What to do with the remains of a bottle of wine is a persistent dilemma for the single diner, or for the couple who may drink only one glass each during their evening meal. The 750 ml bottle may be the perfect size for two people enjoying a leisurely dinner, but it’s too much wine for many situations. And even novice wine drinkers can tell that the glass of a Cabernet they enjoyed from a fresh bottle rarely tastes as good when poured from a partial bottle several days later.
Naturally, we want to keep the wine for the next few days. A typical wine bottle left open without any special protection may not be drinkable, due to oxidation. Once a bottle has been opened, the air immediately begins to change the wine. At first, it is a good thing because it allows the aromas of the wine to work. Some call it letting the wine “breathe”. And a wine that did not fully open up during the first night of drinking will be better with a night to continue evolving.
However, air alters wine in a major way. As soon as that wine cork is removed, the freshness inside the bottle can never be recovered. Twenty per cent of air is oxygen, and oxygen is the real troublemaker in a partial bottle. Wine exposed to oxygen, (depending on the age of the wine) starts to oxidize in a matter of hours. Acetobacter, the bacteria that can turn wine into vinegar, remains harmless unless oxygen is present. Consequently, although the first effects could be favourable, ultimately, air will begin to change the wine, gradually transforming it into vinegar. Depending on the amount of available oxygen, an opened bottle of wine can start exhibiting eau de vinaigrette in three to five days. Oxygen is also the instigator of oxidation, the process that can eventually make a fresh white wine smell like sherry. Old wines are usually more fragile, and become oxidized faster than young wines.
There are several strategies for saving and preserving an unfinished bottle of wine for as long as possible. Current technology provides many methods for prolonging the life of an opened bottle of wine, but even the best can only hope to slow down degradation.
The simplest and “first aid” solution for saving an opened bottle of wine is to put back the cork and store it in the refrigerator. This slows the oxidation process and prolongs its life for a good 48 hours. You cannot expect old or delicate wines to survive this way, but most young whites and light reds will last a few days. The wine will lose its freshness, and the taste will be flatter, but it will be quite acceptable. The less the wine left in the unfinished bottle, the more air will enter, hence the faster the wine will become oxidized and lose its freshness.
Decanting could also be used for the sake of preserving leftover wine by pouring it from a regular bottle (750 ml) into a half bottles (375 ml) or even 187 ml quarter bottles (the size airline wine comes in), then re-corking and storing it in the refrigerator. This method lessens the amount of oxygen in contact with the wine. It is a simple method but it always works and it preserves the wine for a couple of days. Decanting the wine into a suitable container helps to soften the tannins, and allows the bouquet to develop. Very old wines, however, are much more fragile, and may rapidly collapse, losing much of their character and bouquet within hours of being opened.
One exception to the above is sparkling wine. To try and decant such a wine would be pointless, and would probably result in the loss of more fizz than would be lost as a result of leaving the wine in a half empty bottle. A related method is to add glass marbles to a partial bottle until the wine reaches the top, thus displacing the air with glass.
Since the late eighties, the wine industry has focused on devising ways to preserve unfinished bottles. Most wine-conserving devices use one of two basic philosophies: get rid of the air from the bottle (create vacuum) and/or insert a heavy gas onto the surface of the wine.
Removing oxygen from contact with the wine involves the use of a vacuum device. Specially designed rubber gadgets in the form of a simple pump are inserted into the neck of the bottle, and are used to extract the air. This results in a partial vacuum at best, as it’s quite impossible for such a simple piece of equipment to achieve anything better. Nevertheless, it is easy and practical and the necessary equipment is quite inexpensive and can be found in most wine shops. It is not a solution, however, that is recommend by wine connoisseurs who claim that storing a wine using a vacuum device has a detrimental effect on the wine.
When comparing wines decanted to a half bottle with those that had been vacuumed, the latter seemed flat and dull, and have less aroma on the nose. There are two possible explanations frequently given as a reason for this wine degradation. Firstly, when using the hand pump, it’s quite common to see a steady stream of bubbles rising up to the surface of the wine. This is dissolved gas, most probably carbon dioxide, coming out of solution under the reduced pressure. Such a change in the composition may quite feasibly result in a duller, less interesting wine. Secondly, it may not be just carbon dioxide that is lost. Many of the interesting aromas on the nose of a wine are volatile compounds, and it may be that storing the wine under a partial vacuum causes these to evaporate and disappear. This method can usually add an extra day beyond the decanting method. It is, of course, obvious that vacuum devices should not be used for sparkling wines.
Vacuum corking works for the short term. Another way to protect wine against oxygen from an opened bottle is to put a special gas into the container. Pumping in a gas that is heavier than air will force the oxygen out of the bottle. Nitrogen is too light to use alone, argon is too costly and carbon dioxide – heavier than argon – can impart a perceptible sprits. Consequently, manufacturers usually blend gases. Briefly, once the gas is inside the bottle, the cork is inserted immediately. The replacement gas does not usually alter the taste of the wine. There is some debate about which gases work best (nitrogen or argon). Every modern winery uses this method to preserve its wines after fermentation.
This same amazing technique is available to wine storage in the home. For the serious wine lover, a quick squirt from a cylinder of compressed gas can be employed to protect the wine from oxidation. This seems like the ideal solution, with no reason to suggest loss of volatile compounds, and minimal contact with oxygen as the nitrogen gas settles over the wine. These systems are good in preserving even inexpensive wines for a few days. Some wine enthusiasts, though, comment that the tannins are often softened in the process and the nose may lose some power. It’s also just one more piece of kit to clutter up the kitchen cupboards. Gas cartridges deplete quickly and needs to be refilled. Nevertheless, this method can keep wine fresh for a few weeks.
In summary, the pros and cons of the suggested methods are as follows:
Vacuum preservation
. Pro: pump out air, theoretically slowing oxidation
. Con: loss of esters, the wine’s aromatic compounds
Inert-gas preservation
. Pro: easy to use; displaces some air, theoretically slowing oxidation
. Con: consumer devices merely dilute the oxygen; they don't completely remove it, so oxidation potential remains
Decanting into smaller bottles
. Pro: minimizes headspace; low cost
. Con: decanting introduces oxygen
Freezing
. Pro: easy and inexpensive; dramatically slows oxidation
. Con: inconvenient; precipitates tartrate crystals; extreme cold makes oxygen more soluble
Displacement with marbles
. Pro: inexpensive; does not introduce oxygen
. Con: tedious; must keep marbles clean; subject to ridicule; some oxygen remains in wine
Concluding this short introduction, one can say that with a little care the vast majority of wines can be sealed with the cork, refrigerated and stored safely to be finished within a day or two. Attempting to keep wine any longer than this is not recommended, as the above measures serve only to delay the inevitable deterioration of the wine, not prevent it. There are, however, techniques which go further towards preserving the wine by attempting to lessen the effect of oxygen more directly. At least options do abound for consumers who want to make wine leftovers last. What’s missing is consensus on the best practice. But whatever preservation method you choose, don’t try it on older vintages – say, wines seven years old or more. Be prepared to open and drink these bottles in one sitting. They almost never last until the next day, no matter what precautions you take, as they are already far down the path of oxidation. Another exposure to oxygen tends to put these wines over the edge.
Wine News and Information
Climate change could mean the end of regional wine styles that have been produced for hundreds of years, according to leading experts on the subject. Top viticulturist Dr. Richard Smart has warned wine areas such as
Despite research showing that average growing season temperatures are likely to carry on rising over the next few decades, affecting the ideal conditions for particular varieties, many producers believe it is impossible to predict the precise impact of climate change. Some producers believe the science does not take the complexities of winemaking into account, with rainfall, drought and micro-climate potentially having a bigger impact than temperature predictions. They also remain optimistic that increased knowledge about canopy management could help them adapt, although those in hot areas were worried about falling acidity and freshness.
A compound found in red wine may eventually treat age-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes. A Massachusetts-based drug company, Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, has found that a reformulated version of resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, improved the body’s ability to break down sugar – and prevented mice from becoming obese. In trials, Sirtris’s SRT501 drug showed that those mice taking resveratrol improved their score on an oral glucose tolerance test, which measures the body’s ability to break down and use sugar, a fundamental problem for diabetics.
More recently, the first known human trial to target the genes associated with ageing was concluded in
Natural cork, the kind of cork used in wine closures, is a perfect choice for recycling. It’s 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable. There is absolutely no reason natural wine corks should end up as landfill when recycled cork can become flooring tiles, building insulation, automotive gaskets, craft materials, soil conditioner and sports equipment. Because of a worldwide interest in sustainable agriculture and natural products like cork, an alliance of concerned businesses, individuals, and ecological organisations has been formed to address the opportunities to recycle natural cork closures. Amorim & Irmãos of Portugal, the world’s largest producer of natural cork wine closures (over three billion annually) and their U.S. sales office, Amorim Cork America, have joined forces with Willamette Valley Vineyards and SOLV — an Oregon-based environmental action resource — to launch a national cork recycling programme starting in Oregon. Known as ReCORK America, the programme will begin by providing collection boxes in wineries and select retail locations throughout
Monolithos Monthly News
The growing season is officially underway. Spring greenery is easily visible in the vineyards of the southern hills of Troodos. Tiny buds are appearing on trees and ornamentals throughout the area. It marks the end of the winter dormancy and the start of the new crop.
At the winery we are engaged in the usual mix of activities, which ranges from tastings to rearranging vats, racking and stabilising to bottling wines. All eight Monolithos premium wines are available for tasting or purchasing, so if at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995.
Regards from all of us here at Monolithos and always remember the words of Mark Twain:
“My books are water; those of the great geniuses are WINE — everybody drinks water.”
