JULIAN HITNER TORONTO WINE CONSULTANT

Preserving opened bottles of wine is a tricky business. There are so many products out there, in what has really become an excessively saturated market, guaranteeing to keep your wine fresh for days on end.

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But which ones actually work? Many studies have been done on the subject. Of actual closures, wines under screwcap have shown to boast the best track record, while glass closures (more expensive to produce) are quickly gaining in popularity. As for synthetic corks, these have been panned by virtually every expert.

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And what about all those devices invented by fledgling entrepreneurs to keep wine bottles with cork enclosures fresh? In Ontario, the LCBO offers compressed nitrogen spray bottles for $15.95 (120 full uses). These are believed to help keep wine fresh for only a few extra days.

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Another popular preserver is the air vacuum pump. Inserting a special cork, or stopper, over the bottle, you use your air vacuum device to pump all the air out of the bottle. For my part, I used to have one of these contraptions, but I never thought much of it. Were it not still in a drawer somewhere in my kitchen, it would literally be collecting dust at this very moment.

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Finally, I’ve come across closures that expand at the top of the bottle, providing a complete seal. On balance, these aren’t bad, and they only cost a few bucks. What can we learn from all this? Sometimes the cheapest, most basic devices are best.