View Full Version : Are my wines still good?
vickidog
Jul 18, 2009, 07:02 PM
Greetings, everyone -- I have a number of red wines - California, australia, italy, france, and chile - a wide variety! The vintages range from 1981 - 2000. For the most part, they have been in our basement which stays relatively cool. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area. If anyone out there has a good resource for looking up wines -- not their monetary value, but if they still might be good, and drinkable it would be most appreciated.
Thanks!
jenniepepsi
Jul 18, 2009, 07:31 PM
Anything over 25 years old is for show and collection, not for drinking. Even when it's been stored in ideal conditions the quality would go downhill (unlike Scotch, for example). A rule of thumb is that the more expensive the wine, the longer the shelf life. Anything for $10 or under (red or white) should be consumed in 1-2 years (3 max), even when stored under ideal conditions. More commonly, wine can turn to vinegar when it's oxidized (this requires exposure to air).
jmjoseph
Jul 18, 2009, 07:34 PM
I know of a good way to find out, get a bottle opener ! If I wasn't in recovery, I would invite myself over.
jenniepepsi
Jul 18, 2009, 07:37 PM
Yup. Open it. If it taste like vinegar, chances are its bad :)