2007-03-11 14:59:40 · 8 answers · asked by Keri 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
Interesting answers but if the question was relating to UNOPENED wine, the answers are different. some of the main causes of unopened wine goes bad are:
1. storage temperature
wines have to be stored at specific temperatures in order to survive properly..If the temp is too warm or cold, especially long term, the wine will skunk out without even being opened.
2.Improper preparation
This is much less an issue now that it was 25 or more years ago. Improperly cleaned bottles or corks at the winery would allow germs to take over and kill the wine.
3.Storing upright
This mainly applies to natural corked wines. The cork would dry out or rot and allow air into the unopened bottle thereby starting the oxidation process described by others in this query.
4. Wine can just go "over the hill" Aging is an essential part of most better red wine and some dessert white wines, but there is a point where aging too long will overcome the advantages of aging in the first place. Just like some people, they can get pretty miserable with too much aging. It all depends on the type of grapes..there are some wines which must be drunk while young (such as Beaujolais). Hold that wine a year or more and it gets pretty awful!
I hope that have helped, i'm sure that there are several other answers that we will learn as this chain progresses!
2007-03-11 17:05:27 · answer #1 · answered by Richard T 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, once opened.
There are lots of variables regarding the wine type, method of production, age of bottle and on and on. There are all those considerations and exceptions but for 95% of the wine that most people drink, the answer is pretty simple.
Three (3) days. Around here, we keep wines up to 3 days after the bottle has been opened. Once a bottle of wine is opened, the oxygen in the air starts a process that initially softens the flavors and opens up the aromas of the wine. As this process (oxidation) continues over many hours and days, the wine is ultimately made undrinkable. The trick is to use the wine before it becomes unpalatable or to pour it out before bad wine is served to guests.
You can (and usually should) refrigerate recorked bottes. You can buy stoppers and gadgets to create a slight vaccuum in the bottle. You can get systems that put a layer of inert gas in the bottle. All these items and efforts are aimed at slowing the oxidation that will eventually destroy the wine.
What makes the whole thing tricky is that the wine will not go immediately from good to bad. The wine will, at a point, begin to progressively develop tastes that are unpleasant. Just like milk that is going bad, each person has a different point at which they identify the beverage as having gone bad.
If you want to play it safe (and who doesn't with either milk or wine), then just use the 3 day rule. Recork and refrigerate the bottle for up to three days. With red wines, pull the bottle from the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before you want to use it so it will warm to a desirable serving temperature in the mid 60's F. With white wines or roses, just pull and pour when you need them.
Keeping opened wines beyond 3 days is like playing golf in a lightning storm. You may get through but you are tempting the fates. If you keep a table wine for more than 3 days, you will be serving a wine that has lost most of the characteristics that are prized. The aroma will start to change and much of the fresh fruit smells and tastes will subside. At worst, you'll be serving a wine that has oxidized too much and is partly or entirely bad.
Dessert wines like Sauternes, most everyday Ports and most Sherries can last much longer but those are special cases. Just play it safe with the 3 day rule. It is a good practice to write the date the bottle was opened on the label if there is a chance of confusion.
2007-03-11 22:03:30 · answer #2 · answered by Fabulously Broke in the City 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
wine once exposed to air and bacteria will turn sour. i can taste it so even just after 12 hours. and it goes onto stages of useability : cooking wine and vinegar.
2007-03-11 23:15:42 · answer #3 · answered by tolitstolites 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Simply chilling while hanging with the wrong bunch will do it. Bad press some say. Don't believe it.
2007-03-15 21:34:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a bottle of port which I left half-full for about a month. It tasted a bit flat but was still drinkable.
2007-03-11 22:59:08 · answer #5 · answered by Chuck M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once you open it, yes. Also, always store it titled over so that the cork does not dry out.
2007-03-11 22:06:07 · answer #6 · answered by Edward L 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when u open the bottle and leave it for 2 weeks or more it will get Stael.
2007-03-11 22:06:16 · answer #7 · answered by trishie 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oxygen kills wine...
2007-03-11 22:04:40 · answer #8 · answered by Ben i 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋