Is It Safe to Drink an Open Bottle of Wine After One Week?

If you fancy yourself a wine drinker, then you know there’s no sadder sound than the “glug-glug” of a bottle being poured down the drain because it sat open for too long. While oxygen is great for “opening up” a wine when the cork is first removed, too much oxidation can lead to bland tasting glass or a vino that tastes like vinegar. While drinking a bottle that’s been open for a week certainly won’t make you sick or have any other adverse effects on your health, whether or not it’ll actually be enjoyable is a different question.

The second a cork is removed from a bottle, the wine inside immediately begins to interact with oxygen, bringing out aromas and flavors suppressed by time. However, too much of anything is never good. As the days go on and your open bottle receives more and more exposure to oxygen, you’ll find that the wine becomes less and less enjoyable.

When debating whether or not to drink that week-old bottle, there are few telltale signs to look out for that will let you know if the wine has spoiled. First and foremost, the wine’s color should be enough to alert you if something is amiss — spoiled reds will take on a rusty brown hue while past-

due whites transform from lighter shades of yellow to gold or even opaque. If you’re not noticing any differences in color, certain aromas could also signify that your bottle has started to turn. Where fresh wines will have aromas of fruit cut with vibrant acidity, bottles beginning to sour will have sharper, more bitter, almost acetone-like smells. If the nose is enough to take you aback, it’s probably not a bottle worth drinking any longer — but again, it won’t physically harm you if you do.

Artisan Excursion offers wine tours in Solvang CA, which in

clude a range of exquisite wines ranging from rare vintage ones to new bridle ones to help you branch out and discover new, unique tastes.

Our wine tour packages also include a delicious dinner in the vine, and small group tours so you can enjoy your privacy. What makes the tour more memorable is the added advantage of the scenic views that Solvang offers.