The Trick to Making Opened Wine Last a Whole Week

As crazy as it sounds, there are times when bottles of wine go unfinished.

I love a glass or three of vino, but am often guilty of not finishing the bottle. Sometimes I don't have the time to finish it, and other times I like it so much that I open bottle number two and can't finish that.

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Normally a half-finished bottle of wine is no problem; that's what tomorrow night is for, right? But sometimes I'm busy, or I get home late, and the bottle just sits there until the wine is no longer good for drinking.

I don't know about you, but nothing depresses me more than pouring half a bottle of wine down the drain (if your wine hasn't become too acidic, you can repurpose it by cooking with it). Thankfully, there's an extremely easy hack for keeping an open bottle of wine fresh for a week. And all you need is a mason jar.

Step 1: Find the Right-Sized Jar

It's imperative that you use a jar that is smaller than your amount of leftover wine. For instance, a 12 ounce jar won't work if you only have 10 ounces of wine.

Step 2: Fill the Jar Entirely

You have to fill the jar completely to the top—or the hack won't work. The best way to do this is to pour the wine slowly, until it begins to overflow. That way you ensure that the glass is filled to capacity.

Step 3: Put the Lid On

When you put the lid on your jar of wine, some excess liquid should overflow. If that doesn't happen, it means you didn't put enough wine in the jar. Wipe the overflowing wine off of the jar, seal the lid tight, place it in the fridge, and enjoy perfectly fresh wine for the next week.

Why This Works

Wine spoils quickly because it is exposed to oxygen. Once wine has been exposed to oxygen there's no going back, which is why this hack will only keep your wine fresh for a week. But by filling the jar to the point of spilling, you guarantee that no additional oxygen is introduced to the wine while it's in the fridge, and so you keep the process from happening any faster.

Of course, if you don't want to try this hack, there is one easy solution: don't leave any bottle of wine unfinished! If you just can't help but to leave a few drinks left in the bottle and don't have any mason jars available, there are a few other options you could try—check them out here.

Photos by Brady Klopfer/Food Hacks