I Tested 11 Wine Stoppers — and These Are the 4 Clear Winners

My Favorite Wine Stopper 

I tested 11 wine stoppers for this article, but my top pick is the exceptionally easy-to-use Vacu Vin Wine Saver. The wine stopper created a completely airtight, leakproof seal. Even when turned on its side or upside down, the bottle did not leak. After three days, the Vacu Vin Wine Saver preserved the freshness and flavor of my wine better than almost any other product I tested, except for the very expensive Coravin. The bottle smelled fresh and the wine tasted just as crisp as it did on the first day I opened it. In sum: The Vacu Vin deserves its street cred, and there's good reason this wine stopper has a permanent spot behind the bar at many restaurants.

How I Tested Wine Stoppers

I tested 11 wine stoppers for one month. I used the same two bottles of still wine to test each wine stopper: Tesoro Pinot Grigio (twist cap) and Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (corked). To test the sparkling wine stoppers, I used two bottles of Masia de La Luza Cava for each model. In total, I tasted 22 bottles of red, white, and sparkling wine during the testing period.

First, I took down tasting notes for the wines to compare if and how the wines had changed after oxidation. After pouring out some freshly opened wines to taste, I described their smell and flavor. 

• White wine tasting notes: The Tesoro Pinot Grigio is a crisp, refreshing, dry white wine; light-bodied with medium-high acidity; lemon and green apple on the nose; tasting notes of pear and apple. 
• Red wine tasting notes: The Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied red wine with dried cherries, berries, and tobacco on the nose; tasting notes of dried cherries, blackberries, and orange peel.
• Sparkling wine tasting notes: This is a dry, tart Cava with refreshing, medium-high acidity; tiny bubbles; green apple, lemon, and grass on the nose; tasting notes include lemon, green apple, and honeysuckle. 

I evaluated each wine stopper using the following criteria:

• Design: I unboxed each wine stopper and examined its general aesthetic and construction. After tasting each wine, I sealed the bottle with a stopper and paid close attention to its ease of use. I stored each bottle in the refrigerator for three days.
• Seal test: After three days, I tested the seal by turning the bottle onto its side in my fridge. For any options advertised as leakproof, I tipped the wine bottle upside down to test that claim. I looked for any drips, spills, or signs of leaking. Then, I reopened the sealed wine, paying attention to how easily the stopper released and how much force was required.
• Oxidation test: I smelled and tasted the wines to test for signs of oxidation or spoilage. For the sparkling wines, I also observed if they retained their bubbles and effervescence.

Factors to Consider

Storage Duration

The most important factor is the duration of storage. Do you plan to let the bottle sit overnight or do you need it to last a few days or longer? For longer preservation systems, look to the Coravin. For overnight, the more classically styled stoppers will do the trick — and a handful of them are geared toward several days of freshness (particularly the Vacu Vin and Rabbit).

Still vs. Sparkling Wine Stoppers

Still and sparkling wines both require an airtight seal to prevent oxidation. However, sparkling wines are best sealed with a switch-style valve to create that airtight seal. Our top choice for the best sparkling wine stopper is the Le Creuset Champagne Crown Sealer due to its switch-style valve. For still wines, I found that a vacuum seal like the one used in our top pick, the Vacu Vin, worked best to prevent oxidation.

Design

The most popular material for wine stoppers is silicone, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We found the silicone Rabbit Wine Stoppers, for example, formed an airtight seal. What matters more is the design and shape of the wine stopper, as you’ll want the stopper to nest firmly inside the bottle neck to prevent spillage and oxidation. Wine stoppers that utilize additional vacuum sealing, like the Vacu Vin, or penetrate the cork rather than removing it entirely, like the Coravin, offer protection from oxidation to keep the wine fresh for much longer. 

Size

Sure, you’ll be using your wine stoppers a lot — but there are certainly instances in which you might want to keep them out of sight, too. When shopping for the best wine stoppers, look for sleek designs that are easily stored away, like the pocket-sized Rabbit Wine Stoppers, or the compact Vacu Vin, which can be packed for travel or tucked away in a drawer. The exception to this rule is the slightly larger Coravin, which you’ll most likely want to keep proudly displayed on your bar cart anyway.

Other Wine Stoppers I Tested

While the four wine stoppers that earned a spot on our list were the best, I still found several strong contenders throughout my testing. The stoppers listed below are still great options for wine lovers, falling short in one or two testing categories that prevented them from making our best list. Here’s what stood out — and where they could have done better in my tests.

Strong Contenders

Cuisinart CTG-00-CHS Champagne Stopper ($8 at Amazon)

Compared to the Le Creuset Champagne stopper, the Cuisinart is a step down in aesthetics and wine preservation functionality. Although the Cuisinart retained much of the Cava's carbonation, I detected some signs of oxidation in the wine's slightly sweet and sour aftertaste and smell after three days. It didn't taste as fresh and juicy as when I opened it.

NON Bottle Stopper ($60 at NON)

Compared to the other sparkling wine stoppers, this option from NON was more difficult to attach to a bottle of NON's NA wine and a bottle of Cava with a similarly designed crown top bottle. Although this stopper is leakproof and preserved the wine's flavor and aroma after three days, on an ease-of-use level, this stopper did not perform as well as I had hoped. It requires practice, and even after I got the hang of attaching it, removing the wine stopper produced some resistance and sticking. On a few occasions, I felt like I was going to jam my finger. Although I liked its sleek and minimalist design, its steep price tag didn’t justify its average performance. 

OXO Good Grips Silicone Wine Stoppers ($12 at Amazon)

These fall somewhere toward the middle-bottom of my testing. They are easy to use, leakproof, and compact, but they ultimately did not preserve the freshness and flavor of my wine. I would recommend them for any bottle in your kitchen other than wine. 

OXO Steel Wine Stopper and Pourer ($12 at Amazon)

I like that this tool combines two wine accessories (a stopper and a pourer) into one compact product. It works well in both of those capacities. However, the silicone stopper wobbles just slightly on the base of a wine bottle. Though this didn't affect its performance, it is a minor design flaw and an area for improvement. Ultimately, this stopper felt cheap.

RePour Wine Saver Wine Preserver and Stopper ($13 at Amazon)

For minimalist rubber or silicone wine stoppers, I prefer wine stoppers that can be used more than once. If you're gifting someone or looking for a travel option, this product may be for you, but the average wine drinker may find these single-use stoppers quite wasteful.

What Didn’t Make the List

Five Two Brass Bottle Stoppers, Set of 3 ($70 at Food52)

These stoppers are much heavier and more decorative than other wine stoppers I tested. After three days, the Pinot Grigio had a sharp, unpleasant smell and a sour taste. This wine showed clear signs of oxidation and was not drinkable. These stoppers did not preserve the wine's flavor and freshness. Since they're so heavy and do not effectively form an airtight seal, I wouldn't recommend these stoppers for long-term preservation — but they're still very cute.

OXO Steel Expanding Wine Stoppers, 2 Count ($12 at Amazon)

These fell to the very bottom of my performance rankings during my tests. After three days, I noticed a very sour, sharp smell and taste in the wine, making it undrinkable.  Although these stoppers are sleek, low-profile, and leakproof, they do not form an airtight seal. I wouldn't recommend these wine stoppers. 

Our Expertise

Danielle St. Pierre is a Senior Commerce Editor for Food & Wine. A recipient of the WSET Level 1 Award in Wine, Danielle has formal educational experience tasting and evaluating wine. In addition to her current role, she has professional bartending experience tasting, serving, and pairing wines. She has strong opinions on Aperol Spritzes and knows exactly where to find the best wine stems and vintage glassware.