Effects of Temperature Change

• Temperature has a two-fold effect on wine -- it flattens the taste and compromises the cork. Heat ages wine, which is why many wine producers choose colored glass bottles to protect the wine from harmful rays. Conversely, freezing temperatures can cause the wine to expand and push out the cork. While refrigeration isn’t recommended for long-term storage of wines, temperatures between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for keeping cooking wine fresh for one to two weeks.

When Air Hits Wine

• Once opened, any oxygen left in your wine bottle mixes with the wine, causing the flavors to flatten and eventually sour. The less air, the longer your wine will last. For maximum storage life of your cooking wine, transfer the unused wine to smaller containers, preferably glass. Use screw-on lids to seal the wine, or store in water bottles with a tight-fitting lid. Wine sellers offer specialized pumps that remove the air from a wine bottle; some aerosol pumps replace the air with an inert gas to preserve the wine even longer. As a general rule of thumb, if the wine tastes too terrible to drink, don’t cook with it. If the wine has lost its complexity but still tastes okay, use it to add flavor and body to your cooking.

Flavors in Cooking Wine

• The layered fruit flavors found in white wine are brought out even more when warmed during cooking. In particular, a quality known as umami blooms when exposed to heat. Umami is considered one of the five basics tastes, with the others being sweet, sour, salty and bitter. It is described as a buttery, meaty richness. Umami in a cooking wine adds savor to sauces and succulence to meat dishes. Refrigerating your Chablis helps preserve these flavor characteristics of your wine for longer.

Freezing Your Chablis

• Don’t let your opened bottle of Chablis sit in the refrigerator for more than two weeks. Instead, pour the unused wine into ice cube trays and freeze. Freezing preserves the flavor while lengthening the storage time. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a zip-top style bag, press out the excess air, and store in the freezer. Use these cubes of cooking wine straight from the freezer – they will melt when heated, imparting their layers of flavor to your dish.