It’ll be obvious that my Wife and I are not wine drinkers. We prefer beer or a couple of different mixed drinks.
Anyway, my Wife was going through the fridge and found a bottle of Luna di Luna Italian White Wine. 2010 vintage. It was stored upright. She was getting ready to just open it and dump it. Huh? says I. Wine doesn’t go bad. Not unopened wine.
It’s been in the fridge for 2 years or so I guess. Looking online, it’s about $12.
I have no idea if I bought it, or if it was a dinner party gift. We generally just keep a few bottles around.
Anyway, what is the likelihood that this has turned? I donno? It can turn to vinegar I believe. Even I could tell that if I opened it. But I sure couldn’t tell if it was still drinkable as wine.
I could simply open it of course, but rather just keep it and use it for guests (maybe that’s mean with a $12 bottle ) I know no connoisseurs.
Anyway, this is kind of a silly question I suppose, but may have a real (if subjective answer).
Natural cork has an occasional tendency to deteriorate (rot – it IS a small piece of a tree, after all) which wouldn’t necessarily mean your wine is bad but if you have a stopper that is not a real cork stopper (either a plastic “cork” or a metal screw top) then this possible cause of reduced quality is eliminated.
We can probably find a Colorado-based Doper willing to test your sample. For science.
WAG: your wine will taste about the same as when you bought it.
I’m not convinced spending that long upright in the fridge wouldn’t dry out the cork, though, and at least make it taste funny.
I dunno, I’d probably just open it and taste it. If it’s good, wine with dinner for a change! Or save it for guests with a backup bottle on hand in case it’s vinegar.
I’m thinking that two years upright will almost certainly dry out the cork, if it is indeed a cork. And that would let oxygen in, and probably turned it to vinegar. Also, a dry cork will crumble when you try to open it and fill your wine with little bits of cork, after you manage to get it open at all. So, before you try to open it, lay it on its side for a few days first to re-moisten the cork. Then, open and take a small taste. If it’s not vinegar, re-cork it and put it back in the fridge, on its side, and it should keep for another five years until you need it.
If it’s a screw cap or plastic cork, then it should be no worse today than it was the day it entered your fridge.
It will probably be gross. Or at least white wine stored in a cool, dry, but not refrigerated place goes bad in that time. Even reds probably will. Wine in general isn’t meant to be aged unless it’s fancy. Same with beer - Belgian-style ages pretty well, but lagers and even IPAs don’t.
If it’s a plastic cork and has been stored at a consistent temperature then it likely has not turned to vinegar. Some white wines are vinted to be kept for years; yours may be one such. Taste it and see.
Your statement is so off-base regarding wines. Ever hear of white wines from Burgundy or perhaps even Chenin Blancs from the Loire along with countless numbers of rieslings and viogniers? The aging ability of a wine is dependent on both the grape variety and the decisions made by the winemaker in producing the wine. Wines can be produced that are meant to be consumed very young or can be aged for extended periods of time. I have aged and consumed both reds and whites for years that ranged in price from $7.50 up to $40.00 per bottle (thats about the maximum I’ll go).
I agree with those who say it’ll probably be OK, but there is no real way of telling. Plus, it has a 3-year history of unknown storage conditions.
But I’m curious how you found the price because I looked at their web site, and they don’t seem to make a generic “white wine” anymore.
In general, though, white wines are meant to be drunk right away, rather than aging for years (with some exceptions, none of which probably apply to your wine). Still, if stored properly, they should be OK for 5 years. As you approach 8 or 10 years, I’d start to get a little leery.
But it’s a $12 bottle of wine, so why worry? Open it, and if you like it, drink it. If not, dump or give it to someone who might like it.
I am sure this has been answered before on these boards, but since I just read is thread, I thought I’d ask my question here.
If the bottle is stored properly, that is, on its side (and assuming it has a real cork), this will keep the cork fro drying out, correct?
I have a number of bottles I. have collected over the years, and I have stored them all this way. I am pretty sure most if not all of them have real corks, and I know I was told to store them in this fashion.
Assuming I don’t have any flawed corks, my wine should be drinkable during my lifetime, correct?
Depends on the wine. All wine is going to peak at some point, and then start going bad. Where that peak is depends tremendously on the wine itself. As a general rule, reds last longer than whites. But it’s not a matter of good vs bad, but rather wine that gets better as it reaches its peak, can stay at that peak for a time, and then it starts getting worse.
Also, it’s not just about storing at the right angle. Storing at the proper temperature and humidity is going to affect the wine, too. Hight temps and rapid temp changes are not good for wines.
Even assuming the cork is intact, wines do not simply keep improving for decades. Some do; most don’t.
Your typical grocery store red wine is probably improving for 2-5 years after the vintage date printed on the bottle, then holding steady for a couple more years, then deteriorating quickly thereafter.
As a *very *general rule sweet whites last even less well, while dry whites are about the same as reds in longevity.
Exposure to temperature & light also has a big effect on longevity. Stored in a dark closet will last years longer than stored in a lit room or worse yet, in a place where sunlight can shine directly on the bottle part of most days.
Likewise, both heat and cold are the enemies of wine. A steady temperature around 55-60F is best. Sitting in a rack in your kitchen where year-round temps range from 65 to 80 will shorten the liofe considerably.
Any generalizations regarding aging are pretty meaningless unless one considers the grape varietal that the wine is made from and where the wine was made (terrior). These two pieces of information can be used to formulate a reasonable guess as to when to drink the wine. Generally speaking price is not really a good indicator nor is the relative sweetness (or lack thereof) a good indicator.
I might also add that many wines using screw top (Stelvin) closures are coming into more general use and experience is showing that these wines (again considering grape varieties and terrior) can also be aged. Stelvin closures are showing up much more frequently that plastic corks.
Most dessert wines (high in residual sweetness) will age for incredibly long periods so again generalizations regarding sweetness are not appropriate.
As LSLGuy states, a key word is “steady”. The recommendation of 55-60F is also a good rule of thumb though my crawl space “wine cellar” does range from about 52-64F but I don’t have more than a +/- 1F change over several days. Most references will also state that the storage conditions should ideally be in the range of 40-60% relative humidity (RH) but “natural” cellars do not have the ability to modify RH. Interestingly enough the most sensitive part of aged wines for me has proven to be the bottle labels some of which have disintegrated.
Just want to second everything that John Mace and LSLGuy stated above – the essential points being cool and stable storage temp, greater longevity of reds as a general rule, and all the rest. Many decent reds will keep and improve for decades. Whites, generally not nearly as long. But the two most oft-heard words in the wine world are “it depends”! On that note although sweet whites may not keep as long as dry ones, everything else being equal, it’s not the case if the sugar content is balanced with the right amount of acidity. Ironically, some of the oldest wines I’ve ever had have been sweet whites – a French sauterne and a German beerenauslese Reisling, both over 30 years old and both heavenly!
It’s also worth pointing out that different vintners intend to make wines for drinking this year or wines for aging for decades. So even among a single grape varietal there is a wide range of storability. Yes, some varieties are more commonly used for one end or the other.
Ultimately SFP’s questions indicate we’re *probably *dealing with wines priced and designed for early consumption and stored in indifferent-to-hostile conditions.
) I know no connoisseurs.