Wine in a carton--how long is it ok? (red wine, shelf, best)

[azoria]

In August I bought two cartons of wine, one red and one white, for cooking. I tasted them when fresh and they seemed ok enough. I like to make sauces with wine.

I don't drink wine although I like it, allergic to sulfites. So I don't have much experience with it.

Anyway, these two wines are still in the fridge. They're in a milk type wax carton with a tightly screwed on cap. Can I still use them? I sampled them today and to my tongue they still taste pretty much the same as when I first opened them.

I'm just making sauce for chicken and mushrooms. Nothing fancy.

[PennyLane2]

Maybe you should have someone who likes wine taste it because it can go bad. If they say, "yuck," then don't cook with it.

[flyingtigers]

Never cook with wine you wouldn't drink! Best bet on opened box wine is about 6 months.

[annerk]

Sorry I'm late to this, but opened boxed wine with a bag that doesn't allow (much) O2 in should be finished within 30 days.

The type the OP describes probably has a shelf life of 2-3 days once opened--it's just like a bottle of wine, once it's opened and the O2 gets to it, the oxidation process begins. Using Argon will delay the process, but it's not worth gassing boxed wine.

[Woof Woof Woof!]

Throw it out!

[spiderbear]

My crappy cooking wine lasts forever. Carlo Rossi..only the finest.

[Paula Lynn]

There should be an 800 phone number on the box. I'd call and find out first hand.

[baseballgal]

I always thought as long as no air, light and heat got in the bottle/box it would be ok
Some people say wine doesn't turn to vinegar but the word vinegar comes from the french vin aigre,
which means sour wine.

This lady has a site with tons of info and a question forum
Lisa Shea's WineIntro - Basic Wine Tips, FAQS, Information

[annerk]

When wine is bottled, inert gas (usually argon) is introduced above the fill line before the cork is placed in the neck. As argon is heavier than oxygen, it forces the oxygen out of the bottle.

Once the bottle is opened, the wine is exposed to oxygen, and the oxidation process begins.

That said, particularly with red wines, exposure to oxygen prior to drinking is a good thing--in moderation. This is why red wine is often decanted. The exposure allows the wine to breathe and open up, which releases the bouguet--the aroms--of the wine and helps to integrate the various palate components.

But after a time (which varies from wine to wine) the wine will begin to oxidize. Many factors affect the rate of oxidization--alcohol level, brix level, type of packaging, and more.

When you buy a wine in a box that has a plastic bladder that actually contains the wine, as you dispense the wine the bladder compresses, it creates a vacuum, and very little air (oxygen) is allowed back into the bladder. That's why this type of packaging will allow wine to be kept for up to 30 days, as long as it's in a cool place.

But wine in a carton or bottle is exposed to oxygen as soon as it's opened, and unless you reintroduce argon into the bottle before recorking it, the oxidation will begin--and continue--regardless of the storage place of the wine. This is why it has no more than three days of shelf life after opening.

Balsamic vinegar is indeed made from wine that has undergone an oxidation process. Different types of wine produce different types of vinegars--a sweeter wine will produce a sweeter vinegar.

FYI--Fortified wines such as Port will last up to 30 days in the bottle after opening because the higher alcohol levels inhibit the oxidation process. Keeping them in a cool place such as a 55 degree wine cooler both before and after opening is recommended for optimal shelf life.

[Fat Freddy]

The length of time a box of wine lasts is directly proportional to how many winos are staying at the hobo camp.