By Chuck Dressel
When you’re storing leftover wine (yes, on rare occasions, some people do have leftover wine), follow these tips for best preservation practices.
1. Buy wines with screw caps! Mount Pleasant has transitioned to using screw caps on most all wine. All you need to do is screw the cap back on and put the wine in the refrigerator. A screw cap bottle will last approximately four to five days once opened; wine with corks will only last 24 hours.
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2. Oxidation is wine’s worst enemy. If you can’t buy wine with a screw cap, re-cork open bottles immediately and put it in the refrigerator. This is a very easy method when you don't have any other choices.
3. Use an inert gas preserver. Inert gas is pumped into the open bottle. The gas is heavier than air so it replaces the air inside the bottle and “blankets” the wine. After pumping the inert gas into the bottle, put the wine cap back on and you will be all set.
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4. If drinking wine with a cork, use a vacuum wine saver. The vacuum wine stopper will pump out the air and create a vacuum inside the wine bottle, thereby stopping the oxidation process.
5. Leftover wine may also be frozen and used later for cooking. Freeze wine in an airtight container or pour the wine in an ice cube tray. Once the wine is frozen, transfer to a heavy-duty freezer bag. The frozen wine will crystalize. Crystalized wine is more acidic, so depending on what you’re cooking you can leave them in or take them out. Frozen wine should last about 4-6 months.For fine wines in Fayetteville or just something new, head down to Grapes & Hops on Ramsey Street, Bob & Sheree's Wine Shop on Raeford Road, or the Wine Cafe located downtown or in the Millstone Shopping Center.
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