With apologies to the World of Pop for using a “Not Fade Away” lyric used from Buddy Holly onwards.
And, in truth, many wines, if securely stoppered, can taste fine (and sometimes improve) on Day Two.
Depending how much remains in the bottle, though, astringency and bitterness often start emerging (especially on the finish) after 72 hours.
However, some wines are built to last for much longer than that without serious deterioration.
Before we consider which ones, let me explain why I think it is important.
One attractive step up the ladder of enjoyment surrounding a meal involves aperitifs.
They can enhance everyone’s mood, clear palates and help stimulate digestive enzymes for what they are about to encounter.
You do not need big aperitifs to achieve that outcome, and sensible drinking advice supports keeping quantities restrained.
But, there is the rub – dedicating a bottle to modestly sized aperitifs will probably not work for table wines, unless you have guests.
For one or two people at home, a small glass of, say, a white wine over several mealtimes will mean quality deteriorates long before the bottle is empty.
Hence the quest for something with a significantly greater longevity than most table wines.
OK So How to Do It?
Here is my suggestion:
- Open a bottle of one of the wines recommended later.
- Pour a careful measure (125ml shared between two people is fine) remembering that what I suggest will be around 20% abv.
- Use a “port glass” for this.
- A pub measure is not essential; fill a kitchen measuring jug with water to the required level and mark that level on an old glass (which is now your re-usable template).
- Reseal the bottle with its (probably) “T” shaped stopper.
- Put it in the fridge for tomorrow – when you rinse your measure and repeat.
- Now you are all set to add a layer of sophistication to even routine mealtimes.
In the usual way, hyperlinks and pictures are used where possible to help you locate the bottle in question.
Now for the wines.
I have two candidates bearing in mind that Iberia and its islands do all this rather well.
Experts contend that Madeira can last months once opened if stoppered and refrigerated.
The alcohol it contains, and the process used for this wine (including heating it) makes it less prone to spoilage.
It was originally designed for long sea voyages (hence the longevity) and during those journeys they discovered something surprising.
High temperatures when, for example, crossing the equator actually improved the wine – hence adoption of a heating process.
But which ones should I buy?
H&H Sercial Madeira (£18.99 for 50cl – instead of £21.99 until 22 October – at Waitrose and 20% abv):
This is the best one I can find at the moment – a bit on the expensive side (but still about £2 per glass on the basis outlined here).
Pale in colour, it opens with delightful Christmas cake aromas that lead into zesty orange flavours.
Freshness is preserved by firm balancing acidity and the wine also develops peach influences before riding out on a long nut and gingerbread finish.
For something a little sweeter that would do service as a digestif on the same basis, try this one from Morrisons.
Blandys Rich Madeira: (£11 – instead of £15 until 27 October with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 19%):
Chestnut coloured with dried fruit aromas, this delivers rich apricot, burnt caramel toffee and orange peel flavours.
Those elements are supercharged by fast arriving lemon acidity balanced by hints of nuts and molasses
Or back on Portugal’s mainland
Tawny port is another wine that will last once opened – for at least four weeks but with 10-year-old aged versions like these, experts suggest you can double that figure.
Despite being more expensive, vintage ports – by contrast – are at their best for as little as 48 hours in some cases.
This is because tawnies, being aged in oak, get gradual oxidation over years and, thus, further exposure to oxygen has little effect.
Vintage port, aged in bottle, has been denied much oxygen and quickly makes up for lost time once opened – with adverse effects on the wine.
So for examples
Best 10 Year Old Tawny Port (£14 – instead of £15 until 27 October with a Morrisons Loyalty Card and 20%):
The best option I tried involves doubling up on your Morrisons Loyalty Card purchases and is from the acclaimed Symington family.
This has fresh mint aromas and its lighter colour suggests that there is older wine in this blend (10 years is actually an average).
Its smooth cherry and plum base is given vitality by evolving acidity supported by a savoury twist with baking spice and chocolate liqueur elements to provide real finesse.
However. for a slightly darker (and, hence, marginally livelier wine), try this :
M&S 10 Year Old Tawny Port (£15 – instead of £20 until 29 October – at Ocado and 20%):
Smooth with a good mouth-feel it is, one senses, more youthful.
That does not impair its smoothness or its mellowness or the cherry and raspberry flavours it exhibits.
Those components are supplemented by spice and raisin elements and by brisk lemon acidity.
What about Sherry.
Well, Fino and Manzanilla (probably the best aperitifs – which is the role we are mainly considering) have a relatively short life but sweeter versions can last longer.
In broad terms, the darker the sherry, the longer it will last once opened
Tune in again on Monday when value at budget price points is, once more, the theme of my latest Top Tips post.
24 responses
OK first thing in the morning but even so I just don’t understand these “instructions”? I think you may have missed a step or I’ve misunderstood? Why are we “marking an old glass”. Why are we not just using the Port glass/es in the first place? I’m confused as to what (apart form the bottle? ….anything?) we’re putting in the fridge. Just me then?
Almost certainly not just you – so this is for everyone I have confused by over complicated it all. I was suggesting sacrificing a glass as an alternative to a pub measure (which not everyone has handy). Mark it with the required volume and use it every time to keep volumes under control. If you have a keen eye, a steady hand and a disciplined approach, just pour straight into the glass – as you hint, Geoff.
Lol! I figured you might have been experimenting with too many options Brian ;-)….. A visit to one of the great Port Cellars in Porto a few years ago had us staggering out after we’d been given full wine glasses of a Ruby AND a White Port to taste. Finding sensible sized wine glasses of any sort is becoming a problem! Don’t go for all this pretentious half litre nonsense they’re trying to fob us off with because A) doesn’t make the wine taste better and B) they don’t fir into the dishwasher!
Do you have any thoughts on the effectiveness of the wine saver vacuum pumps, Brian?
We buy Manzanilla in half bottles – the recommendation on the bottle is to drink in a week, which we stretch to mean 2 consecutive Sundays, without any obvious deterioration.
Chris, I think they do add a few days. I frequently use and then put the bottle in the fridge, red and white, still seems good after 4/5 days
I’ve never done it with Manzanilla and fino, as I usually just stick those back in the fridge, but I will give it a go next time I open one
Apologies for causing confusion but I don’t pump the Manzanilla – as you say it keeps well for a week in the fridge anyway. I don’t tend to put a red in the fridge, just in a cool place – the cellar – otherwise it would be too cold to drink, & I don’t usually want to wait 😉
Keeps a few days is all I require – it’s generally remains of a red opened for Sunday’s meal, as the management prefers a lower alcohol white, and 3 glasses is about my limit these days.
Actually, Chris., it may be worth trying to pump one of the drier sherries just to see whether it makes a difference. The suggestion is that a week is at the top end of the spectrum.
Opinions vary on those pumps Chris, but I fancy that Lisa’s comment sums up people’s experiences well (“adds a few days”). I think your “two Sundays” plan is a good one but fancy that dry sherry may go downhill after that.
I’m a big believer in using a ‘normal’ glass to get full appreciation of the nose with sherry and Madeira. I’m not a huge port fan, but occasionally have a glass of tawny.
That Madeira is a real goodie and one I often buy! I shall pop into Waitrose to pick up a bottle
I also like Amontillado or a dry Oloroso sherry as an aperitif, especially in autumn and winter
Great article Brian!
Glad we are at one on that Madeira, Lisa – there are sound ones about but that steps quality up appreciably – even if it is a pound or two more.
Hugh Johnson uses the terms “Summer Sherries” and “Winter Sherries”, which is spot on.
A small portion of fino or manzanilla in a (reasonable size!) glass is perfect with a light snack lunch on the patio. But when we did that a few weeks ago, it was just not “right”. But an Oloroso was perfect.
I do use the vacuvrin pump for Sherry and Madeira, but I find fino still gets slightly oxidised after a week. It doesn’t make it undrinkable, but no longer has the real bite for which we buy it.
I also like The Wine Society’s Full Rich Madeira, after a bracing winter walk. I also served that at our NYE dinner last year, instead of Port. To my delight it found favour with everyone.
Sorry, got my boxes mixed up, important correction …
My everyday glasses are not those quoted above but …
Jasper J Conrad, Belgravia Small Wine Glasses 350 ml. “Crystal Glass, Dishwasher Safe”
The glasses I quoted originally are jolly fine, but I have been hand washing them, and don’t know how they stand up to dishwasher treatment.
Brian
By far the best solution is to simply empty every bottle you open.
Preferably with good friends & good food!
Life is just too short to worry about half used bottles of booze…
Understood Derrik but there can be a risk of it being shorter still without a little restraint now and again.
Thank you as ever Brian. Enjoyed reading this today …
She who I would willingly do anything for, is the port-preferer in our house. She doesn’t do expensive and she doesn’t bother with lots of different stuff more than I do when I’m exploring. As long as she indicates a preference her order gets repeated!
LateBottledVintage I personally like to have, and a bit-more-than gateway with tawny choices, with value attaching to some decent quality. The latter would be at M&S Kopke currently £11 with Ocado delivery. But that 10 year old Morrisons you suggest is now on my list.
We’ve tried the cheap Sainsbury’s house tawny but will not have it again. And decided most of the cheaper white port around was to be given a swerve in the future.
Mrs Walker said she wasn’t very interested in having the Blandys Madeira again. I thought it ok but probably, for myself, I’d go not-port in this sweeter, fortified department and do an Italian Marsala instead. She also said not to bother again with slightly more expensive TWS house tawny that we still have some left in the bottle.
Not so her and the Coburns Special Reserve currently at £14 from Tesco (and most other retail outlets), that’s her chosen tipple and I can enjoy a glass of that too. But after a meal, never before when for myself especially it is always some white or rosé table wine, ”quick slurp Clive!” à la Keith Floyd … as food gets put together at tea-time.
Looks like the Coburns Ruby is getting some appreciative coverage just now in the popular media but I know we won’t go there.
Not forgetting both the Aldi and Lidl contributions though, the latter with their Armilar 10 year old Tawny……. at around £11, on-and-off the shelf but will be there for Xmas no doubt. Their Armilar ruby port is £7.99. I do like this tawny.
Aldi seem to be best price always vis the quality on offer with their stock bottles, (much the same as their own whisky across almost all their on-off range is very acceptable and affordably well priced). But their Fletcher’s Reserve £9.25 I like a lot but too, is so on-and-off the shelf. Occasionally there is a Fletchers LBV at Aldi, very well-priced, that’s good drinking.
As for the use of specialist glass-wear we bought a pair of very pretty, tulip aperitif’s at Julien de Savignac’s at Le Bugue last we were in over 5 years ago and sadly last week the stem of the one remaining snapped, so now we have none. I did get a pair of old, short stemmed 8cl globes from an antique dealer several years back and they get used for port and liqueurs these days. They are quite unique; never seen similar anywhere.
Until a couple of years ago I only used my lovely, but delicate, wine glasses when we had company for dinner – and they were carefully hand washed afterwards. For every day use, we had some quite small and cheap wine glasses that I just put in the dishwasher – and when they went cloudy, sent them to the bottle bank and used new ones.
Then I read an article that quoted Jancis Robinson saying life was too short to hand wash wine glasses! A light bulb moment: (1) If it is good enough for Jancis, it is good enough for me; (2) I love drinking wine, and drink wine with practically every meal (small portions!), so why not have decent everyday glasses – if I can find ones that I can be put in the dishwasher?
After some research I bought some WeiBweinkelche Bohemia 320ml wine glasses – I think from Debenhams. These are very attractive, and have the look of lead crystal, but do NOT get cloudy in my dishwasher’s 30 min cycle with Fairy’s anti-clouding tablets. The only word of caution is that the rinse aid applied in the machine will kill sparkling wine bubbles, so I will give a hand rinse if they are to be used for that. (I note that the current wisdom is that sparkling wine is best served in normal glasses, rather than flutes)
I was recently in the Mosel and one grower whose wines I tasted was confident his wine (Riesling Kabinett of excellent quality) would age well but would last many days once the bottle was opened.
Good to hear from you William in what I think is your first post here – you are indeed welcome. Sweeter wines do, I feel, last that little bit longer and, in Alsace, I was amazed by how long opened natural wines could keep going.
Very productive shop at Morrisons today.£6 More card voucher off a £30 non alcohol shop and then the More card £4 off your recommended Madeira and a useful £1.50 off the Austrian Grüner Veltliner.
Still thinking about Richard’s new quest for Pinot Noir alternatives
Mencia- especially from Ribeira Sacre- would be near the top of my suggestions.Pronounced Men-thee-ah.
TWS have a new one and the Co-op have an intriguing one:
Viento de Invierno Mencia 75cl
£8.35
“A fresh Northern red from the hillside slopes of Bierzo, northern Spain. Packed with pomegranate and dark cherry flavours this is a great match for mushroom risotto, roast pork or lentil dishes.”
Have not tried either yet,but I can recommend Mencia Guímaro,which is in some independents and Decantalo.Not cheap and hard to find,but worth it.
Hi Paul, thanks for the Mencia suggestion, will add to the list, along with Frappato, and of course my beloved Cru Beaujolais!
Am also putting together some wines for a comparative tasting of the often overlooked Pinot Blanc/Pinot Bianco – suggestions welcomed. So many wines, so little time.
With regard to pronouncing wine names correctly, I do try, and am currently trying to perfect Verdejo, as in the excellent Waitrose Blueprint example at a mere £6.99. It would appear that the last syllable should sound like you are clearing your throat, ready to spit?
But, seriously, I would make the comment that no one should be put off attending a wine tasting because they are unsure how to perfectly pronounce wine names. Very much the accepted norm is to ask for, say, “wine number 6, please.” That is what I always do. But when I next come across a Verdejo, I might give it a go and hope that I don’t spit on the floor, and they understand me. (Dave Cronin – please correct me, if necessary)
Franciacorta and seriously good Cremant d’Alsace are two uses for pinot blanc that are often overlooked.
Sainsbury’s have another 25% offer starting this week.
Thanks for pointing this out, Dave. It is hard to keep up with all these promotions.
Nice post Brian, although I’m not really a Port drinker, I often find that if we do buy a bottle we never end up finishing it, Madeira, I prefer but my favourite aperitif would be Sherries, Fino and Manzanilla for the warmer months (nicely chilled, served with iberico ham, almonds and olives) ) Palo Cortado and Oloroso for the colder months. I always use the Vacu pump on all my wines and I find it works really well but still need to drink within 4 or 5 days. Like Lisa I prefer to drink out a normal wine glass, which I now use for Champagne and other fizz, flutes are now redundant.