Buying Half Bottles of good wine.

Alex F · May 10, 2003

Does anyone know of any good places to buy good wine in half bottles? Either via the web or by phone.

Fat Guy · May 10, 2003

Half bottles are very appealing to me as a concept because they represent how much wine we drink with a typical meal: a big glass-and-a-half for me and about half a glass for my wife who enjoys wine mostly in small quantities. But the poor selection of half-bottles out there (unless you're going to buy wine as futures and pay to have it bottled in half bottles, you're very limited in your choices), their relative prices (almost always significantly more than half the 750ml price), and the record of poor storage performance for half bottles (wine deterioriates rapidly in this format -- just two days ago I opened a half-bottle of relatively young EO Champagne and it totally sucked by the standards of the brand) combine to make them something I never buy. The better move is to manage your open bottles carefully by pouring off half and refrigerating the rest for consumption the next day -- preferably aided by a nitrogen blanket or at least Vacuvin (though I have my doubts about the efficacy of the latter technology) -- and then letting it come up to temperature before consumption the second time around.

Lesley C · May 10, 2003

Apparently the vacuvin is a crock but I still use it.

I wish more restaurants would stock up on half bottles. I find, for two people, that two half bottles (or three if you're a serious drinker) work well with the starter/main formula. Tasting menus work better with wines by the glass. But a half bottle of white at the beginning of the meal is a great option over delving immeditely into a big red.

I'm also big on the 500 ml bottle (they were bottling good young Bordeaux in this format a while back) for home dinners, but it seems to be a dying breed around here. :sad:

Fat Guy · May 10, 2003

Vacuvin is probably better than nothing, but the Private Preserve nitrogen canisters only cost around $9 (US) and are good for about a hundred bottles. That's the best choice, I think, for a home user.

Alex F · May 10, 2003

Private Preserve nitrogen canisters only cost around $9

Steve

What are they and where can I get one/some?

Thanks for your advice by the way.

Craig Camp · May 10, 2003

Does anyone know of any good places to buy good wine in half bottles? Either via the web or by phone.

Alex - where are you located?

Craig Camp · May 10, 2003

I wish more restaurants would stock up on half bottles. I find, for two people, that two half bottles (or three if you're a serious drinker) work well with the starter/main formula.
I'm also big on the 500 ml bottle (they were bottling good young Bordeaux in this format a while back) for home dinners, but it seems to be a dying breed around here.

Improved wine by the glass programs have killed half bottle sales in restaurants. If a restaurant has open bottles of good wines they need to keep them moving so the wine does not oxidize.

The was a strong push by the industry for the 500 ml. size bottles about ten years ago, but they where a massive commercial flop - both with consumers and the trade.

VivreManger · May 10, 2003

One thing I have noticed about Private Preserve is that the nitrogen can often spritz up a bottle of generic champagne considerably. The effect is to revive the bubbly once it has flattened out. I have done this with cheap prosecco so I haven't worried about the effect on taste.

Edited May 10, 2003 by VivreManger (log)

Craig Camp · May 10, 2003

just two days ago I opened a half-bottle of relatively young EO Champagne and it totally sucked by the standards of the brand)

Half bottles of Champagne are produced by transferring under pressure finished Champagne from larger bottles. This is the same process they use to fill the extremely large bottles. This process always seems to change the wine for the worse.

I recommend passing on small bottles of Champagne. Frankly I have never understood their reason for being. :wink:

VivreManger · May 10, 2003

"I recommend passing on small bottles of Champagne. Frankly I have never understood their reason for being. " CC

On airtrips they can be drinkable. Air France usually offers Economy passengers some bubbly for free.

Craig Camp · May 10, 2003

"I recommend passing on small bottles of Champagne. Frankly I have never understood their reason for being. " CC
On airtrips they can be drinkable. Air France usually offers Economy passengers some bubbly for free.

I never said I wouldn't drink them if that is the only choice. :biggrin:

Beachfan · May 10, 2003

The only real success I"ve had is buying them on futures: 98 Vieux Telegraph, 98 Croix de la Casse, 2000 Pontet Canet, etc.

Craig Camp · May 10, 2003

The only wine shops I use with any degree of regularity are Butlers Wine Cellarin Brighton, who have a few halves on their main list and bin ends, and Pont De La Tour by London Bridge which do list their wines on the site in terms of size, which is annoying. However a search on Berry Brothers and Rudd yielded 16 pages of half bottles, but whether they have that sort of stock in the shop in St James Street in London I dont know,

Some suggestions from Andy about where to look in the UK.

Basildog · May 10, 2003

My wine merchant recommends Tanners....clicktyTanners UK

Marlene · May 10, 2003

Because we can't get the Dynamite Merlot at the LCBO here anymore, I have a wine merchant get it for me by the case. On my last order, he told me that the Dynamite Merlot and the Dynamite Cabernet were also available in half bottles. I got a case of each. Half bottles are perfect for me since my husband drinks white and I drink red. My wine broker told me that half bottles are becoming more popular in restaurants because more and more people want to pair different wines to their courses or are like my husband and I.

He said it will take a couple of years, and then most wine lists will start to include several half bottles in their lists. Today however, there is still more of a predominance of half red wine bottles that white.

Fat Guy · May 10, 2003

Private Preserve nitrogen canisters only cost around $9
Steve
What are they and where can I get one/some?
Thanks for your advice by the way.

http://www.iwawine.com/store/showitem.asp?...d_ppres.gif&ft=

Lesley C · May 11, 2003

OK, this is going to sound stupid, but a half bottle in a restaurant will always win out over the glass because of the cute factor. I just love getting my own little bottle. I was drinking a 375 ml of Haut-Cassan the other day and I just kept admiring the label and waiting for the waiter to come over and pour me more. I had it in a carafe at another restaurant and it was hardly as much fun. It may sound silly, but when it comes to wine service, those little things add up.

Like I said before, wines by the glass are ideal for tasting menus. But for a three-course meal, I'm always good for at least one half bottle.

NewYorkTexan · May 11, 2003

It might just be a foodie urban legend, but I heard that buying vintage port in 375ml bottles helps it become drinkable at a younger age. You only have to wait 10-12 years, instead of 20+

Any truth to that?

Edited May 11, 2003 by NewYorkTexan (log)

viejo majadero · May 11, 2003

Alex

Unfortunately for you no one has answered your question. In addition you have not responded to the quetion as to your location.

I will therefore guess this will work for you. www.zachys.com. They have a decent selection of half bottles. They may be able to ship to your location if big brother will allow. It is located in Scarsdale , NY.

Lots of luck.

Viejo

Malik · May 12, 2003

Vacuvin is probably better than nothing, but the Private Preserve nitrogen canisters only cost around $9 (US) and are good for about a hundred bottles. That's the best choice, I think, for a home user.

I think that Vacuvin probably does more harm than good. It lowers the pressure in the bottle, which will cause more evaporation than if it wasn't used. And it does not remove enough oxygen to significantly reduce oxidation.

I think that the best way for home users to preserve wine without buying it in half bottles is as follows: when you open your wine bottle, immediately pour half of the wine into a clean empty half bottle of wine, and recork the half bottle (using either one of those synthetic cork, or the cork you just removed from the full bottle). You can then keep the half bottle for days or even weeks until you're ready to finish it (refrigeration is not necessary but can help). I've been using that method for quite a while without any problems.

If you want to do this more elegantly than just reusing old half bottles, there are specially made decanter sets for this purpose:Wine For Later Decanter Set

Marlene · May 12, 2003

Vacuvin is probably better than nothing, but the Private Preserve nitrogen canisters only cost around $9 (US) and are good for about a hundred bottles. That's the best choice, I think, for a home user.
I think that Vacuvin probably does more harm than good. It lowers the pressure in the bottle, which will cause more evaporation than if it wasn't used. And it does not remove enough oxygen to significantly reduce oxidation.
I think that the best way for home users to preserve wine without buying it in half bottles is as follows: when you open your wine bottle, immediately pour half of the wine into a clean empty half bottle of wine, and recork the half bottle (using either one of those synthetic cork, or the cork you just removed from the full bottle). You can then keep the half bottle for days or even weeks until you're ready to finish it (refrigeration is not necessary but can help). I've been using that method for quite a while without any problems.
If you want to do this more elegantly than just reusing old half bottles, there are specially made decanter sets for this purpose:Wine For Later Decanter Set

I'm such a sucker for this type of stuff :biggrin: I wonder if they ship to Canada.

Niall · May 12, 2003

If you regularly visit wineries you like, ask them. At a place we buy 5 or so cases a year direct, we asked them about half bottles. They already produced a quantity or their Syrah in 375ml bottles for restaurants, and they sold us 2 cases of that.

Malik · May 12, 2003

...
If you want to do this more elegantly than just reusing old half bottles, there are specially made decanter sets for this purpose:Wine For Later Decanter Set
I'm such a sucker for this type of stuff I wonder if they ship to Canada.

They do ship to Canada, but you have to call them to order: click on "Customer Service" and then "International Orders".

Marlene · May 13, 2003

Marvellous. I'm on it :biggrin:

Marlene · May 21, 2003

...
If you want to do this more elegantly than just reusing old half bottles, there are specially made decanter sets for this purpose:Wine For Later Decanter Set
I'm such a sucker for this type of stuff I wonder if they ship to Canada.
They do ship to Canada, but you have to call them to order: click on "Customer Service" and then "International Orders".

these arrived today. I also got the port decanter port while I was at it :biggrin:

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