How do I know if a wine is spoiled?

Question

So I opened a bottle of wine last week, drank some, and tightly corked it half way again. I am drinking this wine again now. My question is - how do I know it's not spoiled? and do you need to refrigerate wine after use?

Answer 1

If wine is spoiled it will smell and taste vinegary.  It won't hurt you, it just won't be very drinkable.

The wine you have should be fine for a few more weeks unrefrigerated, but if you're going to let it sit longer than that, especially in warmer months if your home isn't constantly temperature controlled, then you need to refrigerate it.

White wine is normally served chilled anyway so keeping it in the refrigerator is a natural.  Red wine however can be kept in the fridge to keep it from going off but you should let it get down to about 55 degrees outside of the refrigerator before you drink it.

Answer 2

It's not spoiled, but it's no longer fresh.

Once you open a bottle of wine, there's a limited time in which it can be open and unless you're going to be finishing it off in the next day or so, you should stick it in the fridge.

Answer 3

just look at it, smell it, and if it passes the other two tests taste it.  if its bad it will smell bad, possibly look bad (ive seen wine that looks like ice tea because it went off being stored in a hot part of the bar), and will taste like vinegar.  it wont hurt you even if its started to go off, its just turning into vinegar.

Answer 4

If you really want to enjoy a good wine, don't recork it.  If you need help with the bottle, get some friends over.  As far as it being spoiled, it'll have a vinegar taste and smell to it, but if it comes to that point, you musta let it set too long.

Answer 5

"My question is - how do I know it's not spoiled?"

Short and simple... If you are drinking it right now and enjoying it it isn't spoiled.

"and do you need to refrigerate wine after use?"

It doesn't NEED to be, but it only helps. An open bottle of wine will be considered undrinkable by most experts if left out for 24hrs. Basically, flavor loss begins almost as soon as you open it, in six unrefrigerated hours flavors will begin to dull, and after 24hrs the off flavors will out weigh the pleasant. Refrigeration can extend the lifespan of a wine by up to 14X versus being left at room temperature.

However... these aren't a set rule and as long as you can drink it and enjoy it... the wine is fine. Even after it has gone off there is nothing in the wine that can harm you.

Answer 6

Red wine that's been opened can sit on the counter for weeks, although I rarely have wine last that long.

White wine should be refrigerated after opening because white wine tastes better chilled anyway.

If it taste like wet dog or cardboard, it's "corked," where the cork flavor has gotten into the wine and there's nothing that can be done. Wine is one step above vinegar, and the stuff lasts for years.

Answer 7

If the wine's white refrigerate it because you want to serve it chilled. If it's a red do not refrigerate it. If the wine's "gone off", it won't kill you so the best way to see if it's spoiled is to taste it. If it tastes vinegary, or watery it's oxidized too much. However it's all based on your taste, if you like it drink it. If you don't open another bottle. I've tried to save wine with one of those vacuum gizmo's it doesn't seem to do a great job, best bet is to invite somebody over and just polish the bottle off.