This week on The Unsophisticated Palate, we focused on open bottles of wine. We took you on a journey – from popping the cork to storing the leftovers (assuming you have leftovers…)!
Before we got to the nitty gritty of storing wine, there were some important basics that we went over. First of all, you have to be able to get the darn thing open. There are so many different types of wine openers out there, some loosely shaped like woodland creatures (picture a cute little bunny here). There are even some wine openers out there that are completely battery operated and do the entire job for you! Find the one that works best for you! For a full description of how to use a variety of the openers, listen to the podcast. If you’re ever confused about how to use one, consult our friend…YouTube! There’s no shame in that! As Marc hopefully made pretty clear, although some of these wine openers seem intuitive, they are not.
Now, some of us (ah-hem) finish the entire bottle of wine every time, but for those that don’t, here are some important tips for you:
Unsophisticated Tips:
How long will my wine last once I’ve opened it?
- Sparkling 1-3 days – If you have a champagne stopper it will last longer! Also, if you stick a metal object like the skinny part of a spoon in the bottle it will last longer (don’t ask me why, but it works!).
- Light whites/Rose – 5-7 Days in fridge with cork
- Full Bodied whites – 3-5 Days in fridge with cork
- Red wine – 3-5 Days in a cool, dark place with cork
- Fortified – 28 days (although, in our experience they seem to last longer)
BUT REMEMBER: The flavor will not be the same after day 1!!!
Re-cork it the right way – you really want to put the wine-stained side back in the bottle.
Use Half bottles – Put the rest of your wine into a screw-top half bottle so the wine isn’t exposed to as much oxygen.
Refrigerate it – This will slow down the breakdown process
Don’t open it- use a Corovain instead. This is a needle-through-the-cork system that lets you to siphon wine out of bottles without spoiling what’s left! It’s pretty miraculous and a great option if you have super pricey bottles of wine!
Finish it! – Haha! My favorite suggestion!
Until next time, drink responsibly! Cheers!
“Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” — Benjamin Franklin
The Unsophisticated Palate 