Can you tell if a wine cooler is still in use?
If you have ever had the experience of cleaning out a fridge, you will know that nothing lasts forever.
This is also true of food and other organic material.Any living thing has an end of life date, and before long any vegetable matter or food of the flesh will decay.If you didn't get to digest it, thebacteria will take over and make compost.
It is good news for the planet, but bad for your wine.All wines, from the best quality sherry to the least expensive kind kept in cardboard boxes, will degrade over time.How long will your favorite wine last?
The answer depends on the type of wine and the storage conditions it was subjected to.Unopened bottles have a longer shelf life than opened ones.Wine is designed to last a long time.The alcohol from the grapes can be developed in the first place.yeast is added to break down sugar and convert it into alcohol.The juice can be preserved in two ways.The lower sugar content makes the spoiling process slower.The addition of alcohol makes it much harder for mostbacteria to survive.This one-two punch of preservation allowed early vintners to ship their fine wines around the world and still have their products stay delicious after long months in a ship's hold.
Wine will break down eventually even though it is designed to last longer.Here is what you can expect from the most common types of wine.
Most wines are meant to be drunk shortly after being bottled, while they are at their peak of flavor and aroma.If you spent less than $30 on wine, you should drink it within a year or two of purchase.These aren't bad wines, but they are not usually the kind that get better with age.
When talking about aging a fine wine, they usually mean rich, red wines that are designed to get more mellow over time.These are expensive and you can't just ignore them.Wine lovers make sure that the perfect storage conditions are provided to allow the finest wines to develop their best flavor over time.If you think about it, this is the only exception to the general rule that you should drink your wine within two years.
To make sure that your wine lasts as long as possible and still tastes great when you pop the cork, you need to monitor storage conditions.Here is what you need to know.
Wine bottles made of dark glass help block out the sun's rays, but this only goes so far.UV rays can cause a breakdown of the chemical compounds that make wine smell and taste great.It's a good idea to keep bottled wine out of the sun.
Even though it is less traditional than a corked bottle, producers often go this route because the wine is already protected from the sun.
You don't need a wine cellar to store wine effectively, but you should try to mimic the conditions of an old-fashioned grotto.Wine was stored underground in the days before refrigeration to keep it cool.Wine can be kept cool for long-term storage because the temperature just below the earth's surface stays at a steady 53 to 57 degrees.Wine lasts for a longer period when kept at 55 degrees and you can see why a cellar is appealing.
You can store your wine bottles in a dedicated wine refrigerator if you don't have an underground cave or a regular basement.A good wine cooler will allow you total control over the temperature, so you can adjust it to the perfect temperature for serving when you are ready to finally open up your collection for drinking.
The standard refrigerator is too cold for wine and should be kept at 38 degrees.If you want to get the flu impact of your wine, you need to warm it up before drinking.
Extra attention is needed to last well in storage for wine bottles sealed with traditional corks.The cork needs to stay on the wine so that it doesn't dry out.It will shrink and allow air andbacteria into the bottle, which will lead to a very bad flavor as the wine turns to acetic acid and develops a vinegary taste.Store bottles on their sides to keep the cork moist.The cork stays in contact with the wine to absorb the water it needs to stay plump.
You are cleaning out your storage area and find a bottle of wine.Maybe you picked it up to surprise someone and never got around to drinking it.Stuff happens.
If you have been reading carefully, it depends.If you follow these steps, you can decide if your wine is still worth drinking.
The best by date is also known as the "drink by" date.This is only a suggestion about when the bottle will taste its best.To see if your bottle is within range, use the chart above.Don't drink if that's the case.
The vintage date is the best if there is no expiration date.The year on the wine label lets you know when the grapes were picked for the bottle.You can estimate the expiration date if you have this date handy.If you want to see if your wine is good to drink, add a year to white wine and two years to red.
It would be a shame to throw out a perfectly good bottle of wine because you didn't know it would last.Red wines age better than white and sparkling wines.It could be good for decades if you check the label.
Do you not know what you have on your hands?Take it to a wine shop and ask them if it is worth drinking or not.
You can always open the wine to see what is going on.Start by pouring a bit into a glass and letting it sit for a while.You don't want to drink it if it smells bad.
Give it a taste if it passes the smell test.A small amount won't hurt you, even if you want to rinse your mouth out.You can get rid of the wine if it has an off-flavor.Drink up if you like it.If the bottle was in stable storage conditions, you may have a winner on your hands.
The clock is running when you have an open bottle of wine.White wine will stay in the refrigerator for a few days if you can't finish it in one sitting.It's a good idea to keep it sealed with the cork and in an upright position to help it last as long as possible.
How is decanting done?Do you know what to do with your wine?For hundreds of years, people from around the world have been moving.