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Red wine. Some people after opening it store it for long periods of time. I have opened a bottle of wine but there is no way I am going to drink it all at once. Some places say it stays good in the fridge for only 3 or 5 days. Then I here it is better to serve it at room temperature. My questions, how long can I store it at room temperature for? Can it last longer than what I have read on the net?
Hi,
From research on the web, (not from personal experience), from wine producers, here is the consensus for red wine:
30 days in a refrigerator; 7 to 14 days room temperature.
Red wine, just like some fruits, or other foods, tend to lose some of its' taste when refrigerated.
OK its not really as simple as all that.
There are a variety of factors that come into play here, namely;
* Average room temperature
* Temperature range
* Amount of wine remaining in the bottle
* Style of wine.
Now a cooler room temp will enable the wine to be keep longer, room temp is considered to be 18C.
Small Temperature range is better, plus or minus a couple of degress.
The more air in the bottle the faster the wine will oxidise.
Big heavy reds, like Ozzie Shiraz, are more forgiving than light, Gamay, stlyes.
Now for the length of time to keep an open bottle. From experience, I would say MAX of a week if in a fridge and no more than 3 days if at room temp, unless it's a very cold room.
After this time the wine starts to suffer from oxidisation and looses fruit and balance.
All this assumes that all you are doing is just putting the cork back in the bottle to seal it.
There are a number of "wine saving" stoppers on the market that remove excess air from the bottle in the hopes of keeping it fresher longer.
One of the better ones is called Vacuvin. If one of these systems are used you may double the keeping times.
I've always found that red wine tastes vinegary after being open for more than a day or two. I suppose it depends on the quality of the wine in the first place (my homemade wine doesn't loose any quality if i leave it open for a couple of days lol)
A few days (say 3-5) at room temp is about all you can usually count on. As stated, when the temp is warmer, the time is shortened. I rarely keep a wine on the table that I want to drink again more than 3 days from opening.
All red wines need to breathe before drinking, but there are a few "boring" reds that I actually prefer the second day in... usually find this with cheaper reds that just aren't well rounded. Might be drinkable but forgetful the first day, and better, but still not great, the second. Eventually the oxidation gets to be too much and its done.
If you're going to use the wine for cooking go ahead and toss it in the fridge. It'll keep longer. Likewise, as long as you're willing to let the wine warm in the glass for a bit, not problem keeping it in the fridge. Many places keep reds out in areas that are too hot, especially in the summer. You don't want your red at 82 degrees... especially on a hot summer day.
You might also look at products that form a vacuum seal if you're opening pricey bottles that oxidize too much before you can finish. A friend of mine bought one and loves it... says it can really extend the life of the bottle.
I have not used these so I cannot say. Do a search for wine vacuum sealer and you'll get some hits.
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