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Original poster

stupidly kept white wine in fridge for 5 weeks (unopened)

117 replies

hotandwanttoswim · 25/10/2023 22:16

I don't usually drink wine but was gifted a nice bottle of white and put it in the fridge unopened about 5 weeks ago. I have guests coming on Friday eve and was going to get the wine out but realised wine should have only been put in the fridge 1-2 days in advance of drinking. Will the wine be ok to serve? As I don't usually drink wine I'm worried I won;t notice if the flavour has been impaired but my guests might. It has a cork and has been stored on a shelf on its side.
Shall I risk it or buy another bottle?

OP posts:
Buffypaws · 25/10/2023 22:45

Itisyourturntowashthebath · 25/10/2023 22:42

You are being totally unreasonable. Dig a wine cellar now.

Are we talking Tesco's £8.99 white wine here, it won't give a darn.

Quite depressed that this is now considered the going rate for supermarket plonk

MumblesParty · 25/10/2023 22:47

macshoto · 25/10/2023 22:45

Very unlikely to be a problem, unless you are in the habit of keeping really stinky food in your fridge - and even then, this relatively short period is unlikely to be a problem.

Biggest thing will be making sure you let it warm up a bit and don't serve it at fridge temperature. Serving good white wine fridge cold removes most of the flavour - unless it's champagne, let it come up from 4C to about 12C for serving.

How would the smell of food permeate the glass?

macshoto · 25/10/2023 22:47

That's Rishi's doing. He increased the duty on most still wine quite considerably when he was chancellor. Only sparkling wine/champagne escaped...

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
Teenagehorrorbag · 25/10/2023 22:47

I think they mean you should ideally put it in the fridge AT LEAST a day or two before drinking to ensure it's nice and cold. Not that there is a problem if it's been there for weeks or months already.

You'll be fine....Grin.

LeonBlack · 25/10/2023 22:48

We keep white wine in the wine fridge for weeks at a time. It’s fine.

I wouldn’t do it for really good wine, but as long as you don’t serve it straight from the fridge, it’ll be fine.

tara66 · 25/10/2023 22:48

You know there are actually things called wine coolers which you can get for your wine - if kitchen is big enough of course?

macshoto · 25/10/2023 22:48

@MumblesParty through the cork. Corks are slightly permeable. Agree glass isn't.

Itisyourturntowashthebath · 25/10/2023 22:50

Buffypaws · 25/10/2023 22:45

Quite depressed that this is now considered the going rate for supermarket plonk

Show quote history

I was allowing for OP saying it was a good bottle.

£5.99 white wine does just fine in the fridge.

Cellars are about 7 to 18 C some fridges are near close to that.

I always have a bottle of white and a bottle of champagne in the fridge, just in case. The rest is in the rack and may even enter the freezer if the "just in case" is big enough.

SiobhanSharpe · 25/10/2023 22:53

Actually, Waitrose has a range of own label wines at £5.49 and they're not bad at all. Chilean Soft and Juicy red, Italian Rich and Intense red and Mellow and Fruity Spanish red. (So you know what you're getting. 😉)

akkakk · 25/10/2023 22:55

Wine can be stored at any temperature above freezing and under about 25degrees and it will be fine. Consistency of temperature is ideal and sudden ups and downs less ideal. The hotter the temperature the faster the wine will mature, colder storage will slow down maturation… cellar temperatures vary but as a rough idea c 12 degrees tends to be the setting for professional storage for expensive wines and you can buy wine fridges for long term storage which maintain this temperature…

most white wines with only a few exceptions are now made for consumption not keeping so short term storage at fridge temperature will be fine!

SkaneTos · 25/10/2023 23:03

I have never heard of this!

I keep white wine in the fridge for weeks.

Kitkat1523 · 25/10/2023 23:05

This is new to me 🤔

Livinginanotherworld · 25/10/2023 23:06

I have a wine fridge for the white wine, it lives in there permanently.

Oxborn · 25/10/2023 23:09

Don’t know never lasts that long in my fridge 😂

SapphireSeptember · 25/10/2023 23:12

My friend has a wine fridge in her new (very posh) kitchen, as she and her family are LDS it's not going to see any wine any time soon. 😅 They do use it for drinks and chocolate though. (Chocolate>wine in my opinion.) Although I do like non alcoholic wine.

Pokinganose · 25/10/2023 23:19

It'll be fine but if you're worried pop,out and buy an extra just in case. You can never have enough wine.

Restingbitch2 · 25/10/2023 23:20

Pinotwoman82 · 25/10/2023 22:23

I’ve had a wine in the fridge since February, I’m now not sure if that will be ok? It’s a very posh pinot 😬

Pinot, you and the OP are both being very unreasonable for having wine this long without drinking it. What fresh hell is this? 😉

PyongyangKipperbang · 25/10/2023 23:21

I would always have a bottle on hand in case when a bottle has a cork, in case it has corked. Sometimes even the best kept wine will cork, so if its for a dinner then you need a back up.

Also, anyone else thinking that one bottle between four for a dinner party is verging on the parsimonious?

Thelnebriati · 25/10/2023 23:22

It should be fine - just check the bottom of the bottle. If you see any crystals, they are acid, and they needs to dissolve back into the wine or it will be insipid. Just let it stand at room temp for a few days, then chill it again before you serve it.

Maddy70 · 25/10/2023 23:22

Wine can be kept in the fridge I definitely (as ling as its shelf life). I don't know where you got your info from

VirginRiverWide · 25/10/2023 23:23

Of course it will be fine if it is unopened and it was alright to begin with - assuming you hadn't stored it in the airing cupboard or somewhere too hot.

Once a wine is open or if it isnt air tight it will oxidise but keeping it in the fridge after opening delays this process

More about this here if you are interested

https://www.thirtyfifty.co.uk/spotlight-preserving-wine.asp

https://www.thirtyfifty.co.uk/spotlight-preserving-wine.asp

MajesticWhine · 25/10/2023 23:24

Wow. This would never have crossed my mind. I'm sure it will be fine. We have a "drinks fridge" and keep a bottle or two of white wine in there among other things.

PissOffKen · 25/10/2023 23:25

Risk what? It’ll be fine. If you don’t want it I’ll have it.

BobblePin · 25/10/2023 23:26

Gifted a bottle of wine! Was it a £560k bottle of wine, with a loft conversion and two parking spaces?

TheCatterall · 25/10/2023 23:37

@hotandwanttoswim i think that’s for once it’s been opened… white wine often lives in fridges quite happily prior to being opened. Think of all the fancy wine bars etc - they don’t rotate stock like that.

once opened - it has a shorter shelf life. Unless you aren’t fussy like me and keep it for weeks as it’s a screw top and you are a heathen with no appreciation for quality white wine. 🤷‍♀️

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