Who would have thought that these tiny gadgets could make a big difference to your vino? What if you finish your meal and only have a half-bottle left? Just shove the cork inside? Give these unsung Heroes their due. Continue reading.
Imagine it’s the weekend and you have friends over to share your favorite Merlot. You pour, you sip, you chat. Wine is still left in the bottle as the night comes to a close. A good stopper turns from a necessity into a lifesaver.
Different stoppers serve different purposes. Many different stoppers are available, including metal, vacuum and silicone. Silicon stoppers, with their snug fit, work great. They are easy to clean, reuseable and can be used again. You’ll benefit from this product as well as the environment. But, are these perfect? Nope, not all the time. Soft and pliable they sometimes pop out from the bottles if stored on their side.
Metal stoppers? The metal stoppers are elegant and add class. When you wear one to a vintner’s event, they will turn heads. The metal stopper is a symbol of sophistication. Metal stoppers often come with a rubber sealing, which ensures that your wine is kept as fresh as you can. The price can be high.
These vacuum stoppers take things to the next level. These guys vacuum out the air in your opened bottle. Listen for air being sucked into the bottle as you turn the stopper. Your wine keeps it’s aroma for days. You can think of it as cryogenics. What’s the fuss? Where you put that vacuum pump within your cluttered kitchen drawers.
One amusing story is that at a meal party a guest tried to seal an empty bottle with a combination made of plastic wrap, rubber bands, and a rubber band. Guess what happened? Disaster. The fridge is covered in wine. Not a technique you’d likely repeat!
Did you ever know that if the wine isn’t properly sealed, it can spoil quickly? It’s the same as leaving out milk. Nobody will drink that. Air can oxidize a wine and alter its flavor. Just a few short hours can make all the difference. Do you notice that opened wine from the previous day can taste a little off? That’s the process of oxidation.
What do you think? Should I spend money on fancy stoppers or stick to the tried and true silicons? Should you go with the classic silicons, or keep it simple? This depends. Do you drink wine like it’s liquid gold or do you chug whatever is available? Or do chug what’s in your hand? For any wine lover, stoppers can’t be overlooked. The small but mighty stoppers protect the flavor.
Shopping for gifts: A quirky winestopper makes an excellent gift. Imagine a wine stopper shaped as a dog or a fish. They are conversation starters. The best party guest is the one with the funky stopper on a bottle. It’s a practical item that also adds a touch of fun to life.
Oh, and travelling with wine? Ever tried to bring a glass of wine back from your trip in the wine region? You can reduce the likelihood of your wine leaking in your luggage by putting a stopper onto it. As an extra precaution, wrap the bottle tightly in a zipper-lock bag when flying.
Consider the stopper next time when you’re enjoying that glass of white wine or red. Get rid of the cork, and replace it with a dependable stopper. Since wine can make anything better, why would you let it go to waste?