If you were tempted to drink just one glass of wine, but more than half of it was left open in the fridge. Or if you had people over for dinner and more than one bottle was not finished and you didn’t want to throw it away, you may now be wondering, “Does wine go bad?”
Unfortunately, the answer is yes, wine does go bad. Once you open the bottle, time begins to tick due to the oxidation process. That is, when the wine meets oxygen, it begins to lose the intensity of its original aromas and flavours in a matter of days. Later, it will oxidize and develop vinegar aromas. But don’t be scared! If you take the indicated precautions, you can extend the life of your wine and enjoy it without problems.
In fact, storing opened bottles in the refrigerator (well-sealed) is one of the simplest ways to extend the life of a wine once opened.
How long is the shelf life of a wine?
On average, a bottle of rosé wine as Marques de Casa Concha Rosé , a white such as Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay or a red like Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon lasts between 3 and 5 days in good conditions, while sparkling wines do not usually keep for more than 3 days. . These times apply if the wine is kept tightly closed and in the refrigerator, because the lower the temperature, the slower certain chemical processes will occur.
One of them is when the acetic acid bacteria consume the alcohol in the wine, transforming the ethyl alcohol into acetic acid…whose aroma and flavour reminds us of vinegar. Generally, it occurs when the cork is damaged or installed incorrectly. For this same reason, some winemakers decide to add small amounts of sulfur preservatives to wine, to protect them from oxidation. But also bacteria that can cause reactions in the wine, depriving it of its fresh and fruity flavours.
So, what to do with opened bottles?
The best advice we can give you is that, once you open the bottle, close it and store it in the refrigerator. Considering that reinserting the same cork into the bottle is sometimes very difficult (not to mention with sparkling wines), and will only leave the oxygen trapped inside, accessories are very welcome. One of them is the famous Vacu Vin* vacuum seal, a reusable rubber stopper and a pump that extracts air, which promises to keep wine in good condition for up to two weeks. Not so for sparkling wines, since it can extract its bubbles. For them, a special cork for sparkling wines is better.
How do you know if you can drink a wine or not?
The best way to judge wine is by observing its colour and feeling its aroma. If the wine has aromas of vinegar, old fruit and at the same time low intensity, these are indicators of oxidation. The same with colour, when the vibrant red is toned down and its edge has brown undertones.
