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They say you should drink your wine in the 24 hours window since you have uncorked it. But what about using the wine in flavor bases to give sauces a sweet taste? Is it ok to use white wine for sauces even 2 weeks after you have uncorked it as long as it does not have a foul taste?

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    Whoever "they" are, "they" are wrong, in this case. I would suggest that if you have refrigeration available you should skip uncorking entirely and become familiar with the utter convenience of a 5 liter wine box (bag-in-box) which can last for months, undiminished in quality.
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 11, 2016 at 16:39
  • @Ecnerwal Only problem with those is you sometimes get a leaky spigot. That can turn into a smelly mess in your fridge. Been there done that.
    – Escoce
    Apr 13, 2016 at 20:19
  • Never had that problem myself. What did the maker say when you contacted them about the problem?
    – Ecnerwal
    Apr 13, 2016 at 23:36

2 Answers 2

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There's no rule that you have to drink your wine 24 hours after un-corking it, in fact some wines can taste better after 24 hours. 3 or 4 days is fine in many cases, and some wines are still drinkable a week after opening. This can be extended by refrigerating your wine after opening, white or red, you can get 2 weeks out of a bottle of wine if it's stored in the fridge. With reds let the glass stand for 10 minutes or so after pouring to get the optimal temperature.

2 weeks out of the fridge and it's probably vinegar, but if it still takes ok you can cook with it no problem.

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  • So if it tastes sweet to me then its good for cooking yeah? I assume so because I am after the sugars of the wine after all?
    – Bar Akiva
    Apr 11, 2016 at 8:41
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    @BarAkiva, wines add sugars, acidity, mineral content, or tannins depending on red or white and the variety. A cabernet red is going to add very different qualities than a fruity riesling.
    – GdD
    Apr 11, 2016 at 8:55
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    I'll just emphasize @GdD 's comment, "if it still tastes OK, you can cook with it no problem". That's the essence right there. You're making a dish and you want a particular flavor. Taste your wine and if you think it tastes good and will give you the flavor you want, that's all you need to know.
    – cape1232
    Apr 13, 2016 at 1:19
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    If it turns to vinegar than you have wine vinegar, if it tastes good as a vinegar then keep it and use it.
    – GdD
    Apr 13, 2016 at 9:48
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Depending on what you're cooking, you might be able to use it if it's just past its best.

For example I make a red wine and smoked garlic pasta sauce. It normally has a tiny bit of vinegar in and robust (if not rough) red wine. So if the wine is past its best, just omit the vinegar.

The equivalent for white is probably a stir fry of some sort - rice wine (which might be in the recipe) is often quite acidic.

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  • The problem is, "just past its best" may not indicate any increase in acidity.
    – moscafj
    Apr 11, 2016 at 19:52
  • @moscafj that's true, but when the recipe is made up without a specific wine in mind, and can be tasted, it's not a big deal.
    – Chris H
    Apr 11, 2016 at 20:44

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