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[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by bold_n_brazen
I have a vacuvin. I hardly ever use it. It is more trouble than its worth.

Surprisingly, the people at Cook's Illustrated agreed in "Notes from Readers" from the January 1999 issue.

• {Taste-testing methodology omitted; click here for the article; paid subscription may be required but is worthwhile.}
  
  There was very little, if any, discernible taste difference between the recorked and vacuum-stopped wines.
  
  We are left to conclude, then, that the vacuum stoppers make no difference for the average wine drinker. This may not hold true, however, for those whose palates are experienced and well developed.

Here's the wino's alternative suggested by CI:

• As an aside, we were discussing this, and other matters, with Dr. Susan Brewer, an Associate Professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Illinois, and she mentioned that you can mimic the effect of the vacuum stopper by inhaling deeply, holding your breath for a moment, and exhaling into the bottle. The carbon dioxide you exhale will force the oxygen out of the bottle, thereby retarding oxidation.