Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Fading flavours
Once opened, wine won't stay its best, but you can try to prolong the pleasure
ONE of the questions I get most frequently is about how long a bottle of wine drinkable once it’s open. It’s a good question, although not a problem I encounter too often myself. In short: three to five days is about as long as you’ll want to leave a bottle of wine around once it’s opened. But there are a couple of ways to stretch that open bottle of wine so it doesn’t go bad as quickly as it would if left alone.
Once wine is opened, the liquid inside starts to react to the oxygen with which it comes into contact. Whites develop more acidic, less fresh flavours, while reds mellow out a bit (if tannic) and the fruit starts to taste stewed. After a few days, most wine will lose any pep it once had -- it won't typically be "off," but it won't be drinking at its best. Older wines deteriorate more quickly; they're more susceptible to exterior influences.
By the fourth or fifth day, the stewy, slightly sour flavours will become more pronounced.
So what can you do to extend the life of an opened bottle of wine? Refrigeration is a good start -- even reds will deteriorate less quickly once opened when kept in your fridge. Pop that white or red back in the fridge (if it's the latter, remove it about half an hour before serving to let it warm up a bit).
There are a few devices out there to help preserve wine, some of which work better than others. The vacuum-pump stoppers -- rubber cork-like devices that attach to a manual pump -- may give you an extra day or so on the wine, but in general they're not that effective.
Another more effective product is the canister of wine preserver, typically a container and spout that injects an inert gas into the top of the bottle. The gas is heavier than oxygen, and sinks to the surface of the wine, forcing the excess air from the bottle. A couple of squirts and some quick recorking can keep a wine fresh for a couple more days. Look for a product called Private Preserve in some private wine stores and kitchen/home stores.
Got some other solutions? Email me and I'll post them to my blog.
uncorked@mts.net www.twitter.com/WFPuncorked
Science experiment!
Three of each of the following wines were tasted -- Bottle A was opened on Day 1, Bottle B on Day 3, and Bottle C on Day 5 to see how the fresh wine would taste against previously-open bottles. And the results...
LINDEMANS 2007 BIN 65 CHARDONNAY (South Eastern Australia -- $11.59 at Liquor Marts and beyond)
This great entry-level Chardonnay is consistently well-made, and the 2007 is no exception. Watch for the '08 soon.
Day 1: The Bin 65 shows fresh apple, peach, vanilla and pear on the nose. It's medium-bodied, with light acidity, crisp apple, fresh tropical fruit, butterscotch and vanilla on the palate. A great value.
Day 3: Bottle A has faded slightly relative to the new bottle. The acidity is more pronounced and the butterscotch and vanilla are starting to overpower the fruit flavours. Still decent.
Day 5: Bottle A is quite flat on the nose and the palate. Bottle B's butterscotch component is doing nicely, but there's a slightly acidic edge. Bottle C easily shows the nicest nose and tastes the freshest.
RUTINI WINES "TRUMPETER" 2006 RESERVE TEMPRANILLO MALBEC CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Mendoza, Argentina -- $14.99 at Liquor Marts and beyond)
A blend of three red grapes, this Argentine red combines nice dark fruit flavours with some oak and good structure.
Day 1: Black cherry, tobacco, leather, blackberry and caramel on the nose. Full-bodied, soft tannin, dry, moderate acidity, blueberry, blackberry, pepper, coffee, and plum on the palate.
Day 3: After a couple of days, Bottle A still has the black fruit notes, but they're slightly stewy, and the more complex leather and tobacco aromas are nearly gone. The acidity has jumped up, the tannins have faded a touch, and the pepper and coffee notes have dissipated compared to the just-opened Bottle B.
Day 5: Bottle A's nose is now mainly muted red fruit, while the acidity is sharp. Bottle B shows some black fruit and pepper on the nose, and is relatively approachable on the palate. Bottle C (the freshest) seems absolutely exotic and leathery in comparison, and the tannin, fruit and acidity are all well-balanced.
Wine website of the week:
A multifaceted site where you can keep an online wine journal, find wine news and more.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 6, 2009 F4
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