Bad Wine!? Is it possible? hahaha

[mafibisha]

So I just found an opened bottle of wine, Mondavi Pinot Noir 2003, probably a hostess gift that got pushed way into the back of the pantry. Of course I opened it And yuck! And I'm shocked. Isn't wine supposed to get better with time, even an inexpensive brand like this? I'm ready to pitch it unless you have a better idea. And y'all probably will!

 

[smokeyblue]

Burgandy wine is made from pinot noir grapes. You could make beef burgandy.

 

[Sarahlovy]

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

 

[crisi]

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

And fast, over a few days.

Most cheap wines maximize their "good" over a relatively short time, you wouldn't want to drink a thirty year old Beringer White Zin - its made to be drunk within a few years of being bottled.

 

[mafibisha]

Burgandy wine is made from pinot noir grapes. You could make beef burgandy.

Great idea, thanks!

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

Again, this was not opened, but totally sealed. It just got lost in our walk-in pantry

And fast, over a few days.

Most cheap wines maximize their "good" over a relatively short time, you wouldn't want to drink a thirty year old Beringer White Zin - its made to be drunk within a few years of being bottled.

Yeah, most wine in our house doesn't last too long so we've never had this issue before.

 

[burnurcomputer]

If it was upright, then the cork dried out and let in air, even if it was sealed. Good ole shrinkage. Even temp changes on a bottle turned on its side can impact flavor and increase odds of it turning at an excellerated rate

 

[cjdj4]

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

You can actually make vinegar out of it if you want: http://www.gangofpour.com/diversions/vinegar/vinegar1.html

 

[marlynnp]

So I just found an opened bottle of wine, Mondavi Pinot Noir 2003, probably a hostess gift that got pushed way into the back of the pantry. Of course I opened it And yuck! And I'm shocked. Isn't wine supposed to get better with time, even an inexpensive brand like this? I'm ready to pitch it unless you have a better idea. And y'all probably will!

Great idea, thanks!





Again, this was not opened, but totally sealed. It just got lost in our walk-in pantry




Yeah, most wine in our house doesn't last too long so we've never had this issue before.

Your opening post says that is was opened!

 

[jsmith]

Its only true that wine gets better with age for some heavier red wines and fortified wines like port and sherry that are properly stored. Whites, roses and lighter reds usually only hold about 5 years properly stored, sparkling only a couple of years. And its possible it wasnt good to begin with-if the bottle was corked.
Pinot noir would make excellent vinegar! and vinegar does keep

 

[AlwaysMoving]

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

This is not true. Some wines might only last a year or two (the more home made versions), while some of your higher priced bottles can last more than 20 years. Temperature, light, the direction of the bottle, and movement all can drop the quality and overall number of years the bottle will be good. Living in Italy, we have had plenty of vinegar bottles from wine that was so good the previous year.

 

[pixiewings71]

Unopened wine usually gets better with time, opened wine turns to vinegar.

And fast, over a few days.

Most cheap wines maximize their "good" over a relatively short time, you wouldn't want to drink a thirty year old Beringer White Zin - its made to be drunk within a few years of being bottled.

I've had bottles of wine opened in my fridge or on my counter for extended periods of time and they've all been perfectly drinkable/enjoyable when I finally finished them.

Your opening post says that is was opened!

Probably a typo.

OP most reds are said to age with time and get better, whites on the other hand are meant to be enjoyed within a few years. We have a few reds that we are holding back to open later but we also have a red that is sitting on the counter opened but currently sealed. As a PP said tho, if your bottle was standing up and the cork dried out then air got in and probably spoiled the wine. Also, if your pantry temp fluctuates a lot that will cause wine to turn. I'd suggest making the beef burgundy or vinegar with the rest, or simply pour it down the drain. I personally don't like to cook with wine that I don't want to drink. And no, I'm not a wine snob, my favorite wines are usually under $10 a bottle.

 

[crisi]

I've had bottles of wine opened in my fridge or on my counter for extended periods of time and they've all been perfectly drinkable/enjoyable when I finally finished them.

Sometimes they don't turn too fast - it depends on the sugar in the wine, the amount of light and the temperature, but I can taste the vinegar in something like a Cab starting to form after about three days (and wine snobs won't drink it on day two). We vaccuum out the air and leave it on the counter. Sweet wines seem to hold up a lot better, I can keep a bottle of port or a Reisling open for a month.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Sometimes they don't turn too fast - it depends on the sugar in the wine, the amount of light and the temperature, but I can taste the vinegar in something like a Cab starting to form after about three days (and wine snobs won't drink it on day two). We vaccuum out the air and leave it on the counter. Sweet wines seem to hold up a lot better, I can keep a bottle of port or a Reisling open for a month.

I wouldn't call myself a wine snob by any measure, but I can rarely drink a wine that has been open for more than a day, even if it's been vacuumed and well-sealed. Particularly red.... It all tastes like vinegar to me after a day of being open.

 

[mafibisha]

Your opening post says that is was opened!

OOPS! I sure did.

Big typo because it was an UNopened bottle pushed wayyy in the back of our pantry, behind two old containers of Quaker Oatmeal (also unopened and since tossed).

Sorry about that!

 

[tasha99]

I wouldn't make beef burgundy with it. If it's bad, you'll just end up with bad food.

 

[AlwaysMoving]

I wouldn't call myself a wine snob by any measure, but I can rarely drink a wine that has been open for more than a day, even if it's been vacuumed and well-sealed. Particularly red.... It all tastes like vinegar to me after a day of being open.

I agree. We use the entire bottle or pour what is left down the drain. It just doesn't taste right once the cork has been removed. If we know the bottle won't be finished we use the cheaper stuff. I almost wish we were not experiencing the differences. We never cared before.

 

[SandrA9810]

Isn't Pinot Noir one of those really sweet wines?

I always that the nasty ones were the ones that supposedly got better with age.

 

[crisi]

I agree. We use the entire bottle or pour what is left down the drain. It just doesn't taste right once the cork has been removed. If we know the bottle won't be finished we use the cheaper stuff. I almost wish we were not experiencing the differences. We never cared before.

I tend to like most cheap reds better on day two - they need a lot of breathing (if I don't decant). By day three its definitely not better, but drinkable to me, by day four, a cheap red gets used in spaghetti sauce. But its a matter of taste and preference.

 

[Gigi22]

OP, if you don't want to use the Pinot Noir in beef burgundy, you could compromise and use it in a marinade for steaks/chops.

SandraA9810--Pinot Noir is not a sweet wine. Wines that age well are usually heavy bodied reds, fortified wines such as sherry and port, and a few white wines including some sweet white wines like a good, repeat good, sauterne. Some people prefer an aged vintage champagne--but I am told that it is an acquired taste.

 

[MEM]

If the wine isn't drinkable its not something you should cook with either. Cooking will just intensify the bad taste.

For the poster who said she pours wine down the drain if she can't finish the bottle, you can freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays and then use the cubes to flavor soups and stews. Its a Martha Stewart trick (that is also a Maxine joke!) but it does work.

I have become a fan of Black Box red wine - because of the design of the bag and spout, there is very little air in with the wine and it will still taste fine after a few weeks (IMHO).