Wine, drink within two days of opening

[idun]

And that is what it says on a bottle of Merlot and is a medium priced table wine, I bought today. I can hear friends laughing saying that two hours would be more like........ but never really a drinker, it is more likely to live in the fridge untouched until I need my next dose of wine for cooking, rather than drinking it, but that would depend on the wine, really good stuff is only ever opened in company and does go.

So two days does not suit me at all.

 

Some of my friends can get through a bottle very quickly and then start on the next and think it quite normal.

 

And I am perplexed as to what will happen to this wine after a week, or two or three, when it is half empty. I have been doing this for years, so why is this une bouteille a risque?

 

[Tancrède]

Arm yourself with a vinaigrier ( € 3 or 4 at a flea-market ), and cadge a portion of mère de vinaigre from a neighbour, and you will have a ready destination for all your past-its-best-before wine.

The quality of the product will however depend on what you put in…

[KathyF]

Just use a wine saver cork and pump to expel the air and you can keep for as long as you're likely to need to, Idun. I'm a light drinker and MOH hardly drinks at all, so this is what I do to save waste when I open a bottle of wine.

[idun]

I just stick a cork in and use when I want. I've never had any wine that has gone off in the past, and cannot imagine why this should.

My neighbour used to use a mere, but I've never bothered.

[Pierre ZFP]

It's not that open wine is a health risk it's just that ethanol in the presense of oxygen will turn to an aldehyde, which is what happens to 'corked' wines and then eventually to acetic acid.

St. Deliah suggests freezing unused wine in ice cube trays for use in cooking later.

'Unsed' wine?  HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA   [B]

[mint]

That's what I do, Pierre.  Freeze it in jam jars.  The red gets used for things like beef stew and the white for a dish that I do called Peasants' Spaghetti and calls for reduced white wine and sardines.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

'Unused' wine?  HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA   [B]

[/quote][:D] Quite.

[Bob T]

Buy a small wine box. They have a bag in them that contracts as you take wine out so never letting any air in. They last for months.

[idun]

I have never had any wine go off before I use it.

 

To be seen how this bottle is once it is opened.

[Judith]

Wine box - or vacuum pump - no problem.  When I lived alone, I could keep a bottle alive for a week like this - sometimes - and only if I was out a lot - otherwise, no problem in drinking it pretty fast!!!!

[ViVienne]

vacuum pump, tefal do one. I use it although never for the 1st bottle.......

[Frederick]

Sardines .... White wine....... Spaghetti ...Please tell us more . Sounds interesting ! I have had the little clams with spaghetti in a white sauce ... Super U do the Sardine fillets you have tempted me now to try it !

[andyh4]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

It's not that open wine is a health risk it's just that ethanol in the presense of oxygen will turn to an aldehyde, which is what happens to 'corked' wines .

[B]

[/quote]

 

Not correct.  Sorry.

 

Corked wines are contaminated very specifically with 246 tri Chlor-Anisol.

The nose can detect this at less than 1 part per billion and it is described variously as earthy, mouldy wet paper, wet dog and other such appetising things.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corked_wine

 

If you have ever had corked wine - as opposed so slightly vinegary wine - you will recognise and never forget it.

[mint]

[quote user="Frederick"]Sardines .... White wine....... Spaghetti ...Please tell us more . Sounds interesting ! I have had the little clams with spaghetti in a white sauce ... Super U do the Sardine fillets you have tempted me now to try it ![/quote]

Frederick, I have the recipe right here.  It's never failed to please though I only serve it to very good friends and to family in case people think I am a skintflint and wouldn't spend money on a more fancy dish.

Peasants' Spaghetti

50g pine nuts

3 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped

150ml white wine

3tbsp flat parsley, chopped

2 x 120g tins of sardines, drained (but tomato-sauce based also fine; in which case, don't drain)

350g-400g spaghetti, freshly cooked (I use wholemeal spaghetti)

 

Dry-fry the pine nuts in a hot frying pan for between 4 and 5 minutes until they are golden, shaking often. Remove.

Heat the oil in the same pan and fry the garlic for 1 minute.

Then, add the wine and boil for 2 or 3 minutes, until reduced by half.

Add the parsely, sardines and seasoning.

Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring.

Tip all this over the drained spaghetti, toss and scatter with pine nuts.

At this stage, I like to add more fresh parsely because I like the specks of green colour in the food.

A glass of robust red wine goes well with this.

It's simple, quick, economical and is small on effort but BIG on taste.  Miam, miam....yum, yum.

PS:  Netto does some nice sardines in tomato sauce, sans arrêts, and without a lot of nasty cheap-tasting oil