Vacu Vin--does it work, and how long does it keep the wine?

I just bought a wine saver where it pumps the air out of the bottle, so the wine will last longer. How long will the wine keep with using this? For example, if I open a bottle today and use the pump, when do I need to drink the wine by?

I think it's probably a matter of taste. I have a Vacu Vin and use it often. I find that it extends the life maybe a day or two. I'm pretty picky and will drink a wine a day after I've opened it, but if it's older than that I rarely enjoy it. My folks regularly keep their wine sealed with a Vacu Vin for a week, but to me most wines taste pretty off by then, with or without it.

A magazine a while ago -- not sure if it was Bon Appetit, Gourmet, or something else -- did an unscientific test of various wine sealers including the argon sprays, etc, and claimed they got the best results from using an empty plastic water bottle, pouring in the wine, and squeezing the extra air out before capping tightly. I've been meaning to try it but haven't gotten around to it.

My luck with these items tends to depend on how well the bottle "seals". If you hear a hissing sound once you complete pumping its not going to do much good.

A magazine a while ago -- not sure if it was Bon Appetit, Gourmet, or something else -- did an unscientific test of various wine sealers including the argon sprays, etc, and claimed they got the best results from using an empty plastic water bottle, pouring in the wine, and squeezing the extra air out before capping tightly. I've been meaning to try it but haven't gotten around to it.

I'm sure this is a good idea.......I can just hear the crackling of the bottle when I re-open it, and see red wine splatter all over my wall paper. Yeah, you try it, and let us know how it worked out!

Theoretically, the expanding bottle will suck in air, not spray out wine.

Still, plastic tastes like plastic.

My own solution is to keep around a couple of clean, empty half-bottles and some stopper-corks. But then I know I usually drink about a half-bottle at a sitting, so it may not quite work for others.

My experience mirrors Mark's. For younger or more complex reds the Vacu Vin seems to have the effect of extending the decant for a couple of days. Beyond that it seems to be consistent with the aging potential: the bigger or more age-able stuff holds up but the more ephemeral wine (Beaujolais, pinot) seems to lose flavor. Either way the wine doesn't go 'bad' for at least a week.

Used on whites I think the technology stretches drinking time out to half-life increments!

Still, plastic tastes like plastic.

Yuk, I don't even buy packaged cookies or crackers that are in plastic containers, because all I taste is the plastic. That is good, however, because I like how I can ignore most of the cookie isle.

I really like my Vacu Vin....it's the closest I get to using a "tool," and it makes me feel empowered!

Wouldn't the Vacu Vin also pump out some of the quality of the wine?

How about these wine- in- the bag things I see? What are they about? The bag part makes sense to me--why don't they put all wine in a bag? Are they cheaper than wine in the bottle? How do they compare to wine in the jug?

RE: "water bottle" storage of leftover wine.

Many of the comments on this thread have been from those who have never used this storage technique. I have been using plastic bottles for years and have found that it beats all others on two counts 1) by squeezing all of the air out of the bottle, no oxygen, therefore no oxidation, and 2) its free. Vac-u-Vins and other wine systems (other than sealed nitrogen systems) always leave some oxygen in the bottle. Vac-u-Vin doesn't even come close to creating a perfect vacuum.
If you know that you're going to consume only half of a bottle of your favorite vintage, immediately after uncorking, pour half of the wine into the water bottle, squeeze all of the air out, and seal. This will minimize the time that the wine comes in contact with oxygen. Store the bottle in a dark, cool location. Remember, the wine is now stored in a bottle that can't shield it from the harmful ultra-violet rays.
If you don't like the crackling sound of a water bottle, try a 20 oz. Pepsi bottle. That's my plastic of choice and I always keep a few of them in my cellar.
Clean up is simple. Put the plastic bottle in the dishwasher to sanitize it after use.
As this is a technique to store the wine is only intended for a short term basis, you don't need to worry about the plastic imparting any unpleasant taste.

Once you try it, you'll never go back. Do what I did; toss the Vac-u-Vin and use the bottles.

OK, so I did the squeeze-the-air-out-of-the-plastic-bottle thing last night, and my results were generally positive. Only problem was I just had about 5-6oz remaining from a bottle of Cotes-du-Rhone opened yesterday for dinner. I put what was left into a .5 litre plastic water bottle which had been washed and dried. But with just 6 oz. in a 16+oz bottle I had to put a considerable squeeze on it to get all the air out, and even then the wine was about 1" below the neck. My wife got a good chuckle from the contorted purple bottle staring at her from the refrigerator next to the milk. Opened it before dinner tonight -- sound of air seeping in just as Campaneus predicted and there was no mess -- and poured into a glass. No discernable plasticky taste, wine tasted more or less the same as last night. The plastic bottle is a total loss however so I need to get another.

Mark:
I'm glad that you gave the plastic bottle a try and have shared your experiences. It seems to me that you are well on your way to becoming a "believer." If you or others on this site still need a little persuading to ditch their Vac-u-Vin, try this...
The next time you pull a cork, pour about 6-7 ounces into the plastic bottle, squeeze, and seal it. At the same time, pour your two glasses for dinner, but leave about 6-7 ounces in the glass bottle. Use the Vac-u-Vin to evacuate as much air as possible. Store them both in the same enviornment. Then do a side by side tasting a few days later.
The important part when using this technique is to pour the wine to be preserved into the plastic bottle immediately after uncorking, thereby minimizing its contact with air (oxidation.)
Even though you know what is to be expected, the results will amaze you.
WineJunkie
P.S. I agree with your wife. Red wine in the squished bottle does look a little like some sort of roadkill.

Just wanted to follow up on this thread...

I have become a plastic bottle convert. I buy soda in 12 oz plastic bottles all the time now to reuse the empty bottles. I find that 1/2 litre water bottles are too large - we drink enough wine at one sitting that after putting what's left into one there is too much air left to try to squeeze out. But this might not be a problem depending on how much you drink at a time.

Wash and dry the soda bottle (I leave it on a rack overnight upside down), pour the wine into it, squeeze it just enough so that there is very little air inside, and put the cap back on TIGHT. The next day I have a hard time noticing any difference in taste. With Vacu Vin, the second day the wine was drinkable but I could notice a difference. I also find that the wine lasts a couple days longer overall in the plastic bottle than with Vacu Vin.