I use a vacuum pump system to preserve a open bottle of wine. My problem is that there is different size bottle openings. When the bottle is a little bigger at the opening the vacuum stopper is too loose and the vacuum doesn't have a good seal. Is there different size stoppers to fit different size bottles?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
I know exactly what you mean as I have been using this sort of "evacuation" device for many years. The stoppers from the Vacu Vin system I used at first seem slightly fatter and wider than the ones from Oxo I am using currently. That said, this newer stopper still seems to fit most bottles adequately. I don't think I've seen a brand offering several sizes of stopper with the same pump. I suppose it's a matter of cost, at least in part. The opening in the neck of a standard bottle holding 750 ml does not vary significantly, and this is the size of bottle stoppers were apparently designed to fit. After all, the pump-and-stopper device is imperfect at best as the limited vacuum only holds for a day or so in most cases. Have you wiped both the opening (interior of neck) and stopper with a cloth to be sure they are completely dry? That helps make a seal in my experience. For those rare cases where the stopper seems loose, I would suggest just using the cork itself to reseal the bottle - for a short period, of course.
