How To Tell If Wine Has Gone Bad
Understanding that wines are perishable is crucial. Wine, containing alcohol, can change in appearance, flavor, and aroma. To handle leftover wine, learn how to identify spoilage and dispose of it or store it if it's still good. It's best to consume a newly opened bottle within a few days, as exposure to air causes spoilage. Taste changes occur after a day or two due to oxidation. Properly preserving wine involves storing it correctly and minimizing oxygen exposure.
How Long Does Opened Wine Typically Last?
When it comes to enjoying a good bottle of wine, knowing how long it will last once opened is essential. Proper storage and handling can make a significant difference in preserving the flavors and aromas of your favorite wine.
We will explore the typical lifespan of opened wine for each type, including red, white, and rosé.
Red Wine:
Once opened, red wines usually last for about 3-5 days. The higher tannin levels in red wines act as a natural preservative. To keep red wine fresh, reseal the bottle tightly and store it in a cool, dark place.
White Wine:
White wines are more delicate and typically last for 2-3 days once opened. To extend their freshness, refrigerate white wines with a tightly sealed closure.
Rosé Wine:
Rosé wines, a blend of red and white grape varietals, can last for 3-4 days after opening. Storing them in the refrigerator with a tight seal helps preserve their flavors.
Signs of Bad Wine
1. Appearance
A simple way to detect bad wine is from its visual appearance. There are several visual cues that will give it away, these include:
Cloudiness
If a wine that was initially clear starts to become cloudy or develops a film inside the bottle, it's likely a sign that it should be discarded. The cloudiness indicates the presence of bacterial activity that has begun within the bottle.
Change in Color
Spoiled wine has a dull color, with little or no shine. A wine's hue is maintained by the tannins that are released into the fluid during fermentation, and when the wine is no longer good it loses some of that hue.
Development of Bubbles
When bubbles start to appear in your wine, it indicates the onset of a second fermentation. However, unlike in champagne where bubbles are desirable, these bubbles in your wine typically suggest that it has likely turned sour and should be discarded.
2. Smell
Spoiled wines have an "off" smell that can be described as moldy, wet cardboard, sherry, moldy basement, and rotten eggs. Spoiled wines also tend to have more sediment in them.
3. Taste
The most effective way to detect if the wine is spoiled is by taste. A stale taste can be detected in old wine. This is the most obvious way to tell if your wine has gone bad!
If the wine tastes like rotten eggs, it’s definitely bad and should not be consumed.
Wine can taste bad for a number of reasons.
The first is if the wine has been exposed to too much light or heat because this speeds up oxidation and causes chemical reactions. Oxidation occurs when the flavor compounds break down and release hydrogen sulfide. Oxidized wine is a sure sign that your wine has gone bad.
To combat this you're going to want to store it in a cool, dark location. Wine cellars are great for this, but if you don't have the room and budget for a dedicated sealed off room for your wines, a wine cooler is your best bet. Read more about wine coolers in our Ultimate Wine Cooler Buying Guide.
Another cause of wine tasting bad may be cork taint or microbial spoilage, both of which are caused by microorganisms that turn alcohol into acetic vinegar. Also, wines that are exposed to oxygen during bottling after fermentation can develop cork taint over time because bacteria makes it change from colorless ethyl alcohol into brownish ethyl acetate, resulting in a brownish straw color. Not fun!
Main cause of bad wine: Cork Stains & Oxygen
The main reason why wine goes bad is that cork stains cause the formation of acetic acid. The oxidation process begins once oxygen gets into the bottle, and through a chemical reaction, bacteria transforms the alcohol into acid, which gives off a sour taste and smell. This happens at a much faster rate when exposed to high temperatures or excessive light.
Cork stains can turn your delicious glass of red wine into a concoction that tastes terrible. Be sure to store your wine in a dark place with less oxygen in order to prevent your drink from losing its flavors & aromas.
As you can tell, properly storing your wine is quite crucial.
Keeping Your Wine Fresh
That's where wine coolers, also known as wine refrigerators, come in handy.
Investing in a good wine cooler that can store your wines at ideal temperatures and humidity levels can save you from the headaches of your wine being spoiled and going down the drain.
Wine Coolers are not your typical home fridge. They are specifically designed for the right settings and temperatures to protect wines. With the increasing demand for wine consumption in recent years, wine coolers do not just belong to the sommeliers and restaurants anymore, they are becoming a staple of many modern households not just for their wine preservation benefits, but also because they make for attractive centerpieces in entertainment areas.
Don't know where to start? We've compiled all of the information you need to figure out exactly which wine cooler is right for you and your needs in The Ultimate Wine Cooler Buying Guide.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding that wine is perishable and can undergo changes in appearance, flavor, and aroma is essential. It is important to be aware of signs such as cloudiness, changes in color, the development of bubbles, an off smell (like moldy or rotten odors), and a stale or unpleasant taste, as well as cork stains and exposure to oxygen. Proper storage in a cool, dark place with minimal oxygen exposure is crucial to preserving wine's flavors and aromas.
Investing in a wine cooler can help maintain the ideal temperature and humidity levels, ensuring the freshness and longevity of your wines.
FAQs
Q: What is acetic acid?
A: Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is a colorless liquid organic compound. Its name comes from the Latin "acetum", which means vinegar.
Q: What is acetic acid in the context of bad wine?
A: A good way to tell if your wine has gone bad involves the detection of acetic acid because when wine is exposed to air for too long, bacteria converts the ethanol in wine into acetic acid, giving off an unpleasant smell and taste. This process is known as the “acetification” of wine and is the primary process behind wine degradation into vinegar. Such wines should be disposed of immediately.
Q: Is bad wine dangerous?
A: Bad wine is NOT inherently dangerous to drink. However, a bad wine can cause unpleasant side effects if consumed. So remember, "when in doubt, throw it out!"
Q: Side Effects of Drinking Bad Wine
A: The bad taste and smell of spoiled wine will most likely irritate your mouth and nasal cavity if consumed. Also, spoiled alcohol can make you feel sick to your stomach, or make you vomit. All in all, you will most likely not enjoy that bad wine very much, though throwing out a high end bottle of wine hurts almost as much!
