What method do you use to preserve your bottle of Port

[Roy Hersh]

I am referring to bottles of Port that have been opened and kept on hand. What do you find works to preserve their freshness and shelf life? Do you find that it matters what type of Port it is. For those that will refer here to learn, please describe your process/methodology that works best for you. Thanks.

[Scott Anaya]

um, I drink them kinda fast.....three days max No preservation system needed really ever in my house.

[Jan-Tore Egge]

I don't open a bottle unless I think we can drink it in a day or two. For overnight storage, I stick the cork back in and put the bottle in the fridge. I don't believe in pumping the air out of the bottle.

[Adam F]

I often drink Tawny over 4/5 days from the fridge, some drop off toward the end, others not.

Vintage port tends to only be opened if it is a young bottle to drink over 3 nights or an older bottle with friends that will be cleared in a single sitting. I find it quite interesting to see how the VP's change from one day to the next, not as thorough an experiment as taking samples from the decanter but less washing up!

[Al B.]

I find that I don't need any more preservation than to simply leave the decanter to stand in the cellar at cellar temperature (12C) for the four days that a bottle will last. Over this time the port will change in character, but I really enjoy experiencing the change. I will tend to do this almost regardless of the age of the port that I am drinking. If there's not enough space in the cellar then I use the fridge - especially in the summer when I love drinking chilled LBV or young vintage port.

[Moses Botbol]

I pour part into a 350 or 500 ML bottle immediately if it's just me drinking. Fill right up to the t-stop cork. Seldom does a port bottle last more than one sitting...

[Carlos Rodriguez]

VP ones is opened, is drunk on the same day. The other Ports, I do pump the air out of the bottle and leave it in the cellar, if there is not space left, in the fridge.

[Andy Velebil]

If it's just me....

For Vintage Ports, during decanting I decant off the first 1/2 into a .375ml bottle, put a t-cork in it, and put it in the fridge to stay cold. The rest is decanted into a regular decanter for how ever long I need to decant it for. I then consume most, if not all, of that the first night. The second night I finish off the other 1/2 bottle. Rarely does a VP make it to a third day. The exception would be a really young VP.

For Tawnys/Colheitas/inexpensive Rubys, Leave in original bottle, replace t-cork, put in fridge, and drink over the next week. Rarely, if ever, does a bottle last more than one week open in my house.

[Glenn E.]

I've never needed to "preserve" Port - the bottles typically don't last that long anyway. I just stick a t-cork in the bottle and leave it sitting on the kitchen counter.

I usually don't open a VP unless I'm going to have guests and we'll be able to finish the bottle in one evening. I have had occasional leftovers from bottles like that, though, and those have almost always been consumed by the next evening. The night on the counter does often change the VP quite a bit, but that's an interesting experiment in and of itself so I see no reason to change my habit.

Tawnies and Colheitas have developed an interesting pattern in my house. On the day they're opened they're fantastic, so I usually drink 2 glasses that night. The next day is usually also very good, so that'll be another glass or two. But about that time they start to go downhill, so I put 'em on the "back shelf" on the counter for a few days. Right around 7 days after being opened, they reach another plateau where they're very mellow and pleasant so I'll have a glass every night until the bottle is empty. That plateau only lasts until the bottle has been open about 10 days, by the way, so don't wait too long.

Which means that if I'm really in a Port drinking mood, I sometimes have 2 bottles of tawny/colheita open at a time. One that's freshly opened, and one that's in it's "down phase" from around day 3 to around day 6. I'll drink the fresh one for a day or two, then when that bottle enters its down phase I'll go back to drinking the older bottle as it comes out of its phase and is again ready to drink.

[Luc Gauthier]

I usualy drink VP alone or with other people . ( Family gatherings )
So , one sitting and the bottle is empty .
Tawnys and colheitas , two glasses then t-cork back .
Félix ( my 5 yr old son ) hasn't picked up on the nuances .
Like Mick Jagger said : "Time is on my side , yes it is . . ."