Red Wine Information

Question: How long is red wine safe to drink after it's been opened?

(Posted by: JWB on 2010-02-26 18:09:38)

This is sort of a follow up to the last question I gave. Now note, this isn't asking about flavor, this is simply on a health and safety sort of element. I've been storing two opened bottles of wine in my fridge for a while now. One's been in there for a month, and the other's been in there for about a week and a half, going on two. My first question of course is, whether both of these wines are still safe to drink. Meaning that if I drink them, I won't run the risk of getting sick or dying. The second question is, what exactly is the expiration date for red wine? The month old one is a Coppola Shiraz, and the two week old one is a Woodbridge Merlot, if that helps. It'd be great to know how long I can actually keep opened wine before I have to throw it away. Anyway, any input you have would be a big help.

Posted by: CableDog on 2010-03-02, 16:30:53

It will be fine. Flat but safe to drink or use for cooking.

Posted by: Billy on 2010-02-26, 18:13:27

The longer you leave wine out to the air the flatter it will get but it will go bad like everthing

Posted by: James on 2010-02-26, 18:13:42

Go for it, drink up. have your friends drink it they won't know it's old

Posted by: klomtrix on 2010-02-26, 18:27:12

Once the wine is opened it must be refrigerated and you could expect to be drinkable for 3 days(for most varieties), after that the wine will be safe to drink but its flavor and bouquet(aroma) will not be the best, depending of the wine you could expect a sour, vinegar or flat taste, there should be no concerns about safety if it is maintained under refrigeration. I have used 3 month old wine for cooking without any health concern. Some stores sell a gas additive to extend the live of the wine once opened.

Posted by: Ruby on 2010-02-26, 18:28:39

You can keep drinking it until what looks like sand forms at the bottom. In red wine it will be dark red sand. I'm not sure about the safety, but the taste changes and getting those particles in your mouth when you drink it is disgusting. They don't mix back in. I don't know what they are, but something changes when those start to collect at the bottom.

Posted by: B s on 2010-02-26, 19:33:44

Easiest thing to do is go to a wine shop, bed bath beyond or your grocery store, buy a vacuum pump and stoppers. after you open the wines you use the tops to take the air out of the bottles. this will extend the shelf life for probably an additional 3-5 days above just using the cork. as to the ilness, no, but after time they will start to taste off.