Wine oxidization

Dear Wine Ladies,

I’ve recently started to really get into wine. I have a very general question about tasting; most wines generally come in 750 ml bottles and I would like to try two, three or even four or more varieties of wines in a sitting, especially to compare them. Since I usually have only a few ounces of each I would like to know how I can keep the wine fresh for longer. Does the oxygen affect it?

Helmut

Dear Helmut,

What a perfect way to learn and appreciate the nuances of different wines from different regions. As to keeping your wine fresh for longer there are several steps you can take to prolong the wine’s lifespan. First of all, oxygen does indeed negatively impact a wine once it has been opened, robbing it of its fruit, its freshness and rendering it “oxidized”, leaving it flat. From the moment a wine is opened, this process begins.

The idea to preserving a wine is to limit its exposure to the air. Having a couple of empty half bottles on hand is always a great idea, and/or a product that can either take the air out of a bottle, as in a vacuvin or replace the air with a combination of inert gases as is the case with a Wine saver. These products can be purchased for as little as $20.00 and will serve to preserve your unused wine for up to several days. Finally, be sure to store your wine in the refrigerator which will also slow down the chemical reaction leading to oxidation.