How long does an open bottle of red wine last?

Can anyone tell me how long an opened bottled of red lasts? Presuming that the bottle is re-corked?

Cheers.

Bobby

Reply to
Bobby
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Depends on the wine, the temperature you keep it at (It will keep linger refrigerated), your personal taste, and how fussy you are. Some wines might even improve though - you never know.

Personally I would aim to finish a bottle the folowing day, and even then I usually think some detioration has taken place.

If you have a wine you drink often, try keep a bottle for a several days, trying some every day. Judge for yourself. You should notice the fruity aromas disappearing and getting replaced by sherry-type smells - the result of oxidation. You may even notice it turn vinegary, but I have never kept a bottle that long.

Reply to
Steve Slatcher

Longer if you use one of these...

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Steve

Reply to
Steve Landis

If it's any good, not long enough is the general rule in our house.

Tim Hartley

Reply to
Timothy Hartley

That's probably the best answer.

Many ppl have asked this question. Including me. And I've spent some time conducting gruelling research.

Sometimes having it opened [but with cork in] for a day or so actually improves it for me personally. But other times as others have said it goes downhill, and you lose any flavour and bouquet.

If you want to prolong the life, you can put it in the fridge, and take it out say 10-15 mins before you pour a glass. I personally don't like this, I just have an unshakeable feeling that red wine shouldn't go in the fridge for a number of reasons. It puts me off, even if it is totally unreasonable.

You can also buy a half bottle [375ml], drink it, and clean it for future use. So when you open a full bottle, pour half into the little bottle [right up to the top] and drink the rest of the big bottle. The wine in the little bottle, with little oxygen to spoil it, will last for up to a week I've found in a reasonable state.

You could also invest in one of those vacuum seal systems.

But generally I find if you open a bottle, say have a glass or two every night for 3 nights, there isn't too much difference, especially with lower end wines, say up to $20AU.

HTH,

Mat.

Reply to
Mat

First off, I am a relative "wine rookie," 10+ years of enjoying (red) wine and 2-3 years of serious learning.

Having been in this situation countless times, I will offer my own opinion:

If you have to ask in the first place, you obviously care about this bottle, and you should probably be drinking it the night you opened it.

Even if you liked the wine, I'd hope you'd drink it the second night, where, as previous posters stated, some wines actually improve.

If a bottle sits longer than a second night, I personally recork it as tightly as possible, put it into the fridge, and use it for cooking as soon as possible. A red wine demiglace is pretty easy to make.

Hope this helps.

Double-T

Reply to
Double-T

Thanks very much for all of the informative replies.

It sounds to me that I should really drink the bottle the evening I open it but it will be OK the second night - but no longer.

I presume that I can drink it the third night without ill-effects?

Is there a time-limit when the wine might actually do you some physical harm?

Cheers.

Bobby

Reply to
Bobby

Salut/Hi Bobby,

le/on Mon, 3 Oct 2005 10:18:43 +0100, tu disais/you said:-

It's not a matter of "2 days is fine - 3 is not" it's more that after in initial improvement (if decanted) the wine will start to become affected by air. In most people's experience, the effect is not too serious 24 hoursa afterwards, but can become a little too marked to get great pleasure from the wine after 48, that's all.

Absolutely.

Nope. Well ---- it depends whether you regard drinking vinegar as being harmful!!!

Reply to
Ian Hoare

Not that I know of.

I am not a (medical) doctor, but I can say that whenever I have seen this discussed no one has been able to point to any bad effects of drinking old wine.

Reply to
Steve Slatcher

But did you sleep at a Holiday Inn?:)

Lew/+Silat

Reply to
Lew/+Silat

In my house?? as long as it takes to get the cork back out ....

Seriously, it begins to deteriorate the second it exposed to the ambient. Then again, we begin to die when we're born.

Depending upon your tolerance and desperation level, ~ 2 or 3 days. Those "vacuum stopper" trinkets found in mail order companies can prolong the agony another ~ 48 hours.

My own approach when I open a bottle is that it isn't a hobby any more - it's a mission.

Reply to
Mike

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