We spoke with Randy Graham, Courtyard Winery wine maker about wine recently. Here are some of his tips.


Air contaminates - stopper and ref ridge rate to preserve

Once opened, the wine begins to react with the air. At first, it is a good thing, allowing the aromas of the wine to volatize. Often the aroma or "Nose" will change noticeably and be more pleasant after the first 20 minutes.

After that, air becomes wine's worst enemy. Oxidation continues, and the wine becomes undrinkable in a few days. Red or white, dry or sweet, the wine should be stoppered and refrigerated. Cold temperature slows the process of oxidation. If it's only for a day or two, that's all you need to do. (For sweet wines you can double that time.) You may extend refrigerator storage by another day or two by reducing the amount of headspace (air) in the bottle.

Hand-operated vacuum pump systems are available, or just pouring the wine into a smaller bottle will help to reduce the amount of headspace in the bottle.

The ultimate wine saving technique is to remove all of the oxygen. Systems are available that use a canister of inert gas to flush all the oxygen out of the bottle headspace. Now you're good for a month or more and it doesn't have to be refrigerated.

Randy's best choice – a standard bottle has 4 glasses, a little over 6 ounces each. Invite friends over and eliminate the problem!