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The Spruce Eats / Amelia Manley
It’s no secret that an opened bottle of wine can quickly turn into your best wine vinegar if left on the counter for a few days. Though you can always stuff the used cork back into the bottle, that isn’t the best solution for keeping an opened bottle fresh. Once a wine is exposed to air, the process of oxidation begins. This causes the wine’s aromas and flavors to start deteriorating and spoils even the best wines in a matter of days. A pierced cork will allow more exposure, but wine stoppers delay that spoilage.
A great wine stopper is functional while being refined. Revolutionized by a plastic pump with vacuum sealing, wine stoppers now regularly keep your wine fresh for weeks without looking industrial. Black silicone seals off your open bottle, and stainless steel accents resist corrosion from the acid in the wine.
From the best vacuum sealer to a stopper that keeps your bubbles bubbly, here are the best stoppers to help you enjoy your favorite wines to the last sip.
Best Overall
Rabbit Champagne and Wine Sealer
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Courtesy of Amazon
Wine stoppers preserve your wine by creating airtight seals, but preserving the bubbles in sparkling wine requires an extra tight seal. The Rabbit Champagne and Wine Sealer can do both.
To use, place this matte black plastic stopper over the bottle's neck and twist it clockwise. As it’s turned, an insert seals the bottle. The tighter twist, the tighter the seal. This adjustable insert is designed to fit different sizes of wine bottles, including wide-mouth ones, and prevents drips when a bottle is stored horizontally. Hand-washing is recommended.
Price at time of publish: $11.89
Best Budget
Rabbit Bottle Stoppers, Set of 4
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Amazon
For value and ease, look for a simple bottle stopper with a tapered design. These silicone and steel stoppers from Rabbit can preserve your wine for a few extra days. All you have to do is plop them in the bottle.
These cone-shaped stoppers have flexible ribs that ensure a tight seal in any bottle. Just push the stopper into the bottle and remove it with a single pull. Rabbit’s models are durable and dishwasher safe, making cleanup a cinch as well. This set includes four wine stoppers in a range of subtle colors.
Price at time of publish: $8.00
Best Pump
Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump with 2 Vacuum Bottle Stoppers
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Amazon
When you pour a glass of wine, you create space in the bottle that fills with air. The air goes to work on the wine, in a process known as oxidation. While some oxygen can bring out the best in wine over the course of a few days the airflow will mute the flavors and cause the wine to spoil. Vacuum sealers are designed to pump air out of wine bottles and slow down that process. Vacu Vin’s Wine Saver Pump and Stoppers brought this technology to the masses, and their home model is the best budget option around.
To use, first seal the bottle with the included rubber stopper. Then, use the Vacu Vin pump to draw out until there’s an audible click. When it’s time to pour another glass, break the seal by pinching the rim of the stopper. The flexible stoppers can fit most red and white wine bottles. This set includes one plastic pump and two rubber bottle stoppers.
Price at time of publish: $16.98
Best Vacuum
Sunwuun Wine Bottle Stoppers
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Amazon
For the power of vacuum sealing without the fuss of an extra pump, consider Sunwuun’s small vacuum stopper. This silicone and plastic device can save your wine for up to two weeks.
Place this stopper over an open wine bottle. To activate the seal, push down on the top button a few times. Once the bottle is vacuum sealed, a stopper keeps wine fresh for up to 14 days. The top of this device features clever design. The outer portion is marked with numbers 1-31. When you seal the bottle, turn the inner portion to line up with the corresponding date, and you’ll have no trouble remembering when your wine was opened.
Price at time of publish: $8.95
Best Silicone
Outset B229 Silicone Wine Bottle Stoppers, Set of 4
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Amazon
Silicone is a rubberlike material that’s used in the production of many kitchen and bar tools. It’s durable, heat-resistant, dishwasher-safe, and can be produced in every color of the rainbow. This four-pack of silicone wine stoppers from Outset is an easy way to quickly seal any open bottle of wine.
These flat-top, colorful stoppers preserve still wine and sparkling wine with an airtight seal. The all silicone construction means the stoppers are durable and flexible for easy removal.
Price at time of publish: $7.99
Best Pourer
OXO Steel Wine Stopper and Pourer
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Amazon
A wine stopper with a pouring spout that can help your wine taste better is a winning combination. This two-in-one version from OXO flips between these two features with a small, soft lever.
The stainless steel pourer provides an even, drip-free flow while also aerating your wine. Flip the lever down to give the bottle an airtight seal. Flexible silicone ribs on the stopper mean it can accommodate most wine bottle sizes, and the whole stopper is dishwasher safe.
Price at time of publish: $11.95
Best Cork Stopper
North Mountain Supply Bar Natural Corks with Plastic Tops, Pack of 12
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Amazon
Cork stoppers are great when you need a natural material that will expand to fit your bottle. North Mountain Supply produces cork stoppers in two different sizes and two colors.
These cork stoppers come with hard plastic tops, which make removal much easier than slender corks. The natural cork can compress or expand to give a snug fit and are reusable. Hand-washing is recommended. This pack includes 12 flat-topped plastic and cork stoppers.
Price at time of publish: $9.31
Best Wedding Favor
MJM Decorative Metal Wine Stopper with Gift Box
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Amazon
Whether it’s a wedding, a bachelorette, or just a very special event, individual wine stoppers make great favors for your party guests. These wine stoppers from MJM Store come in their own gift boxes. Their blingy design will remind your guests of your glamorous event every time they use them, and with a gift this practical, that will be often.
The silicone rings in the middle of this zinc alloy stopper create a tight seal in the bottle while also preventing leaks if stored horizontally. The stopper fits most wine bottles.
Price at time of publish: $10.99
Best Monogram
Miicol Wine and Beverage Bottle Stopper with Gold Finish
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Amazon
Monogrammed stoppers are one of the classiest ways to conserve your leftover wine and can make a wonderful personalized gift. One of the best is Miicol’s Wine and Beverage Bottle Stopper, which comes in a gold finish and your choice of letter.
Measuring 4 inches tall, the gold-plated monogram atop each wine stopper is guaranteed to not fade or rust. Each cone-shaped stopper is made from zinc alloy, and the silicone ribs create a tight seal. A flat bottom means the stopper can stand up without support. The whole stopper is free of lead and cadmium, and hand-washing is recommended.
Price at time of publish: $10.99
Best Joke
Genuine Fred COQ AU VIN Wine Bottle Stopper
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Amazon
A rubber chicken? That’s just classic comedy. This adorable wine stopper is funny and functional. Made from 100% food-grade silicone, Fred’s “Coq au vin” wine stopper is designed to be placed head-first into open bottles of wine. The flexible material will form a tight seal just below the wing, preserving your bottle and leaving two chicken feet sticking straight up in the air. The tapered torso will fit into most wine or soda bottles. Handwashing is recommended to maintain this stopper’s good looks.
Price at time of publish: $14.88
Best Design
Folkulture Wine Stopper or Wine Stoppers for Wine Bottles
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Amazon
For some, every wine accessory is a chance to make a statement. These elegant stoppers from Folkulture are the perfect gift for your trend-loving friend or a stylish addition to your bar cart. The tapered aluminum base fits it to any wine bottle, and the food-grade silicone rings ensure a tight seal. The terrazzo and marble top bring a stylish flair. This set of two includes one white and one black marble stopper.
Price at time of publish: $14.99
Best For Sparkling Wine
AMICA Gold Champagne Stopper
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Amazon
Sparkling wine will continue to fizz after it’s open. The escaping bubbles release CO2, and create pressure inside of the bottle. Over time, the pressure can be enough to force a traditional wine stopper out of the bottle. This locking wine stopper was designed with sparkling wine in mind. The stainless steel arms clamp over the rim of the bottle, keeping the stopper in place and trapping more carbonation trapped inside of the wine. The matte gold design adds a glamorous touch worthy of a nice bottle of Champagne.
Price at time of publish: $8.99
For a wine stopper that will work to preserve all your wine (including sparkling wine) and fit most bottles, our top choice is the Rabbit Champagne and Wine Sealer (view at Amazon). Looking for a gift? Go with the Miicol Wine and Beverage Bottle Stopper (view at Amazon), which can be personalized with the letter of your choice.
What to Look for in a Wine Stopper
Design
There are many varieties of wine stoppers. Some are made with cork; others use silicone or rubber to provide the seal. While they are designed to provide an airtight seal to keep your wine fresh, some are also funky or elegant in their looks. From monograms to a variety of colors and shapes, wine stoppers can not only keep your wine happy and fresh but provide a cute or elegant topper, too.
Function
The functionality of a wine stopper should be taken into the equation when deciding what you want in this useful tool. They can keep an open bottle of wine fresh for a few days, or vacuum-seal it. There are even some that provide the handy feature of being both a stopper and a pour spout. If you want to be able to lay the wine bottle on its side, you'll want one that provides a leak-free seal, too.
Fit
Some wine stoppers are made to fit a standard-size wine bottle, while others are able to expand and fit most any size bottle. A number of stoppers will not fit screw-top bottles, so be aware of this when searching for the right wine stopper for you.
FAQs
What is a wine stopper used for?
When you just can't finish that bottle of wine, a wine stopper is the key to keeping it fresh for a few days or even weeks. It can replace a cork that originally came out of a bottle and doesn't go back in easily or one that got broken in the process of uncorking the bottle in the first place. Simply put the wine stopper in the neck of the wine bottle and place it in the refrigerator where it will be ready and waiting for you to pour that next glass of wine.
How long can wine stoppers keep wine good for?
The type of wine stopper you get will determine how long it will keep that bottle of wine fresh. Some stoppers simply plug into the neck of the bottle and keep the wine fresh for a few days, while other stoppers can pump and vacuum-seal the bottle to provide an even tighter seal, allowing the wine to stay fresh for up to two weeks or an even longer.
What is the purpose of a wine stopper that has a pump feature?
A wine stopper with a vacuum pump capability allows you to remove air from an opened bottle of wine. It will help you to not only to get a good seal but to slow down the oxidation of the wine itself.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ease of use, material, or price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
Madeline Muzzi is a Certified Sommelier and freelance lifestyle writer. Her writing has appeared on sites such as Eater, Heated, and Elemental, and her videos have been published on The Cut and in The New Yorker.