The Case Against Recorking Your Bottle Of Wine
A glass of wine can be a nice reward after a long day, but not everyone gets through an entire bottle in one sitting. The temptation to simply pop the cork back into the bottle and put it in the refrigerator is strong. However, there may be reason to avoid storing leftover wine this way: Recorking doesn't always preserve it well, and it can make wine taste stale and flat.
Sommelier @confidenceuncorked speaks about this in a TikTok video, sharing why they don't recommend recorking. According to the creator, the goal should be to minimize the amount of oxygen in relation to the wine in the container. Oxygen can cause your wine to go bad, and a half-empty bottle of wine contains plenty of it. The porous cork allows more oxygen to pass through, further causing the wine to oxidize.
Although oxidation can be used to make wine, too much can ruin its flavor. Fortunately, keeping wine in the refrigerator can slow down the process. When stored properly, a partially empty bottle can last a few days after it's opened.
How to store leftover wine instead
Recorking wine may be your first instinct after pouring a glass, but there are better ways to store leftovers. As TikToker @confidenceuncorked notes in their video, Mason jars can be used to keep wine from going stale. Because they're smaller than a wine bottle, they'll have less open space (and thus, less oxygen) after the wine is poured in. Any container with a tight lid will serve the same purpose, assuming there's more wine than air inside of it.
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Some wine enthusiasts claim that recorking is fine, as long as the right conditions are met. As mentioned earlier, it's important to ensure the recorked wine is kept in a cold place, and you can also limit air exposure by recorking the wine quickly. You should also inspect the cork for holes or missing pieces before placing it back in the bottle. Such damage will allow air in more easily, so it's better to use a wine stopper if the original cork is beat up.
No matter how seamlessly leftover wine is stored, it's only likely to last a few days once it's opened. White wine can last up to a week, while reds only stay good for around four days. Looking up the type of wine will help determine how quickly it needs to be finished.