Mmmm wine. Uh what was the question again?

We just opened a bottle of Merlot to make dinner this evening. Do you want the rest of it?? (Hubby's not a wine drinker and I'm a little allergic to alcohol)

That's so sad... you can't have chocolate either, can you? How do you go ON?

Personally I don't drink wine if it's been open for more than 2 or 3 days. It tastes way too much like vinegar by that point for me. Plus, I'm also a bit of a germaphobe myself and am a little worried of the bacteria that could be in it.

Red wine, I agree with the 3 day rule. I think it starts to lose flavor and get really acidic after about two days. White wine I'll keep a bit longer, but i've noticed it gets pretty tasteless after about 5 - 7 days.

I did feel a little funny after dinner. Apparently I didn't let all the alcohol cook off. I'm not a huge chocolate fan, thankfully. But coffee...that's another story.

Hey, Wino Woo here. Opened bottles of wine (red or white) begin oxidizing immediately. Oxidation occurs minimally in unopened bottles, but the surface to air ratio is so insignificant the effects are negligible.
Once you've opened said bottle, the surface to air ratio increases and aeration occurs further when you pour. I agree that three days is the max you will get from an opened bottle, and that's generous.

One inexpensive tool to remove air from an open bottle is called a Vacu Vin Wine Saver. It's a rubber stopper that comes with a little vacuum pump (hand operated). Low tech and pretty cheap, it will add a few more days to the life of an open bottle.

Another nifty thing is a canister of inert gas. I believe it's mostly argon, heavier than the air around us, when sprayed into the opening of a bottle of wine, displaces the air in the bottle, which creates an ivisible barrier between wine and oxygen, re-cork, it will "keep" wine for several more days or until it's uncorked again. You should be able to find this in any wine retailer.

There are recipes for turning bad wine into vinegar, but I haven't bothered with that yet.

Wine Geek signing off.

Woo? Are you some kind of scientist or something? Wine and chipmunk scientist? You're so smart!!! (Don't look at ME, Mom told me to ask!) :) xoxo Cherie

Haha, wine & chipmunk scientist, haha. Very specialized, indeed.

Chipmunks, I learned about on google.

Wine, I've learned about from being a restaurant family, my parents owned restaurants when I was a kid, then I worked in restaurants in college, then worked a 9-5 job for awhile, but food and wine were always my passion, then worked in a restaurant with close to 1,000 different wines on the list, then became a manager of that restaurant. Now I'm studying to take the first level of the Master Sommelier exam, but I don't think I'm ready. I just spoke with my wine mentor and he put the fear of wine in me. And the exam is expensive. It's enough to drive a girl to drink.

So, even though it's not OT Tuesday anymore, I have a question for the soon to be Sommelier - what's a good weekday drinker that's a light, dry summer white that's not a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay that's not too expensive? (ideally less than $10, but I could go a little higher)

It's hard for me to know all the retail prices on wine, so some of my recs might be a little bit higher.

For summer drinking I'm like you. I look for a dry, crisp, easy quaff. Even within these descriptors there is a great range in wine styles.

I like the French Sauvignon Blancs from the Quincy region. Close to Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, but without the price tag. The wines from Quincy area will start at about 12 bucks or so. They are typically very refreshing, good fruit, a hint of mineral, with a bright quality. I like this for just drinking or with a light lunch/dinner (lighter style seafood or chicken).

The Inama Soave Classico. I am not generally a fan of Soave, but this one in particular is a favorite of mine. When I first started drinking this several years ago, I could buy it for about $11. My husband tells me it's closer to $20 now. Still worth it in my opinion. There is great balance and body to this white wine. I find it full of surprises. At once zippy, but rich. The creaminess is evident when tasted with a piece of fruit like a fresh strawberry or a piece of ripe pineapple. I once presented this bottle at an informal gathering of committee members discussing a wine auction. I included it in a selection of whites ranging in price from $11 to $200. The reaction to the Inama was disproportionately great.

Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc. New Zealand. Widely considered the best example of new world sauvignon blanc. Fair amount of peach on the nose. I've seen it for as low as $10 and as high as $18.

OK, now for some varietals that are not well known and do not fetch a high price:

Verdicchio--Italian white. Light. Crisp.

Albarino--Spanish. Same profile.

Viognier--look for blends made with this grape. It lends floral and fruity characteristics to wines as well as body.

Wait! What???? Some poor woman is allergic to alcohol and *gasp* CHOCOLATE?????? That is so not right on many levels. You have my sympathies!

You are fantastic. I definitely just printed out this post to take with me on my next wine run. Thanks!!

Butting in here, since you didn't ask me, but I drink some wine once in a while. I'd recommend a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer if you want a light not-too-sweet, not too dry white. White merlot (which like zin is actually pink) is also nice for summer. Anybody else get wine at Trader Joe? They have a great selection and very reasonable prices. Some of it is the same stuff you see everywhere, and some of it is proprietary.

If you open a bottle you don't really care to drink, use it in cooking! If you won't use it right away, you can freeze it in a cube tray and then store it in a zip-lock until you need it. Of course I never do this, there's never any left over!

I do like TJ's. I especially like that they have affordable wine and I can pick and choose based on the label :) If I don't like it, I'm not out that much $$!