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I started a travel blog a year ago this month because I noticed a void regarding tips for people with travel anxiety or on the autism spectrum. Because sometimes life is incomprehensibly tragic, I had to cancel my summer trip and am not really loving the idea of being away from home. I’ve had so many people show my mom and me love, by coming by to go on walks or to bring over dinner, LaCroix, and wine. There has been so much wine.
While my mom is certainly not drinking any alcohol, having someone to share a decent bottle of wine with is delightful. Outside of holidays with extended family, I am usually the only one of my immediate social circle not drinking beer or cocktails. My frugal nature won’t allow me to buy anything over a $20 bottle of wine since I know I will only have one or two glasses at a time. While the change in taste and freshness of finishing a bottle of wine over three or four days doesn’t bother me, I usually don’t finish a bottle. I hate wasting things I’ve bought, so I sought an end to my struggle on how to save wine for later.
First, I tried using a decorative wine stopper.
Decorative Wine Stop. Go Bears.I received a gift of a Chicago Bears wine stop for Christmas some years back, so I gave it a try. Unfortunately, this gift just didn’t work. First, the height of the stopper was too tall to put the bottle in the refrigerator upright. Why don’t I just lay the bottle down on the top rack you ask? That’s problem number two. The seal was so poor that to put the bottle on its side resulted in wine dripping out.
Result: This decorative stopper should not be listed under “how to save wine for later”, but instead should be listed under, “how to show people you are a female Chicago Bears fan who drinks wine.” At around $6 USD, it is just decor for a day or two. Next.
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The second method I tried was a vacuum sealer that I purchased at Whole Foods.
Wine Vacuum photo c/o Wine SpectatorWhen I was looking up ways on how to save wine for later, this was the option most frequently suggested. I used it for about a year and honestly, it only extended the life of a bottle by an extra two or three days. I prefer red wine over white so typically the flavor became a bit more like vinegar and the color of the wine possessed a burnt orange hue.
Verdict: While this does help stretch wine out for a couple of days, it is not a great option for people who aren’t going to finish a bottle in less than a week. At approximately $12 USD, it is an affordable option, but doesn’t extend the life of a bottle of wine.
Finally, a Winner! Coravin™ Wine Systems to the Rescue
To be perfectly honest, I thought there was no hope. I gave up trying to find a method on how to save wine for later. I resolved to enjoy my $17 wine from the grocery store and that was that. Then, the unexpected happened. My homebody nature and Hulu subscription collided to introduce me to the Coravin™ Wine System.
On a cold March night in Chicago, I succumbed to targeted Hulu advertising telling me about The Wine Show. Ten episodes of Matthew Goode and Matthew Rhys, casually traipsing around a Tuscan villa tasting and learning about wine? SOLD. In each episode, a master sommelier discusses wine varietals and gadgets with the gents. As viewers, we learn a little something. It was here that I learned about the Coravin™ Wine System.
This gadget uses a long, hollow needle and pressurized argon gas to puncture the top of a standard cork. The argon gas displaces the wine, pushing it out through the needle and through the pour spout of the device, right into a glass. With an inert gas like argon, there is no oxidation of the wine. The wine in the bottle stays fresh and sealed while you enjoy a sample of any wine from your collection. The best part: after pulling the needle out of the cork, the bottle reseals in less than five minutes. It is utterly unbelievable. Don’t believe me? I made a video to show you both the effectiveness of the product and my astonishment at its efficacy.
We Have TWO Winners on How to Save Wine for Later!
Verdict: Coravin™ Wine Systems are pricey with a starting price tag of $299, but well worth the investment. Any casual wine drinker can taste single glasses of wine from their collection. You can purchase and keep high quality wine without waste. The system is easy to use and easy to store.
I purchased the Coravin™ Model Two Wine System because it was the most affordable and in stock. In the course of writing, I received an email from Coravin stating that they’ve branched into screw tops now too!
RePour Wine Saver is the Affordable Option
I’ve used my Coravin wine system to save wine for later for almost two years. Then, I learned about RePour wine saver. These one bottle per use corks use science to suck out all of the oxygen of a bottle of wine. They are so much more affordable than the Coravin wine system, and are much easier to use. At $17.99 for a set of 10, and available in sets of 4, 10 and 72, this is really the way to go.
If you are interested in how to save wine for later, and want to try this product out, use this link or any of the links in this article to receive $25 off any order over $90.
And if instead of opening your own bottle of wine, you’d prefer to have a couple of glasses of different wines and a lesson on wine at the same time, check out some wine classes in Chicago.
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