Even committed wine lovers tend to put the cork back in the wine bottle to seal it after they have finished drinking.
However, it turns out that this is a serious mistake.
Warner, who goes by @confidenceuncorked on TikTok, refers to herself as a 'winde educator' and explained in German why it is wrong, and simply forbidden, to seal the bottle with the cork.
@confidenceuncorked If you never have leftover wine, this life hack isn’t for you :) Don’t knock it till ya try it! #winehack #lifehack #winetip #winetasting #sommelier #somm #masonjar #storage #wine101 #cork #lifechanging #gamechanger ♬ Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling
So, what should you do with the leftover wine in the bottle?
She explains that "if you return a cork to a half-empty bottle, you will notice that air will leak into the bottle." Why is that bad? Because when air enters a half-empty wine bottle, it significantly affects the beverage's taste.
Should you throw away the bottle?
Absolutely not. Warner offers a solution: "You need to reduce the amount of oxygen in the container, so I recommend transferring the wine to a glass jar. All you need to do is pour the remaining wine into the jar or any container with a sealed lid."
Another option is to freeze the leftover wine. Despite the myth that alcohol doesn't freeze, wine actually does freeze if you put it in the freezer. So, simply pour the remaining wine into an ice cube tray and put it in the freezer.
After making sure your children don't approach the ice cube tray thinking it's a tray of cherry-filled ice cubes, there are several ways to use what you prepared. Those ice cubes are great for various dishes that require additional wine, such as risotto, pasta sauce, different stews or chili con carne.
You no longer need to open a bottle of wine specifically for cooking. Simply go to the fridge, take out a wine cube and add it to the dish. In addition, the wine cubes can be used to make various alcoholic beverages and even soups, and of course, desserts.