Cork Homepage

Question: Can old, opened and corked, room temperature wine make you sick?

(Posted by: Kat on 2010-03-05 14:08:03)

I have found information about one or two of these criteria (old wine, opened wine, left out for a little while, etc), but not all of them together. I have a bottle of cabernet savignon that has been half drunk and corked loosely and left out of the fridge (because my fridge is the smallest you can get and it does not fit upright) for at least a month. I didn't know wine could spoil until my friend said, "That wine's probably bad now. " It still smells like wine, if a little less strong. I have heard it will lose flavor but can't make you sick. What is the truth?

Posted by: Jade Orchid on 2010-03-05, 16:11:08

A bottle of red wine that has been opened usually only stays good for a max of up to 4 days even in the fridge. Even if it isn't vinegar by now (which is what happens when wine oxidizes or mixes with air) it's flavor will be completely off. It wil prolly taste musky and rank. The flavor itself will make you not want to drink it. It won't kill you, sip it and find out.

Posted by: tom4bucs on 2010-03-05, 14:10:28

Be near the sink when you taste it - you may be spitting it out - yuck!