Why Should You Recork Wine?
Wine needs to be re-corked or resealed after you have opened it because it begins to oxidize after it comes into contact with air. The oxygen will open up the tannins contained in the wine and inherently deteriorate the wine.
This oxidation process is caused by acetobacter, which refers to the bacteria that is found in the air. Despite this being harmless to ingest, it transforms the wine into acetic acid which inherently produces a vinegar-like flavor.
Unfortunately, irrespective of how you try to prevent this, wine will begin to oxidize once it has been exposed to the air. You can either buy a smaller bottle of wine or you need to prevent the wine in your normal wine bottle from oxidation by air.
You will be able to slow this process down significantly. Ensure that you are minimizing the amount of oxygen that the wine is exposed to by using wine stoppers. How to recork wine?
5 Ways To Reseal A Bottle Of Wine
In order to recork wine, it is recommended that you do so as soon as you have finished pouring from the bottle itself.
I have outlined 5 key tips that you can implement to prevent you from ruining your favorite wine. This ensures that it remains protected from the bacteria in the air as much as possible. If you still have access to the original wine cork ensure that you have carefully inspected it for any damages prior to re-inserting it into the bottle. Alternatively we show you alternative wine stoppers.
When you are opening a bottle of wine, you also need to make sure that the spindle of the opener does not penetrate entirely through the cork. Otherwise, this can create an airway in the cork which inherently allows oxygen into the bottle.
Always keep in mind that recorked wine can only be stored for a few days and you need to store the bottle upright!
A wine saver system allows you to store recorked wine for up to two weeks. You can discard the original cork and you will be able to store the recorked bottle sideways.
Re-use the cork to seal a bottle:
Place your bottle of wine on a stable surface, angling the wine cork so that one end is in the bottle while the other is on the outside of the bottle. You can then twist and press down on your cork simultaneously while pushing it back into the bottle until it is halfway in. Instead of using a cork you can use a wine stopper, too.
Use wax paper to seal a bottle
Alternatively, you can use wax paper as a wine stopper to reseal your bottle of wine. This may be preferable as a cork can expand whenever it is initially removed from a bottle. If the cork is not able to be placed properly into the bottle again or becomes damaged, using wax paper will ensure that any friction is reduced and prevent any excess cork pieces from falling into your bottle.
How to use wax paper to seal a bottle
To do this, you should cut a piece that is the same length as the cork itself, ensuring that it wraps all the way around without overlapping itself. Wrap the wax paper around one end and place your wine bottle on a stable surface. Then, place the wrapped end directly into the opening of the bottle, gently pushing it downwards using a rocking motion.
You should avoid twisting the cork, otherwise the paper will become wrinkled and ineffective. You should ensure that the cork is placed halfway into the bottle of wine.
If you don`t have the cork for recorking wine anymore you can use a plastic wrap to seal the wine bottle.
Use a paper towel to seal a bottle
Using a paper towel as a wine stopper is also preferable if your cork has become completely unstable. You should fold a sheet of paper towel that is approximately 2 inches wide. Then, roll it from the shorter ends until it has become entirely rolled and looks similar to a cork in shape and size. Assess the width of your rolled paper using the opening of the wine bottle to ensure that it will fit in properly.
How to use a paper towel to seal a bottle
You should ensure that the rolled paper is slightly wider than the opening of the wine bottle. Tape the ends in order to secure it into a cork shape before wrapping the entire roll in some plastic wrap. Take the wrap closed and push the roll into the wine bottle, resting it halfway in. You should ensure that you replace this with a rubber cork or new cork at your earliest opportunity.
Use a rubber stopper to seal a bottle
Using a rubber stopper or rubber is a great tool for resealing and recorking your bottle of wine. These are custom-made to fit the opening of most wine bottles, and they thoroughly grip the inside of the entrance in order to prevent air from entering.
This drastically slows down the oxidation process and will keep your wine fresh. These stoppers are notably affordable, and you can also purchase some extra stoppers for ease and convenience.
Use a rubber stopper with a vacuum pump
Another means of sealing a bottle of wine and slowing the oxidation process is by utilizing a vacuum pump with a rubber stopper. These pumps are beyond useful and they are also reusable.
This tool makes use of rubber stoppers that can be vacuumed out of the wine bottle by using the vacuum pump. It requires minimal effort and ensures that the storage time of your wine bottle is further extended and will keep your wine fresh.
How to reseal sparkling wines
Unfortunately it`s impossible to use the above descriped techniques for sealing wine bottles for sparkling wine bottles. This is due to the mushroom shaped cork used for closing sparkling wine bottles.
If you don`t want to finish the entire bottle of your favorite sparkling wine you can either use a wine preserver system or wine savers to seal the bottle opening. These systems work with inert gas like argon gas to limit the wine’s exposure to oxygen. The use of inert gas adds to the overall price of the wine saver. Therefore they are perfect for a wine enthusiast for an expensive bottle of wine.
More Tips For Recorking/Resealing Wine
After you have recorked a wine bottle, you will need to restore it in the correct conditions to prevent oxidation from occurring as much as possible. These conditions are as follows:
- Prevent the bottle from being in the light.
- Refrigerate your bottle after you have opened it irrespective of its color.
- Store your bottle in an upright position in order to minimize the surface area that is exposed to the oxygen.
- Avoid any drastic changes in temperature, especially if you are serving red wine. You should set your wine out at room temperature for half an hour prior to serving it so that it gradually increases in temperature.
- If you have under half a bottle remaining, you should transfer the liquid into an alternative bottle prior to refrigeration. This will ensure that there is less room for oxidation within the bottle.
Conclusion
To conclude, you should ensure that you recork your bottle of wine immediately after you have opened it and poured a glass.
This will prevent your bottle from being exposed to bacteria in the air that causes a process of oxidation to occur. While these bacteria are relatively harmless to consume, they spoil the taste of your wine irreparably.
If you do not have access to a rubber cork, you can use other means of re-inserting your wine, including using wax paper to ease the process of resealing your bottle.
