Red wine is a beloved drink for many, but because it’s perishable like any food and beverage, it does have an expiration date. However, with proper storage red wine can actually improve with age. So does red wine go bad? Here’s a comprehensive look at how to tell if red wine has gone off and when it’s best to consume it.
Can red wine go bad?
Yes, red wine can go bad and spoil over time. When properly stored, red wine generally lasts 2-5 years after the bottle is opened. However, it can go bad much sooner if not stored correctly.
Red wine has natural acids, sugars, anthocyanins and tannins that act as preservatives. This gives red wine a longer shelf life than white wine. However, it’s still a perishable food product. As red wine ages, it undergoes chemical changes in its color, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel.
A young red wine has purplish ruby colors and bold, fruity flavors. As it ages, it evolves into a brick red color with more muted fruit flavors and earthy, leathery notes. If kept too long, red wine will turn brown, smell vinegary and taste unpleasantly sour.
Exposure to air, light, heat and fluctuations in temperature speed up the aging process. Poor bottle storage encourages the growth of bacteria and fungi that cause wine to spoil faster. Signs that red wine has gone bad include:
- Browning color
- Cloudy appearance
- Vinegar smell
- Sour, unpleasant taste
- Yeasty, moldy aromas
- Effervescence when opened
- White floaties in the wine (tartrate crystals or bacteria/yeast growth)
Consumption of spoiled red wine poses potential health hazards but is not life-threatening. At worst, it may cause temporary digestive upset or discomfort. However, spoiled red wine does not taste good, so you won’t want to drink it.
How long does red wine last unopened?
Unopened bottles of red wine generally last:
- 2-5 years past the vintage date if stored properly
- 5-10 years for high quality red wines stored optimally
- 10-20+ years for fine aged red wines like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, etc.
The vintage date indicates the year the grapes were harvested and wine bottled. Most regular table wines are intended for near term drinking, while finer red wines are made to mature over many years. Storing red wine correctly is key to maximizing its shelf life.
Optimal storage conditions
Unopened red wine should be stored:
- In a cool place around 55°F
- Without direct light exposure
- In a humid area around 50-80% humidity
- Undisturbed, away from vibration
- Either standing up or lying on its side
Cellars, wine fridges or interior rooms away from light and heat provide ideal storage conditions. Fluctuating temperatures and heat damage red wines over time. UV light also degrades wine quality. The wine cork dries out if humidity is too low. Storing bottles on their side keeps wine interacting with the cork and avoids shrinkage.
How temperature affects red wine
High temperatures ruin good red wine. At room temperature and warmer, red wines oxidize faster. The quality declines within months to a couple years. Signs of heat damage include faded color, accelerated aging flavors and a lack of fruitiness.
Refrigerator temperatures around 40°F slow down aging considerably. Fine red wines can last decades in a wine fridge. Colder than that risks red wine freezing and bursting the bottle.
Freezing temps ruin red wines. The expanding ice inside cracks the bottle and ruins the wine’s structure. Brief exposures to freezing may not damage it, but prolonged freezing spoils red wine.
Can you store red wine upright?
Storing red wine upright is fine short term but not ideal long term. Over years, the cork slowly dries out and shrinks. This allows more oxygen to seep in and wine to oxidize faster. The wine also doesn’t stay in contact with the cork, which can cause cork taint.
Lying bottles on their side keeps the wine touching the bottom of the cork. This humidifies the cork and maintains a tight seal. Storing red wine horizontally is best for aging more than a few years.
How long does opened red wine last?
Once opened, red wine lasts:
- 2-5 days refrigerated
- 1-3 days at room temperature
It may last up to a week if stored optimally and the bottle is full. Red wine oxidizes rapidly once exposed to air. The tannins bind with oxygen molecules, accelerating the aging process. Bacteria and fungi also start growing, causing wine to spoil faster.
Does red wine need to be refrigerated after opening?
Refrigeration is essential for preserving opened red wine. The cool temps significantly slow down chemical reactions. To make opened red wine last longer:
- Store it in the fridge at around 40°F
- Tilt the corked bottle to maintain wine contact
- Limit light exposure by storing in a dark place
- Use an aerator to improve flavor right before drinking
- Finish the bottle within 3-5 days
- Transfer to smaller bottle if not finishing quickly
Room temperature speeds up oxidation. The wine tastes flat and vinegary within a couple days. Brief exposure to room temp like during a meal is fine. But minimize time spent out of the fridge.
Can you re-cork red wine?
Re-corking with the original cork is not advised. The cork starts to lose elasticity when first pulled, and may not re-seal effectively. It’s better to use a new cork or wine bottle stopper.
Vacuum wine stoppers are very effective for storing open bottles. They remove oxygen from inside the bottle to slow oxidation. CO2-based wine preservation systems also displace oxygen and prolong red wine’s shelf life after opening.
How to tell if red wine has gone bad
Here are ways to identify spoiled red wine:
Check the color
Good red wine has bright ruby tones or a youthful purple-red hue. As it ages it evolves into a muted brick-red. Bad red wine looks brown or muddy with an orange tinge. It may also be starting to look cloudy.
Swirl and smell
Fresh red wine smells fruity with notes of berries, plum, cherry or cocoa based on the varietal. Complementary oaky, spicy and earthy notes develop as it matures.
Spoiled red wine smells vinegary, nail polish remover-like, nutty or moldy. It loses fresh fruity aromas. Bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide compounds that smell rotten or like burnt rubber. Brettanomyces yeast produces barnyard odors.
Check for bubbles
Some light bubbling is normal when first pouring a fresh red wine. But overly fizzy or sparkling wine indicates spoilage. Gas is produced by fermentation reactions. The wine may have refermented in the bottle.
Look for floaties
Sediment is normal in aged red wine. But white bits floating around signal contamination. This could be harmless tartrate crystals. But fuzz, flakes or chunks may be bacterial or yeast growth.
Taste the wine
Healthy red wine should taste fruity, robust, oak, complex. It may get drier and more tannic with age but still taste pleasant.
Bad red wine basically tastes off – sharp, vinegary, nutty, bitter, cardboard-like. The original flavors are diminished. Even a small sip of rancid red wine is pretty nasty.
What’s the shelf life of different kinds of red wine?
The longevity of red wine depends on the type:
Young table wines – 1-3 years
Most inexpensive table reds are meant for near term drinking. They last around 1-3 years after bottling before quality declines. These youthful fruit-forward wines have medium body and low tannins. Examples include Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and blends.
Full-bodied red wines – 5-15 years
Red wines with high tannins and all-purpose character can age longer – around 5-15 years. Top regions for ageworthy reds include Bordeaux, Barolo, Chianti, Rioja and Napa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo-based wines often fall in this category.
Fine collectible red wines – 15-25+ years
The most age-worthy red wines are from top vineyards and ideal vintages. First-growth Bordeaux, Grand Cru Burgundy and other collectibles can evolve positively for 15-25+ years. Fine Italian reds like Barolo and Amarone also age beautifully. Proper cellaring brings out incredible bouquet and complexity.
Vintage Port – 20-50+ years
Vintage Port ranks among the longest lived red wines, lasting 20-50+ years. The sweet, high-alcohol Portuguese wine has intense tannins and acidity. Vintage Ports from top houses like Taylor Fladgate and Fonseca have amazing longevity. Other sweet fortified reds like Australian Shiraz also age for decades.
| Red Wine Type | Peak Drinking Period |
|---|---|
| Young table wines | 1-3 years |
| Full-bodied red wines | 5-15 years |
| Fine collectible reds | 15-25+ years |
| Vintage Port | 20-50+ years |
How long to decant red wine?
Decanting helps aerate young red wines to open up their aromas and flavors. Breathing freshens up the wine and softens tannins. In general, red wines need 1-2 hours decanting when less than 5 years old.
Older red wines already mellowed by age need less air exposure – just 20-30 minutes typically. Delicate Pinot Noir only needs 30-60 minutes decanting when young.
Bold Cabernet, Bordeaux, Syrah, Sangiovese wines benefit from 2-4 hours decanting when youthful. Longer exposures risk over-oxidizing the wine.
Decanting older red wines too long makes them fade quickly. Fine aged red wines are best consumed shortly after opening. Check older red wines every 30 minutes till ready to drink.
How to decant red wine
Decant red wine by gently pouring it into a clean glass decanter. Use a decanter with a wide base to maximize oxygen exposure. A narrow bottleneck separates sediment while pouring.
Other ways to aerate red wine are swirling it in a glass or using an aerator device. Young red wines also open up after being poured into a glass, rested, and swirled periodically.
Does wine get better with age?
Most everyday red wines are meant to be enjoyed within a few years of bottling. But premium red wines with good structure and tannins do evolve in the bottle over years. Top French Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundies are famous for aging decades.
As red wines age, they go through stages:
- Youthful phase – Bold fruit flavors, high tannins, young taste
- Maturing phase – Richer, more complex yet softening
- Mature phase – Peak of development, perfect balance
- Declining phase – Fading flavors, dryness setting in
The mature phase offers the most enjoyment. Fine red wines transition from harsh tannins to elegant mouthfeel. Their color lightens to brick red hues. Youthful fruit becomes subdued, allowing layers of spice, earth and truffle characteristics to emerge.
But most red wines decline past their peak drinking window. The tannins and acidity fall out of balance. An old red will taste flat, dry and hollow. Light, heat and oxygen ruin red wines over long aging periods.
Certain styles like Vintage Port, Madeira and Sauternes can age positively for decades. But regular dry red wines generally won’t improve much past 10-20 years.
How to revive a flat red wine?
Aerating helps freshen up a flat red wine that’s been open for a few days. Try these revive techniques:
- Decant into a bottle with a wide base for maximum air exposure. Let breathe 30-60 mins.
- Use a wine aerator device when pouring a glass
- Swirl the wine vigorously in a glass for a minute
- Add a splash of lemon or lime juice to perk up stale flavors
- Add a few drops of red wine vinegar to counteract oxidation
- If too warm, chill in the fridge for 30 mins to re-energize it
Don’t let red wine sit out overnight after decanting. Refrigerate and consume shortly for best results. Significantly flat red wine that tastes off is best discarded.
Can you cook with bad red wine?
Spoiled red wine that’s unpalatable for drinking can be cooked with. Using bad red wine in braises, stews, sauces or glazes can mask off-flavors.
When heated, the alcohols and acids smooth out some defects. The other ingredient flavors also help cover up issues. So it’s fine to cook with poor quality or oxidized red wine.
However, red wine that’s truly turned bad from bacteria or yeast growth is still risky consuming. Cooking doesn’t neutralize potential toxins or microbial threats. Also, extremely vinegary red wine may overpower dishes. Discretion is needed in using clearly rancid red wine.
Conclusion
Under optimal storage, red wines can last years beyond their vintage date. Fine quality red wines actually improve with cellaring for a decade or longer. But improper storage accelerates a red wine’s decline.
Exposing red wine to heat, light or oxygen causes it to spoil prematurely. Refrigeration, darkness and humidity are keys to red wine preservation. Though it’s perishable, red wine consumed under good conditions provides enjoyable drinking even as bottles age.
A healthy red wine is vibrantly colored, fruit-forward and complex. It’s important to constantly monitor aged red wines for indicators of spoilage like dull brown hues, vinegary notes and sediment. Your nose and palate will know instantly if a red wine has turned undrinkable.
With proper care, red wines can provide beautiful drinking experiences into maturity and beyond. Just be sure to recognize when a red has passed its prime for maximum satisfaction.
