to use old wine in cooking?

[LakieLady]

That's old as in opened 4 weeks or so ago, not old as in vintage.

I'm going to cook a beef and red wine casserole later and when I went to check that I had a bottle of red, I found that my friend had helpfully put a half-full bottle, tightly corked, back in the cupboard with the unopened bottles.

The casserole will be brought to a simmer on the hob and then have 2-3 hours in a low oven, so my instincts are that no harm is likely to come of it.

Will it be safe, or am I likely to make everyone ill?

I’d sniff it and if not too vinegary I’d use it.

It will be fine.

Perfectly safe. It will be simmering for a while plus time in the oven, no need to be concerned at all. It'll make your casserole taste amazing.

I've used stuff months old!

Get the cork out now and have a good sniff, you'll know straight away if it's survived being exposed to the air a few weeks ago. Do you have a Plan B red available if it has gone over? It's probably fine, I prefer white to red and have definitely used previously opened reds in cooking more than a week or two later.

I know I've done it quite a few times - used a bottle that had been opened for weeks, in a beef casserole with absolutely no ill effects that I'm aware of. Red wine makes lovely gravy.

In fact I've got half a bottle of Merlot sitting by the hob waiting now...

It won't ever be unsafe, as far as I'm aware, just taste increasingly vinegary. Have a sip and see.

It smells fine, so I'm going to use it.

I won't taste it first, in case I feel compelled to finish it. [hic!]

Thanks, everyone.