When I first met my wife I committed what she considered to be a wine sin. I put my unfinished bottle (yes it’s possible for me to not finish a bottle) of red wine in the frig. She was appalled. Who puts red wine in the frig? She thought I was one of those people who put ice in their white wine. You know the ones…the one who say, “I’ll take anything white, as long as it’s cold”.
I tried to convince her that it was simple science. Things stay fresher longer or spoil less quickly when they are colder. Wine at 40 degrees keeps longer than wine at 78 degrees. All you have to do is take the wine out of the frig before drinking it. I don’t think she bought it.
Of course I didn’t care. I know the wine stays better in the frig. Besides, I like some wines cooler than others. After all, room temperature in the states is not quite the same as a basement or cave in Europe. I really hate it when I go to a restaurant and order a bottle of wine that is delivered to my table at 78 degrees. In fact, I normally touch the bottle and not necessarily the cork, upon its delivery. Often I bring my own wine when I eat out at a restaurant. This way I know it has been stored at an appropriate temperature.
Again, I digress. At some point later in the relationship (It seems I made it that far) Jennifer heard from someone other than me that it was ok to store unused red wine in the frig. And so began the 14 year marriage and countless trips to wine country throughout California, together. I still put my unfinished red wine in the frig, and she is no longer disgusted with me, at least not on this issue. The good news for me is that my wine stays better for the next day, and Jennifer has yet to turn me down for any trip to wine country. She’s even planned some of the more memorable trips.
The bottom line is this: Opened white wine can last for several days in the frig, sometimes even a week. The life of an opened bottle of red wine can also be increased by refrigeration. It’s not the same, but it’s better than the alternative of having to pour it down the drain. So, if you friends start to tease you about you re-corking a bottle of red and putting it in the frig for tomorrow, just give them my number, and I will set them straight.