Here’s How To Prevent Your Bottle Of Wine From Going Bad

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Let’s say you buy a nice bottle of wine and you only want a few sips. You should be able to save the rest without ruining the whole bottle.

Air is an open bottle of wine’s mortal enemy. When wine oxidizes it starts to lose its freshness, specifically all of its aromas and flavors. Oxidization is the process that eventually turns your wine sour. This process can make white wine dull and apple cider-like, and make reds taste bitter, flat and dried out.

Rule number one: You should never leave wine opened. If you put the cork back right away it should last for a day or two before it loses its freshness.

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If you’re willing to spend a little money, there are all kinds of gadgets you can use that’ll stop the oxidization. There’s the Vacu Vin, which is a vacuum pump that extracts the air from the opened bottle and reseals it with a reusable rubber stopper. This works best with non-sparkling wines. There’s also the Air Cork, which makes an airtight seal no matter how much wine is left.

For anyone on a budget, you don’t actually need any fancy tools to keep your wine fresh for a week. All you need is a mason jar and a kitchen towel.

This video by Food52 gives you the 411 on the easy wine hack. Basically, lay out a towel on the counter and place your jar on top. Pour the wine till it reaches the brim, maybe even overflowing a little so that there’s no room for air. Screw on the lid tightly. You can keep the jar in your fridge for at least a week without the wine losing any of its flavors and aromas.

You can also place a sheet of wax paper over the filled jar and then place the lid on top as tightly as possible. The wax paper helps to preserve the flavor and it prevents the air from getting inside. If you don’t have room in your fridge, you can keep the jar away from the sun in an area that’s around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Side note: If you have enough self-control to keep a bottle of wine around for a full week without drinking it, give yourself a pat on the back. YA DID GOOD.