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

[hotandwanttoswim]

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?

What? You kept it for checks notes 5 weeks?… that’s a strange (and unreasonable, IMO) concept🤣🤣🤣

I love my wine and I have literally never heard of this

Have to admit that I keep my bottles of white wine in the fridge, but then I'm not sophistimicated.

I presume that you have now realised that your bottle of wine will be fine @hotandwanttoswim? However, if there will be 4 of you drinking it you do need another bottle of white wine!

You should also have at least 1 bottle of red wine available in case anyone prefers that - I am sure you know that what type of food you will be eating rarely dictates what colour wine you should have avaiable to serve. I usually prefer red wine with red meat, poultry, pork and white fish, although a nice rosé goes down well with the last three also 😜

I’ve worked in restaurants that have had wine in the fridge on its side for months. All fine.

It might be a bit TOO cold, but will be perfectly good to drink. A tip though - one bottle is not enough for more than two people, so I recommend you splash out and buy a couple more.

You KEPT wine for 5 weeks...

I understand this problem as little as I understood my friend's problem when she said the resealable stickers on bags of chocolate don't work.

Maaaate, I've drunk open wine that's been in the fridge for at least five weeks before.

Mumsnet gets stranger by the day. Of course it will be fine be.

I honestly thought this thread was going to have been posted by an alcoholic who had fallen off the wagon.

Where did you find this information about wine storage @OP?

Are you sure it doesn't mean put in the fridge 1-2 days before drinking to make sure it is cold enough. Or is the 1-2 days after it is opened, to be kept in the fridge? Unopened should be absolutely fine.

Why are there wine coolers then?

I have just finished a bottle of white wine that was opened about 4 weeks ago !

Keeping it in the fridge is absolutely fine. Wine doesn't like temperature variation. stabilitymatters much more than the actual temperature you are keeping it at.
Make sure you bring it out a good hour before serving so it isnt icey cold or you'll get no flavour.
Sparkling wines can be a pain if kept for a long time in the fridge because the corks swell and they become difficult to open. But quality won't be impaired.

Thank you, this is the info I had found on google which made me question it in the first place:
How Long Do White Wines Last Unopened? White wines last 1-2 years past the recommended drinking window if unopened. This is less time than red wine due to the lower level of natural preservatives. Don't refrigerate your white wine until 1-2 days before opening – store in the same way as red wine until then.

And don't worry I only have 2 guests coming, they will share the wine between them and I will have a red as well if they prefer. I'll be drinking beer!

It will be fine. But obviously you need to buy more bottles anyway, as one bottle isn’t going to be enough! I’d allocate two bottles per head. Best to have too much than to run dry.

It'll be fine, no worries:-)

Does it not mean to put it in the fridge at least 1-2 days before drinking to make sure it's cold? Or, to only keep it in 1-2 days after drinking?

Phew!

So you've found a completely bonkers piece of information on Google and decided to go with that rather than common sense or normal practice?

Just because something is on the internet, doesn't make it true.

I generally drink red wine, my dad is visiting for a few days arriving this afternoon.

So the beer fridge now has two white and one rose in it, only one is on its side.

I still think you need more wine.

This is an interesting site

Complete White Wine Storage Guide: Wine Expert Weighs In – Pinot Squirrel

Mentions temperature and humidity -

Kitchen refrigerators are just fine to keep white wines that will be consumed within the month but are not recommended for long-term storage.
The reason is, kitchen fridge temperatures drop well below the proper storage temperature, around 40°-45°F. They are also designed to keep most humidity out to keep the food fresh. After a while, this will become an issue for your wines.

(But does support proper wine fridges)

That info on Google is accurate-ish but being mid-interpreted…

white wine is mainly made for instant consumption v. Many red wines which are made to be laid down / kept and can take 5-50 years before being best to drink…

all they are saying though is that you can still store it with red wine until drinking it - it is not like milk that should be in the fridge… however the fridge won’t harm it