The Simple Bottle Swap That'll Keep Leftover Wine Fresh For Later

For some people, finishing an entire bottle of wine in one sitting has never been a problem. However, there are any number of reasons even a wine lover can end up with some leftover wine. Unfortunately, once a bottle of wine is open, the clock starts ticking on its limited shelf life. And while you can put the cork back in that bottle of wine (assuming you still have it and it's intact) or screw the top back on (if it's a screw-top bottle), there's a better way to store an open bottle of wine. All it takes is a simple bottle swap for a smaller bottle.

When it comes to keeping your wine fresh, the key is to minimize its exposure to oxygen because too much contact can cause oxidation, which may cause a loss of flavors and eventual transformation into vinegar. The more surface area of the wine that interacts with oxygen, the quicker it degrades. If you've poured out half a bottle of wine to drink, then the remainder of the wine in that bottle is now exposed to half a bottle's worth of air. If you were to transfer the remainder of that wine into a smaller container, however, then you would limit the amount of air that can come into contact with it, which will help keep your wine fresher for longer.

For half of a standard bottle of leftover wine, the perfect swap would be to use an empty 375-milliliter half bottle of wine (also known as a demi or split bottle). If you have less wine left over then one or more 187-milliliter mini bottles (also known as quarter or piccolo bottles) would be ideal. What if you don't have any empty smaller wine bottles handy? While you can purchase empty mini bottles for this purpose, you won't have to if you already have another smaller container that you can use, like a mason jar, an old jam bottle, a beer bottle with a crown cap, or even a small juice or water bottle.

Whatever smaller bottle you decide to use, make sure it's been washed and clean. Use a funnel and decant the remainder of your wine into the smaller bottle, filling it as close to the top as you can to limit the surface area exposed to air (and oxidation). Screw the cap back on until it's airtight, and then store the container in the fridge upright until you're ready to enjoy the rest of your wine, which should now stay fresh for another one to two weeks.