Jim Longley
writes…
“Is there any
benefit in using a rubber seal with a vacuum pump when storing an open bottle
of wine?”
There are a
number of vacuum seal products on the market. The idea behind them is to remove
the oxygen from an opened bottle, since exposure to oxygen greatly accelerates
wine’s “aging” process.
Once a bottle is
opened, any remaining wine will lose a bit of its aroma and flavor with each
passing day – think of it like a beer going “flat” – and the vacuum seal
products are intended to extend a partially-consumed bottle’s life by several
days.
Do they work? To
some degree, yes. But it’s always a better idea to consume a bottle of wine
within just a day or two of it being opened.
As for the rubber
seal, assuming it has been treated with some sort of neutralizing chemical or
compound, it should be fine. Untreated rubber both absorbs aromas and gives off
its own, and rubber is not an aroma you’d want in your wine glass.
