Does wine have an expiration date?

Question

If so, do the manufacturers put it on the bottle?

Answer 1

The wine doesn't have a real expiration date, buy all wines have a intrinsic expiration date, and it is asociated with the quality of the wine (meaning grapes and process used) and how it was handle before, during and after it's harvest and production process.
The year off harvest is the year that says the label of the bottle.

There are some wines that have to be drink young (in the first 3 years after harvest), specially those that haven't been in casks.
You could say that a cheap wine has to be drink always young ("experation date": 3 years after harvest). But what is a cheap wine? It depens, some say a $5 wine others a $20.

If a wine during it's production process was casked for a period of time (from 3 moths to 36 or more months). It is said that:
a) If the wine was casked, then it has a longer "expiration date". compare to a none casked wine.
b) The length of ageing period of the wine in the casked, means that wine could aford to be drink in a more foward date, compare to a none casked wine.
So, casked wine have can be drink many months later after it's harvest year, and so, it has a later "expiration date" compare to none casked wines.

But the price and use of barrels are not the only factors that determines the "expiration date" of the wine, other factors are:
* The type and quality of the wineyard, grapes, terrain, etc.
* The climate
* The care in the harvest
* The quality of the products used to process the grape
* The type and age of the barrel use
* The length of ageing period of the wine in the barrel
* The composition of wine (types of grape and combination, and also ingredients added)
* The handle process of the bottled wine.

You could buy the most expensive wine, but if one of the factors above had a flaw, then you have a wine that has a tendency of a "expiration date" near to his harvest year.

So the intrinsic expiration date of the wine, has so many factors to define it, that the way that you could garantee (not alwas perfect) that you are buying a good wine for a good price, that hasn't reach it's expiration date, it's to buy it in a place that knows about wine or/and handle carefully the bottles of wine.

Answer 2

Technically no but it depends on what taste good to you. The PH, tannins and acid in a wine is what causes wine to age. The older the wine is the more time the components of a wine have to work on each other. White wine isn't meant to be aged more than a year or two. Really great white wine may go 3 or 4 years before the taste starts to go off. Most red wines will easly age 5 years but some will start to loose flavor or turn to vinegar within a couple of years. A really good balanced red wine may go 10 to 20 years and a few exceptionally great reds can go 100+ years. Usually the bottles in the last category are several thousand dollars. The way you store a wine also contributes to its ageability. Kept properly; humidity, light, vibration, position and temperature, a good balanced wine will last much longer. You will have to drink it quicker the older it gets provided it doesn't go off or turning to vinegar. You can still drink it but most people do not find vinegar very potable. Wine is a living thing. It is born, it matures and it finally dies.

Answer 3

Wine does not have an expiration date and maufacturers do not put it on the bottle.

Wine does not always get better with age. A bottle of "Beringer" white zin is going to be either "Beringer" white zin in 10 years, or vinegar. However, a 2000 Barolo will be phenominal, if stored correctly.

To find when the drinkability window of a certain wine is, ask a local wine person at a wine shop or in the wine section of your grocery store. This 'window' will tell you when the best time to enjoy your wine will be - similar to an expiration date. : )

Answer 4

Wine as such does not have an expiration date. Not all wine is made for long storage, though, some -- especially heavy red ones -- are better suited than others -- some white wines inparticular are best when consumed (more or less) fresh. Even they can be usually stored for a couple of years, though.

It is also safe to taste to see if the wine is off.

Answer 5

Does Wine Go Bad

Answer 6

No, they say wine gets better as it ages, but only until it ages a certain amount. If you leave it in the bottle for an incredibly long time, its quality will start to deteriorate. But we are talking an INCREDIBLY long time here, possibly like 30-40 years, also depending on the quality of the wine itself, more expensive wine will age longer.

Answer 7

keep the wine out of the heat, sun, dry conditions, and don't use it in a refrigorator, then the wine can last for decaes at a time, My dad keeps his wine in a cobered in the kitchen and I think we have a wine bottel that iam dieing to open cause my dad has had it for like 80 years, and i wanna taste that, but wine ages well if kept under the right conditions!

Answer 8

You put the expiration date! as far is open next step is to finish!!
Or you can care closing nice the bottle but not for too long .

Answer 9

Some wine turns to vinegar if left too long unused.

Answer 10

I don't think so but wine can go sour or bad