How To Use A Bottle Stopper

6 Means to Reseal a Wine Bottle

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Kate Miller-Wilson

When she worked for several years in an elite fine dining eatery, Kate learned everything she could about fine wines, food & vino pairing, and wine etiquette.

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Fine Dining Waitress

Reviewed by California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS) Karen Frazier

Karen Frazier

Karen is a wine, cocktails, and food enthusiast. She holds a California Vino Appellation Specialist certificate from the San Francisco wine school and a Bar Smarts mixology certificate and bartends for charitable events.

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California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS)

While many wines now feature twist-off caps, in that location are lots of varieties that still use corks. If you don't swallow the bottle at ane time, resealing these varieties can exist a flake more complicated. Fortunately, there are several methods for saving your wine to enjoy later.

Tilt and Twist Method

If the cork is in good status and was removed with a traditional corkscrew, you may exist able to force it back into the canteen with the right technique. Always examine the cork showtime to determine which end was inside the bottle. That'southward the end that should go back in, since the outer stop may exist contaminated with dust. Refrigerate the wine afterward information technology is resealed; it will keep for three to 5 days.

Hold the bottle firmly on a stable surface.
Tilt the cork slightly then that i side goes in earlier the other. Hold information technology and then it is resting on the lip of the bottle.
In one motion, twist and press down, letting the kickoff office of the cork slide into the bottle virtually half an inch.
Still property the bottle firmly, press down hard on the cork with the heel of your mitt. This will force the cork farther into the canteen.

Wrap the Cork in Waxed Paper

If you lot're having trouble getting the cork to slide back into the bottle with your hand, there may be besides much friction betwixt the surface of the cork and the glass bottle. Yous can reduce the friction by wrapping the cork in a minor piece of waxed newspaper. The wine will proceed for three to five days refrigerated with this method.

Cutting a piece of waxed paper that'southward almost the aforementioned length every bit the cork and goes all the mode around it without overlapping.
Wrap the waxed paper around the cork and position the cork over the bottle at an angle.
Concur the bottle firmly and gently push the cork back in, using a slight rocking motion. Avert twisting, as this will wrinkle the waxed paper.
Press down firmly until the cork is most of the mode into the bottle.

Apply Paper Towel if Yous've Lost the Cork

Sometimes, no affair how practiced you lot are at opening wine, the cork can crumble or break, leaving you with nothing to apply to reseal the wine. If that happens, you can make a temporary cork out of newspaper towel, plastic wrap, and tape. This is only a temporary solution until you find a cork or a wine stopper, but it will piece of work in a pinch. It will only continue for a day or so, and then you'll need to supersede it quickly.

Tear off a piece of paper towel and fold information technology to be nearly two inches wide.
Starting at one of the brusk ends, tightly roll the folded paper towel in on itself until you class a cork shape. Check the size against the bottle to confirm information technology will fit and trim some off as needed. You want it to be just a fiddling bigger than the neck of the bottle.
Record the finish of the paper towel to secure it. Wrap the entire affair in plastic wrap, using more tape to secure the ends.
Now position the paper towel cork over the bottle and push and twist simultaneously, working it into the canteen. Go on until the bottle is sealed.

Employ Wine Stoppers

Wine stoppers are affordable and easy to use. They're also easy to find; most stores that sell kitchen or wine supplies have them. It's a good idea to accept a few on hand if you drink wine and often don't finish the bottle. Unproblematic stoppers may cost a few dollars for three or more, while decorative stoppers may cost around $15 to $twenty for a set up of three. Go on several and yous'll ever exist able to plug an unused bottle of wine. Stoppers work most the aforementioned as recorking the wine. Chilled, they will preserve it for three to five days.

Use a Wine Saver

Wine savers are vacuum sealers that come with a stopper and either a vacuum pump or an inert gas such as argon. The theory is that using these devices can assistance preserve the wine for longer because it removes the air from the canteen or replaces it with an inert gas, and air is what causes the vino to oxidize and lose flavor. Simple vacuum sealers and stoppers price less than $x, and systems with inert gas injection can price as much as a few hundred dollars depending on the system. A vacuum sealer will preserve the wine for a calendar week or 2 while an inert gas sealer tin help preserve the vino for a few additional months later opening information technology.

Recorking Champagne and Sparkling Vino

Champagne and sparkling vino generally come with tapered corks that won't fit back in the canteen, no matter what method you try. However, there's withal a way to reseal these wines.

Save the cork from a previously opened bottle of not-sparkling wine. Because this cork isn't tapered, you lot can use it to seal the sparkling wine.
Position the cork over the cervix of the canteen, taking a business firm grasp of the vino.
Push the cork smoothly down into the bottle, twisting it slightly as needed to get information technology inside.

Something to keep in heed with sparkling wine, yet, is that many people feel it tastes better if the cork is left out. Y'all can even insert a spoon in the neck of the bottle to help keep it fresh. It's best to store sparkling wine in the fridge and swallow it within a day or two after opening the bottle.

Resealing Doesn't Preserve Vino

No matter what you exercise, remember any method of resealing wine will non actually preserve it for longer. For that, you'll need a vino dispenser that keeps air from getting to the vino. Once the air has been in contact with the wine, it should exist stored in the fridge and consumed within a few days. Still, knowing how to reseal wine is handy for when y'all need to send information technology or go on it fresh for a little while.