The wine-making process is a delicate process and if done properly, results in a delectable beverage to enjoy with friends and family. At Mt. Vernon Winery, we take that process seriously and put a lot of time and effort into our winemaking right here on our Auburn property.

When we hand the final product over to our customers, we hope they get the best experience out of our wines. That is why we want to offer some helpful tips on how to best preserve wine after a bottle has been open.

Essentially, you will have two to three days of premium flavor for an open bottle of wine if stored properly. If it is left too long without a proper seal your once delightful wine will eventually turn into something similar to a disappointing cup of vinegar. Oxygen is the key component to creating and maintaining the flavors of a wine, thus why it is best to swirl a glass of wine before drinking it.

Too much oxygen can be a problem, however. Here are some tips to storing that open bottle of wine.

1. Use the stained side of the cork to seal the bottle instead of the unstained side. The stained side of the cork has been exposed to the wine already and is less likely to change the taste of the wine. The unstained side could have become dirty, which may impact the flavor of the wine if it comes in contact with it.

2. An exposed bottle of wine can break down or oxidize. By putting the bottle upright in the refrigerator (yes, even red wines) and corking it, that breakdown happens at a much slower rate. So treat your open bottle of wine like you would any leftovers and place it in the fridge.

3. Move it to a smaller bottle. If you drink half a bottle of wine more often than not, consider purchasing a separate small bottle that can be used for storing smaller amounts of leftover wine. The reason for this is surface area. If wine is exposed to a lot of open space (oxygen) in a bottle, it will break down quicker. The tighter the space in a sealed bottle, the more likely your wine will taste good after storage.

4. Purchase a pump or a vacuum to suck oxygen out of the open wine bottle and seal it. And if it’s an older wine, plan on finishing it that night. Wines that have been aged for a long time tend to break down after being opened at a much more rapid rate that a young wine. If that isn’t an option for you with an expensive bottle of wine, there are products like the Corvavin that use a needle to pierce the cork while preserving the oxygen seal in the bottle.

Wine is a delicate and rewarding drink. If you and your friends or family can’t commit to a whole bottle, we recommend taking the necessary steps to preserve it. Of course, before you get to that point you want to make sure you have purchased the right wines!

We would love for you to give our wines a try. Mt Vernon Winery offers 16 to 18 fabulous wines for tasting. Take the time during your visit to enjoy a glass or even a bottle of wine with your friends on the estate grounds. The winery has beautiful areas that overlook the vineyards with big red umbrellas, humming bird feeders, roses, flowers and trees to delight your senses!