What do you do if you have wine leftover in a bottle at home? Do you usually put the cork back on to try to "seal" it again? A viral video by an expert making the rounds online claims this isn't the best practice if you want to maintain the taste and freshness of the wine. The video was shared by Warner, a Sommelier and Wine Educator, whose social media username is @confidenceuncorked. In the clip, she suggests an alternative way of storing leftover wine and clarifies why it is more effective than re-corking a bottle.
Also Read: 5 Genius Ways To Reuse Wine Bottles At Home
Warner explains that re-inserting the cork is not advisable as it means that half (or more than half) of the bottle still has oxygen inside. Since corks are porous, they will allow oxygen into the half-empty bottle of wine. "What you really wanna do is reduce the amount of oxygen to wine ratio," she says. So, she recommends using a mason jar to store the leftover wine instead. You can also use any other similar kind of airtight container, according to her. As she speaks, she pours some wine into a mason jar and shows how the ratio of oxygen to wine is much better in this case - as the jar is almost completely filled with the wine. She explains that one can use different sizes of jars, depending on the amount of leftover wine that needs to be stored. "I swear by this. It will make your wine still taste fresh even a couple of days after you opened it. Whereas, a day after I open a bottle of wine and put the cork back on, I can tell the difference. Don't knock it till you try it."
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Although the video was first posted online long ago, it has continued to grab eyeballs online. Recently, it has received a fresh wave of interest on social media. Here's how Instagram users reacted to Warner's viral hack:
"Thanks for the awesome tip!"
"I have been doing this for 25 years! I have never seen anyone else recommend it! Great tip!"
"Leftover wine!? Wait, you mean you don't have to drink it all? Weird..."
"What is this thing you call 'leftover wine?' Please explain..."
"I truly thought she was gonna say simply drink the rest of the wine, reduce oxygen in the bottle."
"The real trick is just to finish the bottle. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk."
"Now I drink my wine only from jars."
"Great tip! Going to do this!"
"I do this with my berries, so it only makes sense with wine!"
"I agree. I've been doing this for a while. It definitely stays fresher longer."
"Or you just buy a vacuum pump for a couple of dollars."
If you want to use up your leftover wine by doing something other than drinking it, we have a few fun suggestions. Read the article here to discover them.