Possibly stupid question

[kate.s]

Is it ok to use a vacuum pump on an open bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine?

[Pei]

My vacuum pump came with specific instructions NOT to use with champagne, so unless yours is a fancier version I'd say no. I think kenito's explanation pretty much sums it up.

What I've done with champagne in the past is shave a little cork off the original stopper and jam it back into the bottle (making sure you don't take so much off that air's getting through). It works, and you can come back to it even two or three days later and it's still fizzy.

[monday]

That's dangerous! That cork could blow at any second. Use a champagne stopper. Even pouring in to a smaller container will expose the wine unneccesarily. Better to buy half bottles and avoid having to keep Champagne altogether.

[Pei]

You know what? Now that you mention it it does sound dangerous. I don't know why I never thought of it. By the time it sits around for a whole evening and there's only half a bottle left I just figure it's not going to create that much more pressure. Like you say, better safe than sorry.

[Melanie Wong]

Here's a fun article that might interest you -
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/...

Best to plan ahead to not have any Champagne leftover. I tend to avoid half-bottles as most are not fermented in the bottle for that format.

[carswell]

Or buy a champagne stopper.

www.amazon.com/Pedrini-Champagne-Stop...

The CO2 helps to prevent oxidation of the wine. A stoppered bottle will usually keep for a day or two without unduly suffering.

[kenito799]

Yow, did you see the comment on amazon about how that brand leaked rusty liquid into the wine? I would stay away from that brand, I am sure there are decent ones...

[carswell]

Thanks for the heads-up. I hadn't read the comment and wasn't recommending the brand (which isn't for sale anyway); of the pictures I found in a quick Web search, it was just the one that gave the best idea of how a Champagne stopper works.

[kenito799]

Yeah, the bubbles will be drawn out by the vacuum. An equilibrium will be reached when CO2 from the wine fills the empty space in the bottle. Less CO2 will come out if you just left air there. If you want to minimize the bubbles coming out you should pour the wine into another bottle that leaves as little air as possible above the wine.

Your best bet would be to just drink it all!