This one’s for the wine drinkers out there. There’s no doubt that there’s a time when you come across an unfinished bottle of a really good red that’s been sitting with its cork for a few days. It’ll be fine, wine lasts for years, so why wouldn’t it last a few days after you open it? Well, it doesn’t. It’s a sad reality, but one that you have to face. That is, unless you do something about it.
There are two general options. The sommelier’s preferred solution – or the one that 95% of us can’t afford. And then there’s the cheaper option. You won’t be showing off the second option to your mother-in-law, but it’ll do the job.
First with the fancy one, because it is pretty awesome. It’s called Eto, and not only will it “Wine preserved beautifully,” as Eto says, but it looks damn good too. It’s a decanter that preserves your wine. So fill it up with your favorite bottle (something expensive, otherwise this thing is not worth the money) and drink to your heart’s content, knowing it won’t go off if it’s not finished. The silicone plunger just gets pushed down until it reaches the top of the wine, and so stops the air from destroying your vintage.
Now for the one, you’ll probably buy. The Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump (catchy name, right?) does about the same job as Eto, but not nearly as elegantly. It’s used as a replacement for the cork. And you use the pump to remove any air in the bottle that’ll destroy your not-so-vintage wine. Cheap and cheerful or elegant and pricey, your choice.
