How to Store an Open Bottle of Wine

By Real Simple
Updated August 29, 2014
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Credit: Rick Lew
Fail-safe ways to keep an unfinished bottle of wine in cooking―and drinking―condition.
Start Slideshow

1 of 3

Give Wine a Longer Life

Credit: Rick Lew

To give your wine leftovers the longest life, recork and refrigerate them―even reds (they come up to drinking temperature soon after being poured). Most whites hold well for two days; reds for three. After that you can freeze leftover wine in ice-cube trays and use the cubes for cooking.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 3

Keep Wine Fresh

Credit: James Baigrie

If you're not going to finish a bottle within two or three days of opening it, keep the wine fresh with a Vacu Vin Concerto Wine Saver ($20, amazon.com), a hand-operated vacuum pump that sucks air out of the opened bottle, extending a wine's shelf life by up to 10 days.

3 of 3

Expiration Date of Wine

Credit: Mark Lund

While some red wines keep longer in the bottle (thanks to tannins, which act as natural preservatives), whites last longer than reds after opening due to their acidic content.

Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Real Simple