavor.
Once wine is exposed to air it opens up the liquid’s tannins and deteriorates its flavor which is caused by bacteria called acetobacter. By recorking the wine you’re slowing down the process of oxidization so you can preserve its flavor for longer.
How Long Does Recorked Wine Last?
How long the wine lasts after opening it will greatly depend on the type of wine you have. Most red wines with higher acidity will last up to four to seven days after opening and recorking it. White wines can last up to a week. But you’ll have to recork the wine properly to preserve it for this long.
6 Easy Ways to Recork Wine
Are you looking for easy ways to reseal your wine after you’ve opened it? There are many ways to do it but most of them aren’t effective. So we’ve done some extensive research to find six methods to recorking your wine so you can preserve its flavor for a few days.
1. Wrapping the Cork in Wax Paper
Sometimes you may find it difficult to put the cork back into the bottle. If you’re struggling to recork the wine simply wrap a small piece of wax paper around the cork. The wax will make it easier for you to slide the cork into place. Your wine will keep between three to five days. Here’s how to do it:
- Cut a piece of wax paper that fits perfectly around the cork.
- Wrap the wax paper around the cork without overlapping pieces.
- While holding the bottle, position the cork at an angle and push it into place.
- Avoid twisting the cork because the wax paper will crinkle and it will be difficult to place the cork back inside the bottle.
2. Recorking Wine Without a Cork
Corks can break when opening a bottle of wine so sometimes you can’t reuse them. If your cork breaks or you lose it you can use paper towel, tape and plastic wrap to reseal the bottle. However, this is only a temporary solution until you find another cork. Follow these steps to seal your bottle of wine using paper towels:
- Tear a piece of paper towel from the roll and fold it so that it’s two inches wide.
- Roll the paper towel from one end to the other to form a cork shape.
- Check the size of the paper towel to make sure it will fit inside the bottle.
- You can trim off unnecessary pieces of paper with a scissors.
- Tape the end of the paper towel so that it doesn’t unravel.
- Wrap the entire piece in plastic wrap and use more tape to secure the ends.
- Now push the makeshift paper towel cork into the bottle to seal it.
3. Tilt and Twist Method
If your cork didn’t break when you opened your bottle of wine you can reseal the bottle with the same cork using the correct method. It’s important that you don’t force the cork back into the hole because it may push it into the bottle and you won’t be able to get it back out.
When you recork your wine bottle with the same cork, make sure you use the correct side of the cork. Follow these easy steps to complete the task:
- Put the bottle on an even surface and hold it firmly around the neck.
- Tilt the cork slightly so that it’s sitting at an angle over the bottle hole.
- In one motion, twist the cork and press down firmly.
- Then use the palm of your hand to push the cork firmly into place.
4. Use a Recork Wine Tool
One of the best recork wine tools to use is a wine stopper. Many wine enthusiasts have these in their homes in case they lose their corks. A wine stopper is affordable and they’re user friendly. You should have at least three of these around the house in case you have more bottles of wine to recork.
You can even get decorative wine stoppers but these can be more expensive than your standard stopper. Wine stoppers work the same as corks. Simply plug the bottle opening with the wine stopper to seal it. With a stopper your wine will last between three and five days.
5. Wine Savers
Another wine recorking tool to use is a wine saver. These devices come with a vacuum pump or a gas called argon. Wine experts say that using a wine saver will preserve the beverage longer than other types of sealers.
A wine saver removes the air from the bottle and replaces it with an inert gas. The vacuum sealer prevents air from going into the bottle so that the wine’s flavor is preserved. A simple vacuum sealer can preserve your wine for up to two weeks.
On the other hand, a wine saver with inert gas can preserve your wine for months instead of days. However, these devices cost a few hundred dollars so they’re more expensive than other types of wine bottle sealers.
6. Use a Smaller Container
Your wine will lose its flavor the more it’s in contact with oxygen. To solve this problem simply decant your wine into a smaller container. Make sure you use a container that won’t affect the wine’s flavor profiles.
Furthermore, make sure the smaller container can be sealed properly to prevent air from getting into the bottle.
Does Recorking Wine Preserve It?
It should be noted that recorking wine doesn’t preserve it for long periods of time. Some methods such as using inert gas sealers can preserve the wine for a few months. On the other hand, simply recorking it or using a wine stopper will only preserve your wine for a week or two.
If you want to preserve your wine for longer you may need to purchase a wine dispenser. These dispensers prevent air from getting into the container so that the wine doesn’t oxidize.
How to Store an Open Recorked Bottle of Wine
Once you’ve opened your bottle of wine you must try to prevent it from oxidizing as much as possible. Follow these easy steps to preserve your wine for longer:
- Direct sunlight can reduce the wine’s flavor and aromas. So keep your wine in a dark room such as a wine cellar.
- If you don’t have a wine cellar, place your bottle in the refrigerator. Chilling your wine can slow down the oxygen molecules which in turn will slow down oxidization.
- Store your bottle upright to minimize the surface area that’s exposed to oxygen.
- Don’t expose your wine to drastic temperature changes. If you’re serving wine to guests, leave it out of the fridge for 30 minutes so that it can go back to room temperature.
- If you have a small amount of wine left in the bottle, decant the liquid into a smaller container. This will reduce the surface area so that less oxygen is present inside the bottle.
If you’re dealing with sparkling wine you may need specialized corks to preserve the beverage. Unfortunately, most sparkling wines come with tapered corks that won’t fit back into the bottle. In this case, use a cork from a bottle of non-sparkling wine because the cork won’t be tapered.
Wines That May Oxidize Faster
No matter what you do there are some wines that can oxidize faster than others. Here is a list of these wines:
- Light red wines
- Organic white wine
- Pinot Noirs
- Older wines that are between eight to 10 years old
To preserve these types of wines you’ll need specialized tools to reseal your bottles. Try an inert gas wine saver with a vacuum sealer to preserve these types of wines for longer.
Also Read: Does Wine Need to Be Refrigerated?
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re wine enthusiast or you’ve discovered wine flavors for the first time, the methods in this article will work well for you. Use the paper towel method if you’ve lost your wine cork or buy a wine saver with a vacuum seal to prevent air from going into your wine bottle.
If you want to preserve your wine for longer get an inert gas sealer and remember to decant your wine into a smaller container. Make sure you keep your bottles of wine refrigerated after uncorking them and don’t expose them to direct UV light. By using the recorking methods in this article you’ll preserve your wine for at least a week or two.