Several weeks ago, I wrote about putting a piece of silverware in an open bottle of sparkling wine to preserve the bubbles. I talked about the fact that some experts believe in this trick and some do not. The believers say that the spoon cools the top of the bottle, preventing the bubbles from escaping. The nonbelievers say that it doesn’t work. So the big question: To spoon or not to spoon. In my first blog article, I promised to test the theory and let you know what I discovered. And so I did!
The “To Spoon or not to Spoon” Experiment
Last night, I opened two bottles of sparkling wine and, with some friends, drank about two thirds of each bottle. I put a spoon in one of the bottles and no spoon in the other. I did a three-day test to see if I noticed a difference.
Day 1 Results
Please check out my video from day 1, where I found that the two glasses tasted exactly the same. And there were still plenty of bubbles. Both glasses tasted like the Sparkling Wine was poured from newly opened bottles. Ruh roh. Since I’ve told so many people about the spoon trick over many years, do I now need to go back to all those people and tell them I was wrong?
Day 2 Results
The spooned wine had more bubbles! YAY! But sadly, it didn’t taste any more bubbly than the non-spooned wine. Boo hoo. It looks like I might be in trouble. Thank goodness we have one more day to this test.
Day 3 Results
It’s sad but true. According to my very scientific research, we have a new answer to the question “to spoon or not to spoon.” There is no need to spoon. It doesn’t seem to protect the bubbles. But the very good news is that if you’re only holding onto a bottle for one day, the sparkling wine tastes just as good on Day 1 (the day after the wine was opened). And truth be told, it tastes good on Day 2 as well. On Day 3, you still get the wonderful flavors of sparkling wine. You just get hints of bubbles, which is still lovely.
Bottom Line on Spooning
If you drink your sparkling wine in two days, you don’t need to do anything to the wine but put it in the fridge. The wine tastes great on both days.
If you drink your sparkling wine in three days, you are good to go, unless you absolutely adore carbonation. The wine is definitely less carbonated on Day 2. So, you might want to invest in a sparkling wine closure, which you can buy from Amazon for $15.99.
If you drink your sparkling wine in more than three days, you should definitely invest in a special closure.
The wonderful thing about wine is you always learn. And this was a big learning for me. Cheers!
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6 comments
Thanks for doing this important research, Betty! Seriously, though, this is very helpful. Thank you
I was disappointed by the results but happy to know that an unadorned bottle in the fridge tastes great for two full days.
That was my experience, too!
Oh good. We’re on the same page!
In my house the bigger problem is getting the sparkling wine to last more than one day.
Hee hee hee. In my house, it sometimes lasts 2 days. But now I know that I’m good to go.