If you're here, you probably agree with me that wine is a fun and delicious beverage to enjoy (responsibly, of course). But learning about all the grapes, tasting notes, and wine culture can be, uh, a lot to take in.
Well, 30-year-old "snob-free" sommelier Warner Boin (@confidenceuncorked) is on a mission to demystify wine one TikTok video at a time. Recently, she shared why you actually shouldn't put the cork back in your wine bottle, and the video racked up over 2 million views.
In the video, she says, "I know it sounds crazy, but if you ever have an instance where you have leftover wine, don't put the cork back in the bottle. I have a way better tip that's going to change your life."
She goes on to explain that when you put the cork back into a half-empty bottle, the wine is exposed to more oxygen both because of the porous cork and because there's more air in the bottle. "What we really want to do is reduce the amount of oxygen to wine ... What I recommend is a Mason jar. All you do is take whatever wine you have left over [and] pour it into a Mason jar or any kind of airtight container. In desperate times, I have cleaned out a kombucha container and used that. Seal it tight. There you have it. There is so much less oxygen in here than in the rest of the bottle."
She concludes the video by saying, "I swear by this. It will make your wine still taste fresh even a couple of days after you've opened it. Whereas the day after I open a bottle of wine, if I put the cork back on, I can tell [the] difference. Don't knock it till you try it, but if you do try it, let me know."
In the comments, people are loving this tip. One viewer wrote, "This is the mason jar meal prep content I've been waiting for."
And Warner also responded to some viewers' questions, clarifying that she puts all leftover wines in the fridge and takes red wines out an hour before drinking them so they can get to room temperature.
She also clarified that those vacuum-pump wine-sealing devices are also great tools, but she prefers the Mason jar method for when the bottle is less than half full so that the leftover wine is exposed to less air while it's waiting for you to drink it.
While I can be perfectly happy slurping down some boxed wine, I'm always interested in upping my wine knowledge, so I reached out to Warner over email to learn more.
She shared that she's been working in the wine industry for seven years and became a sommelier in 2022 — and had to pass some pretty intense tests to do it. "The certified sommelier exam entails three different components: a blind tasting, theory, and service. Leading up to the test, I spent about six months of intensive studying and training with other sommeliers in order to prepare. It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done, but the euphoria when I found out I passed...beyond worth it!"
Warner also shared some ideas people have about wine that are just plain wrong. First of all, she wants you to know that you don't have to be an expert to enjoy wine: "So many of us feel insecure about our choices if we're not drinking expensive wines or wines with high ratings, and frankly, I think that's a bunch of BS. If you enjoy it, drink it!"
And she says that the best wine for you is the one you actually enjoy drinking: "The only way to determine if a wine is 'good' is if it tastes good to you! Not a critic, not a wine score. Just because one person likes a wine doesn't mean you will."
Oh, and don't pass on a wine just because it happens to be a twist-off bottle. "Screw caps don't mean a wine is cheap," she says. "They're ideal for wines that are meant to be consumed fresh, and actually protect wine from oxygen and bacteria better than corks do!"
Plus, Warner says, if you get headaches from wine, it's probably not the sulfites that are to blame: "Contrary to popular belief, sulfites don't cause wine headaches. The biggest culprits are dehydration, sugars, and histamine sensitivity."
Warner also shared her advice for anyone who's interested in wine and wants to explore more varietals to find what they like: "I highly recommend finding a wine bar or local wine shop and trying different glasses of wine. It's much cheaper than buying a bottle of something you won't know if you'll like, and you can talk with knowledgeable staff members to learn more about what you're drinking. Try grape varietals you've never heard of from different regions all over the world! The only way to figure out what you like and don't like is to experiment."
She continued: "Become an intentional taster. Keep a list of the next 10 wines you taste and write down notes like, did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Was it fruity, bitter, smooth? This will help you figure out what aspects and styles you like in a wine."
