Should red wine be refrigerated after opening it?

Question

if so how long will it keep?

Answer 1

There are as many wine experts as there are wines, and other than the agreement that wine does have a shelf-life, no one really seems to agree on much of anything. The greatest consensus seems to be simply a matter of science.

Red and white wines both need to be stored in such a way as to keep them cool, out of light, and to keep the cork wet. The ideal temp range for reds seems to be about 50 to 58 degrees F. White wines can be kept at even colder temperatures, but at no time would you want the temperature to drop below 40 degrees. Room temperature comes from the days of monks and wine cellars, and is an accurate gauge, but the catch is our room temp is much higher than what monks considered room temp. 72 degrees is not room temp for wine. More like 65 degrees is.

Once you have opened the wine is when the real clock begins to tick. Depending on the type of wine you have, it's age, and the care it received before opening, there are a few guidelines regarding the remainder of its life. First, the enemy of wine is oxidation. Once you pour some, or if the cork were dry, then oxygen has interacted with your wine and there is a scientific curve that can be drawn over the next 4 days showing the effect on the wine in question. Refrigeration and recorking can decrease the chemical reactions and effects of oxidation, but once you've opened it, you've started the process. Boxed wines tend to last longer than bottles due to the fact that they are vacuum packed and there is little or no interaction with air. The catch to that is boxed wines don't age properly after packaging either, so you get what you packed.

So does refrigeration help? Sure, at the right temperature it can extend the life of your wine. At the wrong temperature it can ruin the flavor of a good wine. How long does it last? In most cases you should consume your bottled wine within a few days of opening for best results. Each bottle is in question after that and it's a matter of sampling or smelling the wine to see if its taste has taken a turn. Good luck.

Answer 2

Should Red Wine Be Refrigerated

Answer 3

When you open a bottle of red wine and only drink a little, try to recork it as well as you can and leave it on your counter. It can sit for about a day but then you should really try to finish it before the third day. If you don't, you could use it in a sauce instead of drinking it. The heat from the sauce pan will keep you from being harmed from any bacteria and the ingredients that you use in the sauce should disguise the flavor of old wine. White wine, on the other hand, should be refrigerated after being opened and in my opinion, how long it's good is up to your taste buds.

Answer 4

Refrigeration will probably help to keep it from turning, even though red wine is usually served just below room temp. If you put some kind of stopper in it, it should last for a week or so and still taste pretty good. Do some experiments and keep an open bottle and taste it every few days to see where the turning pointis - at some point it will oxidize and taste not so great.

Answer 5

I could repeat the millions of things that have been said already about storage of opened wine, but that would just be redundant. Here's what they missed: Although wine should never be expected to have the same flavor as it did before being recorked, you need to look at the varietal your are drinking. For instance, if you were speaking of a chianti or zinfandel, you would be losing alot of that dry, oaky flavor that makes it that type of wine. In your case, you have a pinot noir, the lightest of the red wine varietals. You have an aromatic, fruity wine that will begin to lose it's sweetness. My suggestion to you is if you absolutly cannot finish a bottle of wine in one sitting (not by yourself, just if you have leftover), the best thing to do is bite the bullet and use it for a spicy arriabita tomato sauce or beef stew the next night.

Answer 6

Yes, it should, but remember that while cold air will slow down the aging process, it is also denser than room temperature air, and as a result it contains more oxygen, which will age your wine quicker. So get the best of both worlds: use a "wine preserver" which is a handheld vacuum pump with a rubber stopper. Since the bottle is re-corked at room temperature and some air is pumped out, the wine will be exposed to less oxygen, not more. The original cork will not work well, as you will not be able to remove any air, and the cork has a hole in it from the corkscrew, and more air will enter the bottle.

Answer 7

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Hey Now... Yes just cork it and put it in a cool area... It will be good for at least a week before it starts to loose its taste. I usually use the left over wine for cooking the next day... Reds are good for cooking beef... FYI... Red wines should be chilled about 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator before serving, to about 62-65°F. You have probably heard that red wines should be served at room temperature, and you are right. However, the term "room temperature" refers to rooms in Europe way back when, and they were around 60°F, not the 72-75° we find in modern-day America. The slightly colder temperature slows the evaporation of alcohol, thus improving the aroma and flavor, and making the wine smoother. Don't over chill; this makes the tannins in the wine taste rough and bitter. Some reds are actually served chilled, sweet red wines like Pomegranate and Cranberry flavored reds and Beaujolais, especially for summer drinking. My Grandma used to chill her Chainti before serving it.. Smiles Smiles

Answer 8

Interesting answers, but mostly wrong. Red wine should not be refrigerated, as the low temperature will affect the flavor, and not for the better. Wine is essentially a living thing, and as such is sensitive to temperature, light, air (oxygen), even motion. All these things can alter the flavor. That said, an open bottle of red will still drink well for a day or two after opening as long as you replace the cork and keep it out of the light at room temperature.
If you buy a pump-type vacuum device you can squeeze a few more days out of it. It takes a while for red wine to go bad, but it begins to lose flavor almost immediately, and like the man said, "Life's too short to drink bad wine". As far as cooking with it goes, you can save it for that purpose, but why would you want to cook with something you wouldn't drink? Salud!

Answer 9

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RE:
Should red wine be refrigerated after opening it?
if so how long will it keep?

Answer 10

Red wine is served at room temperature, unless it is more of a dessert wine, then it is served chilled. Keeping it out on a counter or shelf will not make it go bad. Alcohol will just continue to ferment, giving it a stronger flavor and more dense alcohol content. If you like your wine chilled, then have at it. But like I said, reds are to be served room temp, blushes and whites are to be served chilled. If you are still having doubts, your local liquor store (i.e. Ben's Liquor/Fine Wine and Spirits) should be more than happy to answer questions for you. Hope this helps.