How long does wine "keep?"
For the first time I'm living in a place that isn't a dry college campus, and I'm excited to cook with real wine. That being said, I'm not a big wine drinker, and I know next to nothing about it. So, how long does wine "keep" once uncorked? Does it need to be refrigerated?
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13 Comments:
actually you can freeze what you don't use in ziploc bags.
cybercita at 1:48PM on 08/29/09
If you're just going to cook with wine and not also drink it during the meal (ie. thus be concerned with how long it'll keep), I'd recommend using boxed wine. Boxed wine lasts a pretty long time. It's decent enough to cook with. But inexpensive enough that if you don't use it all by the time it starts going bad, it's probably not that big a deal.
wunami at 2:02PM on 08/29/09
Once uncorked, a bottle of wine usually lasts about an hour in my house.
Oh wait-- I see what you mean. A bottle will keep for a couple of days in the fridge with a stopper. There are fancy vacuum stoppers and oxygen-free sprays you can get if you want to preserve a bottle longer, but the better idea is, like wunami said, a box-o-wine if you're not going to drink the rest right away. They're derided by 'serious' oenophiles, but some of them are quite drinkable.
MarvinDog at 2:15PM on 08/29/09
I agree - my brother-in-law is a big fan of boxed wines and I've actually found some not to be that bad. I don't like to keep wine around too long after first uncorking - and like MarvinDog said, it lasts about an hour at our house.
Pinotnana at 3:17PM on 08/29/09
Thanks for the advice. :)
Skythe at 5:15PM on 08/29/09
The problem once you open it is exposure to oxygen - it changes the flavor of the wine over time. Some oxygen is good initially, but if you let the wine sit after opening for a day or two it won't taste as good. There are a few ways to prevent this - you can get vacuvin (which is around ten bucks?) which provides a few rubber corks and a hand pump vacuum that takes the air out of the bottle after opening. Another great option is to get a wine preservation spray (wine enthusiast sells it online for 13). It's basically a can of inert gas (similar to the air dusters you use to clean your keyboard) that takes the place of the oxygen in the bottle after opening. You spray a bit into the bottle, cork it and it preserves the flavor pretty much indefinitely. These are both relatively cheap options. Boxed wine on the other hand usually comes in way fewer varieties, larger quantities and generally aren't that good.
I guess if you're planning on using the wine for only cooking and are going to use the rest of it within a week or so (and don't want to buy anything else), I'd just stick it in the fridge.
misterhee at 5:27PM on 08/29/09
Just pour a glass or two to finish off the bottle. It is good and good for you.
Red wine goes faster in my opinion. I will finish a bottle that was opened the previous night but not after two nights. That is just stuffing the cork back in and setting on the counter.
White wine lasts quite a bit longer. Recork and put in the fridge. 3 or even 4 days isn't out of the question. Always better to just polish off the bottle the night you open though.
climbhighak at 8:47PM on 08/29/09
I would buy a little vacuum for your wine bottles...you can find them at Bed, Bath and Beyond (~$9). It is simply a device to extract the oxygen from the bottle, which helps the wine last much longer. You may get a week to ten days out of a wine that would have only lasted three without the vacuum.
@climbhighak My experience has actually been the opposite. Red wine seems to last a few days longer before going 'off.' Difference in palates? I dunno, but that's sure is interesting!
@Marvindog Boxed wine is definitely starting to improve in quality!
toasteebagel at 8:54PM on 08/29/09
i need to get one of those little vacuum things for my wine - i can drink it the next day and that's about it. the flavor really turns at that point. especially reds, white's i think can last a little longer in the fridge. hey, maybe i should stick the red in the fridge and see how it holds up. i hate
losing it.
pooch at 8:59PM on 08/29/09
@misterhee If I use the vacuvin or the wine spray does the wine still need to be refrigerated?
Skythe at 10:59PM on 08/29/09
@Marvin Dog Very funny. I laughed out loud. I needed that!
janaatwg at 10:46AM on 08/30/09
@Skythe: I usually stick it in the fridge - lower temps slow down oxidation so I figure it can't hurt.
misterhee at 10:51AM on 08/30/09
Happy I came across this discussion. I don't drink, and just this week I divided up the remains of a bottle of white wine (which I'd used only 1/3 cup from) and put them in the freezer. I felt pretty silly doing that, but I also hate to waste food, or buy a fresh bottle when I need some cooking wine about once every couple weeks.
ChloeA at 1:20PM on 08/31/09