How long can an opened bottle or red wine or port last?

Being the only wine drinker in the house, this is an important question. I've invested in one of those vacuum pump stopper jobbies.

So how long can one expect a red to last once uncorked - without serious loss of character?

For the most part I can only find 750 ml bottles of most wines or port around here.

How about for LBV or 10 or 20 year old Tawny port? I have enjoyed sipping port when I have tried it in the past but it would take me a while to go through a 750 ml by myself.

-Aamer

Well, sweet wines will certainly last longer than dry wines. I've heard some say that you can keep an opened bottle of port for a month or so, but I don't have a lot of experience with that myself.

I think that whether you use the vacuum stopper or not, the wine will remain drinkable longer if it's in the fridge. You can always pour a glass and give it 5-10 seconds in the microwave to warm it to a decent temperature before drinking.

There are a number of other strategies for keeping opened bottles of wine fresh ranging from putting marbles in the bottle to raise the wine level up to the top to using canned nitrogen to displace the air. I can't say I know which is best, but others here can likely chime in with more informed opinions.

Mike

10 or 20 years old Tawny ports can maybe last a month or more, due to the oxidized caracter. LBVs for a week, but of course it is best the first two days.
Young Rieslings espesially German can also last a while if refridgerated.

I found the vacuum pumps to be ineffective, and switched to using inert gas. This was based on feedback I received from this forum a couple of years ago.

Since my wife does not often drink wine at home, I always end a meal with wine left in the bottle. I found that old wines (say, 10 years) degraded rapidly overnight using the vacuum pumps. The inert gas has kept them very enjoyable for another day or so.

I do not store my red wines in the refrigerator after adding inert gas and resealing; I place them back in my wine storage. However, I do place my white wines in the refrigerator; sometimes I do not even bother to give them a shot of inert gas.

-- Clark

I've invested in one of those vacuum pump stopper jobbies.


-Aamer

IMO, those vacuum pumps are a scam. The gas is better. I know of a few restaurants that use it with success. Some red wines will actually benefit from a day or two of being open. In most cases though, the older the wine, the more delicate and thus more easily fatigued it will be. This goes for Whites, Reds, and Vintage Port.


Prost!
Bill

The winekeeper taps is the only way to have a bottle of red last more than 3 or 4 days. The inert gas pumps the wine out and displaces any oxygen in the bottle. I have keep bottles open for three weeks without any oxidation. It is really useful to taste different wines at one time. One's tasting is relative to many factors including one's state of mind.

Like the others, I've found that the pump is useless - I've not tried gas, though.

I prefer to just pour into a glass and refrigerate what I'm not drinking with just the cork put back in the bottle.

Some will advocate pouring the wine not being drunk into a smaller bottle, but I've found that the act of pouring into another container will put so much of the wine in contact with air that it doesn't help either.

Of course all of what I have written is anecdotal evidence from me, and so is not to be taken too seriously. But anyway: Tawnies I find are fine for a week or so - but I do find changes within 3 days, so I usually drink them in that time. Some find that they are fine for longer - YMMV. LBV is fine for a 2-3 days, but doesn't IMO last a week.

I think the important thing is to experiment for yourself: tastes vary very much even in such things as how long bottles keep open well.

-O-

I often have this problem with wine, since I am usually the only one drinking it, so it was interesting hearing everyone's advice.

I have been using the vacuum pump and it hasn't really worked well. I haven't seen the inert gas...can someone tell me how it works or where to get it in the US?

I have been using the vacuum pump and it hasn't really worked well. I haven't seen the inert gas...can someone tell me how it works or where to get it in the US?

I've used "Private Preserve", but I'm sure there are a few other companies who make it. Check with a good local wine shop.


Prost!
Bill

I've used "Private Preserve", but I'm sure there are a few other companies who make it. Check with a good local wine shop.

That is the product I use, too. My local wine shop sells it for about $10 a can, which lasts quite a few months.

-- Clark

Aamer,
When my wife and I want a half bottle, a rare occasion to be sure, I pour off the 750 ml bottle into a 375 ml bottle as soon as the cork is popped. I then re-cork the half bottle and place it in the refrigerator. I bought half bottles of several types of wine so that I can choose the correct bottle shape thereby knowing what's in it since I've taken the labels off. I just have to remember to get the reds out of the refrigerator in time to warm up to 65 degrees or so. It sure doesn't happen often but I find this the best way to handle the issue. I have a fancy inert gas injection/tap system in a beautiful walnut cabinet but I've never needed to use it. I've never had a wine go bad with this method but I do usually drink up within a week.

On a related topic.... I always like to remind myself not to keep bottles of White Wine and/or Champagne & Sparklers in the refrigerator for too long... especially after Xmas, its common for the odd bottle of bubbly to be left in the fridge for weeks and even months... long term storage of a Champagne at around 4-5 degrees C may give you cork issues.

We do as Jon do. If you want detailed information on shelf life of both white and red table wines, get Andrea Immer Robinson's "2007 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone." She gives detailed information on this subject for each of the over 700 wines she reviews each year. She gives grades from A to B and Average as well as pluses and minuses. Calls her white guide "Kitchen Fridge Survivor" and her reds "Kitchen Countertop Survivor." She does this by brand and specific wine not just by wine type. We find this information very useful.

I have been using the vacuum pump and it hasn't really worked well. I haven't seen the inert gas...can someone tell me how it works or where to get it in the US?

There are two different kinds of inert gas-based systems out there.

The first is a heavier-than-air inert gas mixture that you spray into the bottle from a can, then you re-cork the bottle. The "Private Preserve" mentioned already is one example of this method.

The second is a nitrogen dispensing system. This system's a bit more involved. When you uncork the bottle, you replace the cork with a stopper/dispenser connected to a low-pressure regulator and a nitrogen tank. You run the nitrogen for about 10 seconds to purge the oxygen from the ullage, then you screw in the stopper/dispenser and connect it up to the nitrogen source. You "pour" the wine from the stopper/dispenser, and the wine is replaced by inert nitrogen as you consume the wine.

A nitrogen dispensing system can keep wine completely away from oxygen and as fresh as when freshly uncorked for many weeks. Spray systems such as "Private Preserve" are not as thorough at keeping oxygen out and hence the wine won't last as long. "Private Preserve" has a lower initial investment, but you do have to buy refill bottles on the specialty market, whereas you can go into any gas supply place to exchange your nitrogen tank. Both systems work better than a vacuum pump.

-Paul W.

I don't use either the inert gas, or the vacuum pump. And I rarely use the refrigerator. Not that I have anything against devices like that, but I want to guage how the wine will age. So, I plug the wine with a cork and leave it on the kitchen counter. (or better yet, put the screwcap on tight)
Young reds that are meant to age will last, and often improve, for 3 or 4 days, and are ok for a day or two more. Most reds of any quality that are fairly young are better on day two than on day one. Those that go bad on day three or four - or even on day two - so, I lose a few ounces of wine but learn where they are in their aging curve.
Port lasts weeks and often a month. So do sweet white wines. And madiera will last for months. And these that I want to drink later - I do put in the refrigerator.

Port lasts weeks and often a month.

I've found with mature vintage Port, the most subtle nuances (i.e., what drives you to store the stuff for 20+ years) disappear after even a day or two of storing the bottle re-corked after opening. The wine still remains tasty, however, for quite a while after that.

-Paul W.