Preserving finos

[Scoop]

I'm a great fan of fino-style Sherry for aperitifs and tapas, but they are very delicate, and deteriorate quickly when exposed to air (fino sherries are those that develop the flor yeast on the top of the fortified wine, which effectively seals the sherry against oxygen -- and gives it that unique flavor; hence, once it is opened, the air works on it quickly). And the problem is that a bottle of fino is usually not consumed in one sitting. I have a standard Vaccu-Vin, but for those in the know, is that good enough to preserve something like fino or a manzanilla (even more delicate) for a few days?

Scoop

[Thomas]

Scoop, in my experience the Vacu Van doesn't work well on table wines so I cannot imagine it could do anything for fino sherry.

Nitrogen is the best solution. You can buy small nitrogen dispensers (Mead's Wine Trader might have them listed).

Perhaps, putting the unused portion of sherry into a smaller vessel (375ml) will buy some time, but not much, since the transfer from one bottle to another introduces oxygen.

[Innkeeper]

Wished I'd seen this before consuming a very nice Lustau Fino Jarana over four days. It started out wonderfully with yeasty apples on the nose and upfront, a clean bright experiance on the palate, and a quick but happy finish. The second night it was still recognizable as sherry. The third night it was as flat as a board. The fourth night it was like stale beer. It was recorked and kept in the fridge throughout. On the other hand, if I drank it all the first night, I might not be sitting here!

[winoweenie]

WOOS!

[Thomas]

Perhaps you wouldn't be sitting there, IK, but you certainly would have fallen with a smile...