Wine Line: You have leftover wine? Really?

I always thought the term “leftover wine” was an oxymoron. Isn’t it? The Navigator, a former English teacher, says no. I say yes. In our home it certainly is. But what if you do have some leftover wine? How do you store it, and how long will it last? This was a question a reader sent in last week.

Oxidation is the enemy; therefore, your goal is to keep the wine from oxidizing. But if you will be drinking it within the next day or two, just cork it and put it in the fridge. If you have about half of a bottle left, pour it into a clean half-size bottle, cork or screwcap it and put in the fridge. This minimizes the oxygen, and it will last a week or more. This is a good reason to buy (and drink) some half-bottles. If you can, find bottles with screwcap closures. They’re easy to close and provide a better seal.

If you’re drinking special wines (read “expensive”), you might want to try a Vacu Vin. It’s a pump that sucks the oxygen out of the bottle and is seals it with a rubber stopper. Or you can buy a can of inert gas (by Private Preserve) that you spray into the bottle. It displaces the oxygen, seals in the wine and keeps the wine from oxidizing. If you have a party with many open wines, get a little creative and make your own “dump bucket” red or white blend. Make sure you refrigerate all leftover wines.

I finally had to concede to the Navigator that I clearly misunderstood what an oxymoron is. I think.

40 years of white zinfandel

In 1975, a fortuitous accident occurred at Sutter Home Winery in Napa. A fermentation of white zinfandel stalled and all the grape sugar could not be converted into alcohol. It was bottled with 2 percent residual sugar and the rest is history. In 1981, 25,000 cases were produced. Today over 4.5 million cases are produced. Sutter Home is celebrating the 40th anniversary of America’s original white zinfandel on July 25 at the Sutter Home tasting room. 1970s attire is optional.

What’s on our table

This week found two more outstanding pinot noirs. The Navarro Vineyards 2013 Anderson Valley ($20) was a gold medal winner (93 points) at the North Coast tasting. The 2013 Byron Santa Barbara County ($19) is a Wine Enthusiast Editor’s Choice.

The Navarro is available online, and the Byron is widely distributed. Both are worth the hunt. Cheers!

This story was originally published June 9, 2015 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Wine Line: You have leftover wine? Really?."