There are times when you would open a bottle of wine, pour a portion of it in a glass

and keep the rest. This is very common, especially in restaurant where you would open several bottles at a go and end up not emptying them fully. In both cases, it would be very important to know how to recork your bottle of wine.

Reasons for recorking

Resealing of wine bottles prevents oxidation since there will be no contact with the Oxygen in air. Once there is contact, the tannins would be opened up and the flavor deteriorated. All this is caused by a bacteria known as acetobacter. This bacteria turns the wine to acetic acid that produces the vinegar taste. Once this process starts, you cannot stop it unless you slow it down by minimizing oxygen that comes to contact with the wine.

Ways to recork your wine

1. Corks

Before Recorking your wine, you would want to ensure whether the cork you are using is in good condition or not. In some cases, the cork may have been damaged during the first opening, forming an airway, which allows oxygen in to the bottle.

The Recorking process involves:

• Placing the bottle of wine on a stable surface,
• Angling the cork such that one end enters the bottle while the other rests on its lip,
• Twisting and pressing down the cork simultaneously,
• Pushing the cork into the bottle to about halfway of its height.

2. Wax Paper

At the time when the cork is in a bad shape and cannot get onto the bottle easily, you would consider using wax paper. The wax paper reduces the friction between the cork and the bottle, preventing falling of the cork pieces into the bottle. Using a wax paper involves the following:

• Cutting a wax paper into approximate length to that of the cork so that it does not overlap the cork,
• Wrapping the wax paper around either of the cork’s ends,
• Placing the wine bottle onto a stable surface,
• Placing the end that is wrapped directly onto the bottle’s opening,
• Pushing down the cork gently from side to side without twisting the cork. This is to prevent wrinkling of the paper,
• Pushing the cork into the bottle to about halfway of its height.

3. Paper Towel

If you can no longer use the cork, you can improvise a stopper using a paper towel, a plastic wrap and a tape. The process would involve:

• Folding a paper towel up to a width of 2 inches,
• Rolling the paper from the short ends so that it resembles a cork,
• Trimming the paper towel where necessary to ensure it would fit into the bottle and make it a bit wider,
• Taping the ends of the roll to maintain its shape,
• Wrapping the roll using a plastic wrap,
• Taping the wrap to close it,
• Twisting and pressing down the roll simultaneously,
• Pushing the roll into the bottle to about halfway of its height,
• Replacing the roll using a rubber cork or a new one before you store the bottle.

Other possible recorking options include the use of a rubber stopper or a vacuum pump.