I’ve answered this questions a million times but I’m happy to make it A Million And One.
First off - wine does not “go bad” like milk or meat or fruit. It’s not going to become Microbially infected or catch the Coronavirus or rotting with maggots anything like that. In general, it’s just going to turn into Vinegar-
Naturally occurring bacteria will convert the alcohol in the wine into Acetic Acid … leaving you with, wait for it , Red Wine Vinegar!
Now how long?! First off, wines of almost all kinds usually improve - sometimes significantly - within the first 24 hours. This is why both Restaurants and home wine drinkers will decant a wine - pouring into another container, in an effort to increase the oxygen contact of the surface area of the wine…
Simply popping the cork does not really do all that much - but Decanting does … Also it’s a cool way to get your Fancy on! But - as I said - wines usually improve over the first 24 hours. (Assuming you opened it, poured a glass or two, then put the cork back in. From 24–48hrs, it really does depend on the specific wine… an Italian Nebbiolo-based wine may still be opening up from Day 24–48hrs because they’re so big, bold, and tannic. Similarly for Cabernet Sauvignon -but also it matters the quality of the wine and the style and process the Winemaker used. Yellow Tail is not designed for complexity and opening-up after long-term aging. But a $50 bottle of Mondavi Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon may just be something that’s still showing off it’s nuances and complexity up to 48 hours. Between 48-and-72 hrs you’ll usually start to see a declination of flavors, overall flavor profile and mouthfeel , and aromas.
72 hours is when you’re usually going to tell the wine isn’t as good as it had been. The Sauvignon Blanc you had been enjoying for it’s crispiness and bracing acidity … now you’re really noticing that acidity … because it’s slowly breaking down -
No big deal, really, because as I said early on - it’s not rotting or spoiling like bad milk or old meat etc. It’s just being broken down into Vinegar.
Open a wine bottle , put the cork back in it, and give it a week or two, it’s definitely going to go. My rule of thumb is 72 hrs - but I usually never make it that far. A bottle of wine is 4 decent-sized glasses. Even if it was just me drinking it, it’s not going to last 3 days, I’m sorry not sorry to say.
So pop the cork and drink those bad boys!
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