Vacuum wine bottle stopper and cap, and method of use

A wine bottle, vacuum stopper and removeable cap combination comprising:

• a bottle having a chamber and a neck with a circular opening;
• a vacuum stopper including a neck portion, an upper portion extending above said neck portion, a conduit extending longitudinally through said neck portion and said upper portion, a one-way valve located within said conduit which freely permits air to flow upwardly through said conduit but inhibits air from flowing downwardly through said conduit, and a release button connected to said one-way valve whereby actuation of the release button causes said one-way valve to open, said release button extending upwardly from said upper portion, said neck portion having a diameter entering and providing a seal with said bottle's circular opening, said upper portion having a longitudinally extending height and a laterally extending rim which is too large to enter into said bottle's circular opening;
• and
• a removeable cap engaging and covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion, said cap having a top wall and a sidewall forming a central cavity, said cavity sized and having a height to entirely accept said vacuum stopper's upper portion in said cavity, and said top wall having a recess sized and positioned to receive said release button;
• and
• wherein said vacuum stopper's neck portion is positioned within said bottle's neck, said vacuum stopper's upper portion is within and completely covered by said removeable cap, and said vacuum stopper's release valve is positioned within said top wall's circular recess.

A method of evacuating and storing wine in a wine bottle comprising the steps of:

• providing a bottle having a chamber partially filled wine, said bottle having and a neck with a circular opening;
• providing a vacuum stopper including a neck portion, an upper portion extending above said neck portion, a conduit extending longitudinally through said neck portion and said upper portion, a one-way valve located within said conduit which freely permits air to flow upwardly through said conduit but inhibits air from flowing downwardly through said conduit, and a release button connected to said one-way valve whereby actuation of the release button causes said one-way valve to open, said release button extending upwardly from said upper portion, said neck portion having a diameter shaped to enter and provide a seal with said bottle's circular opening, said upper portion having a longitudinally extending height and a laterally extending rim which is too large to enter into said bottle's circular opening;
• providing a removeable cap for engaging and covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion, said cap having a top wall and a sidewall forming a central cavity, said cavity sized and having a height to entirely accept said vacuum stopper's upper portion in said cavity, and said top wall having a recess sized and positioned to receive said release button;
• providing a pump capable of pumping air through vacuum stopper's conduit;
• inserting said vacuum stopper's neck portion into said wine bottle's circular opening to form a gaseous seal between said vacuum stopper and said wine bottle's neck;
• evacuating air from said bottle by pumping air through vacuum stopper's conduit;
• and
• completely covering said vacuum stopper's upper portion by placing said removeable cap upon said vacuum stopper's upper portion wherein said release button is positioned within said top wall's circular recess.