# Oenophiles, some advice please
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 23, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650 "2002-03-23T01:47:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/1 "2002-03-23T01:47:08Z")
Last weekend we had some folks over for dinner. I needed to chill the red wine so I put it out on our deck. No one wanted red wine, so I forgot it out there. The weather has since changed for the worst and it has been outside in below-freezing weather.
So. What can I do with it now? Is it good for anything besides emptying onto my compost pile?
Granted, it’s not some $70 bottle so it’s not a tragedy that I ruined it. I just hate to waste anything that might still be usable.
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### Author:  [@Wisest\_Novel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisest_Novel)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/2 "2002-03-23T01:58:10Z")
I’m no oenophile (“I never even _looked_ at another man!”), but [this place](http://www.sbwines.com/usenet_winefaq/storingafteropen.html) seems to think it’s probably not going to ruin it. I think their suggestion of using it for cooking is a good backup plan, too.
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### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/3 "2002-03-23T02:16:20Z")
The wine is almost certainly OK. Wine contains alcohol :rolleyes: . This acts as an anti-freeze. As long as the cork has not been forced out of the bottle, then the wine has not been frozen. So it’s OK. Drink and enjoy.
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### Author:  [@bashere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bashere)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/4 "2002-03-23T03:14:35Z")
The wine is almost certainly still drinkable, however, there is a good chance that the cork shrank enough to let in air. I would recommend opening it soon; treat it like a bottle that has already been opened.
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### Author:  [@bare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bare)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/5 "2002-03-23T10:14:34Z")
Do not, I repeat do not drink that wine. The only safe thing to do with it is to donate it to science for study. E-mail me for an address to send it to for proper testing.
bare, R. OenPH
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### Author:  [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/6 "2002-03-23T11:35:20Z")
I agree it is drinkable, so long as it did not actually freeze, or have the cork loosen. If it was only in the high 20’s/low 30’s, it’s likely fine.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [March 23, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oenophiles-some-advice-please/99650/7 "2002-03-23T20:09:59Z")
Sure, alcohol is an anti-freeze of sorts, but wine isn’t exactly moonshine. It will freeze pretty easily, just like beer. But even at that it should still be fine.
Drink up!