Oct 04, 2009 8:56 PM GMT
When you don't finish a bottle, how long does it stay good in the fridge? Any difference between red and white wine?
Thanks
Thanks
Leftover Wine
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Oct 04, 2009 8:56 PM GMT -
Oct 05, 2009 12:43 AM GMTIt seems to me that red spoils faster, but I could imagine it. Besides, red really changes flavor in the fridge since it should be consumed at room temperature.
The most important thing is buying one of the preservation systems that remove the air from the bottle. There are a couple of different systems. The one I have is a rubber stopper that you insert, then you place a hand pump over the top and pump it a few times to remove the air.
But in general, you probably need to consume the remaining wine in a few days. Otherwise, I use it for cooking purposes. -
Oct 05, 2009 12:51 AM GMT
I tend to like the reds around 45 F. I always have storage at that temperature and have found 3 or 4 days is about as long as you'd want to hold an open bottle. Depends on the wine also. Any time a bottle has been opened it starts off-gasing and changing. -
Oct 05, 2009 1:00 AM GMTI just finished a week-old leftover bottle of red and it was fine. I wouldn't refrigerate the red, only the white. And always finish champagne on the first open. -
Oct 05, 2009 1:11 AM GMTThere are some cabs that I have left uncorked for a week and were even more delicious than when I opened them.
Most leftover wine I keep corked in the fridge. I then use it for cooking. -
Oct 05, 2009 1:15 AM GMTI find that red wine will only stay good maybe 2, 3 days after I've opened it which is why I tend not to open a bottle of red unless I'll be home for the next few nights to enjoy it. Then again, I don't put red wine in the fridge. White wine lasts a bit longer in the fridge. -
Oct 05, 2009 1:23 AM GMTMy experience and preferences match that of SydHockey.
I'm picky and can sense stale wine from a mile away.
Cooking wine is wonderful, too...a great resource to have on hand! -
Oct 05, 2009 1:31 AM GMTif you plan on not drinking all your wine in one sitting don't let the bottle air, pour your glass and the reseal the bottle, cork or screw top is fine, then let the wine air in the glass, and this is one reason why screw tops are great, you can reseal the wine fast and tight, and don't let anyone say that that screw top wines are cheap ones, cork is not the best sealer and it cost a lot to produce too, have fun drinking this is mainly for red wine, white wine is best drank with in 1 or 2 days, red 1-4 days
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Oct 05, 2009 2:30 AM GMT -
Oct 05, 2009 3:10 AM GMTwine starts to oxydise within hours of opening, cold slows it down, but 3 day tops even with the special de--oxidisation cork. but depends on your taste too. -
Oct 05, 2009 4:47 AM GMTIt depends on the wine. Younger wines keep well longer than older naturally, and white wines (as well as lighter bodied, higher acid reds) keep longer too mainly because they have lower pH and higher T.A. For instance, a bottle of anything good more than 10 years old would probably deteriorate considerably after 24 hours without any intervention. But most wines will keep 3 days in the fridge, and some high-acid whites up to 5-6 days.
However, really tannic wines can also resist oxidation quite well. As a few posters have alluded to, some get better with time - these tend to be the ones which probably benefit most from being cellared anyway.
Another thing to consider is the amount of ullage you leave in the bottle. Obviously if you only had one glass, the remaining four glasses will resist oxidation much better than if you had four glasses and left only one in the bottle. Bottles with single glasses left in them rarely keep for more than one day.
There is no problem with storing reds in the fridge, as the lower temperature also retards the oxidation reaction. The only thing is you have to wait for the glass of wine to warm back up to a drinkable temperature. If you're not intending to drink the remainder of the bottle, just pour yourself the glass and let it warm up, rather than letting the whole bottle warm up.
Some replies have also mentioned ways to preserve your wine. The vacuum suction stoppers are popular and fine if you're not dealing with very fine wine. Otherwise, it can rob the bouquet of high-notes since it creates a strong evaporation potential within the bottle for the delicate, volatile aromatic compounds. If you find yourself with open bottles of wine very often, seek out an inert gas preservation system. This is what we use at the wineries, and can be a combination of nitrogen and argon, or the more professional systems just use argon as a blanket. Stay away from Carbon Dioxide preservation systems for still wines, as they can change the T.A of the wine over time.
If you do happen to have Champagne or Champagne-style sparkling wines open and left over, use a bouchon. It can help somewhat, although usually by the time you realise you've got left overs, you've probably already lost most of the pressure from the wine. If however, you know you're only going to have one or two glasses. Pour those and place the bouchon on immediately and you've just bought yourself 3-4 days to finish the rest of the bottle. :-) Non-Champagne style sparkling wines, like Asti and cuve close styles don't have that much pressure to start off with and will lose their sparkle if you try to store open bottles, so just finish them off.
I'm assuming that you're talking about wine which is at least worth a keeping for a second drink, and not the stuff which was probably made to be cooked with in the first place! -
Oct 05, 2009 6:32 AM GMTeverything he said. You can also pour wine into a smaller bottle to cut out the presence of oxygen which does help a bit.
