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Something is exciting about the anticipation of the cork popping when opening a fresh bottle of Prosecco. Regardless of who the bottle is being shared with, drinking a bottle of bubbly feels like a celebration. Just like non-sparkling wine, at the end of the night, your half-finished bottle needs to be preserved.
Can you put a wine stopper in Prosecco? A sturdy bottle stopper can be used in an open bottle of Prosecco to extend its life by a few days. The more airtight the stopper, the longer the bubbles will last – however, there is no surefire way to save all of the fizz. Be sure to refrigerate the open bottle to further preserve it.
There are many ways to preserve Prosecco and other sparkling wines, most of which are in your kitchen. Although you can use a wine stopper, it must be specially made for sparkling wine to allow for a tight seal.
TIP: If you want to check out the best refrigerator for wine storage, I recommend trying out the Avation (18 bottles) compressor refrigerator with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system. You can find this refrigerator by clicking here (Amazon link).
Preserving Your Prosecco
A sparkling wine stopper isn’t necessary for preserving your Prosecco and other sparkling wines. Keeping a half-full bottle of Prosecco cold is the best way to preserve it.
When your Prosecco is cold, the release of gas bubbles into the surrounding air is slowed, thus retaining carbonation. So, if you have a half-finished bottle of Prosecco after a night in with your friends, put it in your refrigerator immediately after pouring it!
You could also test the old wives’ tale, which alleges that keeping a silver spoon in the neck of the bottle helps in preservation.
Some wine drinkers do report their sparkling wine, including Prosecco, does keep well the following day using the simple spoon method. Still, I would trust a real wine stopper if given the choice.
TIP: Are you interested in buying a wine stopper? We’ve personally tried and recommend buying one of these wine stoppers (Amazon links):
- The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver: Our top choice. Very easy-to-use wine stopper/saver. You can enjoy a glass of fresh wine whenever you want without worrying about wasting any.
- EZBASICS Wine Saver: Great alternative to Original Vacu Vin Saver. This wine stopper keeps the flavor of wine for up to one week.
- Champagne Stopper by MiTBA: Wine stoppers for sparkling wines are different. This wine stopper seals your bottle and increases the pressure so your beverage’s bubbles won’t go to waste.
Can You Reseal a Bottle of Prosecco?
Unlike bottles of still wine, it is impossible to simply shove the cork back into an open bottle of Prosecco and call it a day. The pressure in the bottle deforms the cork, making it impractical to recork. However, there are stoppers available for purchase that can be used to seal an open bottle.
Be sure to look for an airtight option; silicone is ideal because it will mold to the bottle opening, ensuring a tighter fit.
Not only does the airtight seal prevent oxygen from entering the bottle and spoiling the wine, it also helps preserve the bubbles inside. Do note, however, that there will never be as many bubbles as when the bottle is first opened.
Recommendation box: Everything you need to enjoy your wine as much as possible. All recommended products are personally tested and regularly used by experts from this website (Amazon links):
> Ivation Wine Cooler – Energy-efficient wine cooler for 18 bottles with Wi-fi smart app control cooling system.
> Wine Rack – Beautiful, elegant wood rack for up to 7 bottles and the choice of vertical or horizontal storage.
> Durand Wine Opener – Classic vintage wine opener (we like all these classic staff).
> YouYah Iceberg Wine Decanter – The most beautiful and handy wine decanter we personally use.
> Bormioli Rocco Wine Glasses – A set of eight elegant and traditional wine glasses made in Italy.
> Vintorio Wine Aerator – Simple but really useful wine aerator for a reasonable price.
> The Original Vacu Vin Wine Saver – The best wine saver on the market in a package with two vacuum stoppers and two wine servers.
And if you want to become a true connoisseur of wine, we recommend reading the book Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine (Amazon link), where you will find all the information you need about winemaking, wine varieties, flavors, and much more.
Best Type Of Wine Stopper For You
The cork often used in sparkling wines is made up of two cork types: natural and granulated cork (a composite of granules leftover from natural cork making).
The combination of natural and granulated cork meets the need for a stronger stopper to be used with bubbly wines that need to hold the pressure in the bottle.
Although the cork starts in a cylindrical shape, it often transforms into that of a mushroom when it pops off and the pressure from the bottle is released. This often leads to difficulties with resealing the cork back into the bottle.
If the mismatched cork doesn’t fit, and an upside-down metal spoon seems questionable for preserving carbonation, there are many other wine stoppers and caps available to keep your sparkling wine bubbling for days.
If you are interested in properly storing Prosecco, among other sparkling wines, long-term, I recommend you check out this 18 Bottle Wine Refrigerator (link to the product page on Amazon where you can read reviews & view current pricing). This is the best wine fridge for sparkling wines.
TIP: For a complete breakdown of the best wine coolers & refrigerators for sparkling wine, check out this helpful article. To learn the basics of how to store wine of all types after popping the cork, this article is what you need.
Best Wine Stopper for Prosecco
There are a lot of great wine stoppers on the market designed for storing sparkling wine but this is the one I recommend. It creates a very tight seal and will help preserve your Prosecco and other sparkling wines a lot longer.
It works great on red and white wines too. It has generated hundreds of glowing reviews. Check it out here on Amazon to read some of the reviews and see how much you can save.
Sparkling Wine Stopper
If you are interested in using a sparkling wine stopper, it can be found through various online retailers and specialty stores. Sparkling wine stoppers are typically metal with a rubber or plastic seal and hinges that hold it tight to the bottle.
The key to keeping bubbly carbonation fresh the next day is ensuring the stopper is sealed tightly. When reopening your bottle, be sure to open it slowly, just as you would the original cork, as pressure from the carbonation is waiting to be released.
Screw Cap
In the past, screw caps have had a history of adorning less sophisticated and less expensive bottles of wine. However, as corks have gradually come to be replaced, screw caps are appearing more in crisp wines, light, and meant to be drunk right after opening, such as
white wines.
Screw caps are generally made from recycled aluminum and can keep out more air than natural cork. This allows the cap to preserve the taste and aroma of the wine more, as the wine cannot oxidize with oxygen.
Glass Stopper
Glass stoppers are a popular wine closure choice when looking for a pop of personality and individualization to go with a bottle of wine. The stopper itself is generally cone-shaped with silicone or rubber bands to keep an airtight seal.
Unique adornments sit atop the cone, from suns to animals, depending on the individual’s interests. These are a great gift ideas, for any wine lovers in your life!
TIP: To find out if wine stoppers actually work, read this interesting article. If you happen to buy a few bottles of your favorite wine while on vacation, read this article to find out how to carry them on a plane.
Do You Have To Refrigerate Prosecco After Opening?
Absolutely yes, refrigerate an open and resealed bottle of bubbles, especially if you are hoping to make it last more than one day. This will help maintain the aromas and flavors of the wine, as well as the fizz – plus, it keeps the wine ready to go at serving temperature.
TIP: Most wines go bad once you pop the cork within a day or so. But a Coravin Wine Preservation system (available for a great price on Amazon) can extend the life of your opened wine for weeks or even months. It is awesome. You should check it out to see if it fits your lifestyle.
How Do You Save Prosecco For The Next Day?
If you’re not going to finish an open bottle of Prosecco in one sitting, be sure to reseal it with an airtight stopper and refrigerate. This will protect the integrity of the wine itself as well as the bubbles. If the seal wasn’t great and the wine isn’t quite up to par the next morning, mimosas may be in order!
TIP: For a complete guide to storing Prosecco, read this thorough article that will lead you through each step in the process. How long can you store wine in a carafe? Find out here.
Prosecco vs. Champagne
Sparkling wine is a very broad term to describe any carbonated wine. Prosecco is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are Prosecco. The same is true for Champagne and cava. Almost all sparkling wines get their name from the locations in which they are made.
Prosecco History And Taste
Prosecco originates from northeastern Italy in a region known as Veneto (Venice, Italy, is in the Veneto region). A white variety of grape called Glera is used. Although Prosecco has been enjoyed locally for centuries, the widespread popularity of the sparkling wine happened relatively recently.
Prosecco was not always called Prosecco. This sparkling wine got its start with the Romans in the 15th and 16th centuries.
It has changed names numerous times, from Buccino to Ribolla to finally Prosecco. Today, sparkling wine produced from Glera grapes outside of the Veneto region cannot be called Prosecco.
Prosecco is a versatile, crisp white wine that is often enjoyed in the summer. The grape used gives it a fruity and floral perfume.
Champagne History And Taste
True champagne originates from northeastern France in the Champagne region. In the European Union, it is illegal to label a wine as champagne if it is grown outside of this part of France.
Winemaking has been occurring in the Champagne region for centuries. One of the more notable contributors to establishing sparkling wine and champagne as we know it is a mid-17th century French monk Dom Perignon.
Although his mission was to eliminate bubbles from wine, Perignon’s contributions to refermentation and wine quality helped popularize white wines.
Most champagnes are made from chardonnay, pinot noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes at varying degrees of dryness. The fermentation process used for champagne often creates notes of citrus, almond, and toast.
How The Bubbles Are Made
There are two ways that sparkling wines get their bubbles, colloquially referred to as the traditional method and the tank method. Those delicious bubbles we all enjoy are carbon dioxide (CO2), created with fermentation and pressure.
Traditional Method
After grapes are processed into liquid and bottled as a still wine, yeast, and sugar are added. Once closed with a metal cap, similar to those typically seen on beer bottles, the yeast ferments the sugar into alcohol, which creates the bubbly CO2.
As the wine ages, bottles are kept cold and rotated frequently until all the yeast sediment makes its way to the neck of the bottle. The sparkling wine may go through one final step of adding more sugar before the final cork completes the drink.
This traditional method is often associated with champagne and is typically a more expensive process due to the amount of time it takes. This is part of what makes champagne more expensive than Prosecco in many cases.
Tank Method
In case the difference in names wasn’t telling, the tank method is a newer way to add CO2 to sparkling wine. While fermentation in the traditional method all occurs in the same bottle the wine is sold in, the tank method uses a pressurized tank for fermenting.
In the tank method, the base wine, yeast, and sugar are added to a large tank, which triggers the fermentation process. Fermentation and the production of CO2 continue until the wine is ready for bottling, at which point it is rapidly cooled.
The tank method is associated with Prosecco and is considered cheaper and faster. The often affordable price of Prosecco can be in part attributed to the tank method. Regardless of your choice of sparkling wine, be sure to refrigerate it or use a sparkling wine stopper to keep your bubbles safe after opening.
TIP: Do you know why wine bottles have metal foil covering the corks? Find out why here. This article provides 5 excellent tips on how to dispose of old unopened wine and bottles.
In Conclusion
You can use a wine stopper to save leftover Prosecco and other sparkling wines for an extra day or so. It won’t make a massive difference at the end of the day because Prosecco will start to degrade a couple of hours after opening, but it is a worthy choice to make.
Even if your Prosecco is only at 85% quality, it is still pretty darn good and worth keeping. The best solution is to finish what you started immediately, but if you can’t, you can use a good wine stopper to help the situation.
TIP: Check out this page for a complete list of wine products and accessories I love. You’ll find my recommendations for wine refrigerators, decanters, and aerators and the best place to buy wine online. Click here to see the complete listing.