Wine stored in a loft - will it be ok?

[Wing Commander]

I have 2 boxes of Virgin wine which were delivered early in the year. Originally we were going to just keep the wine for our up-coming wedding but that has been delayed due to finances. So I reckon I should now use the wine, rather than keep it for any length of time. They have been stored in the loft and I have only really just realised that this might not have been such a good idea.

12 bottles of red, 12 of white - nothing special or valuable but obviously don't want to chuck away 24 bottles, if possible.

I would obviously just test it, but we are off out tonight and I want to take a bottle of wine. Would be quite embarrassing if it was completely knackered.

Thanks

[cal72]

HTH

Edited by cal72 on Saturday 13th November 16:38

[Castrol Craig]

wine has a use by date on it, no?

[Wing Commander]

I was more concerned about the temperatures that it might have endured. Can't imagine the cold would affect it, but the warm of summer maybe?

[al1991]

I think it'll be fine.

In before the move.

[Wing Commander]

Yeah, I know I should have put it in the Food and Drink section but who goes it there eh?! So I was naughty and defied the rules.

I will take a couple of bottles and hope for the best!

[tenex]

I had 3 "forgotten" bottles in the loft for 2 years. They were fine.

[13th]

Smell the cork when you take it out, in a young wine if that cork is plastic, taste it, the wine not the cork ;-) you will know instantly if it is OFF.

Wine should be stored in cool conditions but many new wines can still be most drinkable even stored in a warmer enviroment.

Chin Chin

[Wing Commander]

13th said:

Smell the cork when you take it out, in a young wine if that cork is plastic, taste it, the wine not the cork ;-) you will know instantly if it is OFF.

Wine should be stored in cool conditions but many new wines can still be most drinkable even stored in a warmer enviroment.

Chin Chin

Fantastic news! I reckon I should be able to get through 24 bottles by tomorrow night

[Mobile Chicane]

It will be fine.

Extreme heat will blunt the flavours a bit, while extreme cold can make wine throw a crystalline sediment of tartaric acid.

This looks a bit unnerving in the glass but it doesn't affect the taste.

[anonymous-user]

Castrol Craig said:

wine has a use by date on it, no?

Im guessing that was a joke?

[21TonyK]

MonkeyMatt said:

Castrol Craig said:

wine has a use by date on it, no?

Im guessing that was a joke?

You'd be amazed, I've got 48 single glass bottles in the cellar I can't sell because they are "out of date". Truly crap wine, not worth drinking anyway but I was surprised to find they had a BB date on them.

Other than that never seen a date on wine but I bet we will in the future. I actually have a tub of salt with a BB date on it!

Just to add, I wouldn't store wine in a loft if I wanted it to stay half decent long term. What about under the stairs or back of a wardrobe?

Edited by 21TonyK on Saturday 13th November 18:43

[Flintstone]

I was given a bottle of Penfold's Grange Hermitage and I really wish I'd paid more attention to storing. Left it in the study for over six years on one of those counterbalancing piece of wood holders. Decanted it properly, let it stand........vinegar

[RedexR]

I would say it is now completely useless as it will have gone off completely in loft conditions , you need to dispose of it properly in case it get's picked out by the wate disposal operatives and they poison themselves , I will be willing to take them away of course at no cost to yourself

[JABB]

If it is off, just ring Virgin and tell them. They will refund you!

[Bullett]

24 bottles of wine for your wedding?

Were you only inviting 2 other people?

[Wing Commander]

Bullett said:

24 bottles of wine for your wedding?

Were you only inviting 2 other people?

No, smart arse! I had loads of Virgin points from business flights, so cashed them in and got some wine for the wedding. Was obviously going to get more when required. As the wedding has been delayed a bit, I thought I would just drink the wine!

[blueg33]

Mobile Chicane said:

It will be fine.

Extreme heat will blunt the flavours a bit, while extreme cold can make wine throw a crystalline sediment of tartaric acid.

This looks a bit unnerving in the glass but it doesn't affect the taste.

the bit in bold is bks, temp changes are very bad for the flavour of wine, why do you think cellars are used? They have nice stable temps

[Mobile Chicane]

blueg33 said:

Mobile Chicane said:

It will be fine.

Extreme heat will blunt the flavours a bit, while extreme cold can make wine throw a crystalline sediment of tartaric acid.

This looks a bit unnerving in the glass but it doesn't affect the taste.

the bit in bold is bks, temp changes are very bad for the flavour of wine, why do you think cellars are used? They have nice stable temps

Read the post rather than misquote it.

Overly warm temps will dull the flavour since the more volatile components will be degraded.

However cold temps don't affect it.

200 year-old bottles of champagne have been recovered from shipwrecks but were still drinkable.

[blueg33]

Mobile Chicane said:

blueg33 said:

Mobile Chicane said:

It will be fine.

Extreme heat will blunt the flavours a bit, while extreme cold can make wine throw a crystalline sediment of tartaric acid.

This looks a bit unnerving in the glass but it doesn't affect the taste.

the bit in bold is bks, temp changes are very bad for the flavour of wine, why do you think cellars are used? They have nice stable temps

Read the post rather than misquote it.

Overly warm temps will dull the flavour since the more volatile components will be degraded.

However cold temps don't affect it.

200 year-old bottles of champagne have been recovered from shipwrecks but were still drinkable.

I didn't mis quote, I didn't change a single word of your post I just highlighted a bit. From what you have just said it seaems that you mean that cold wont affect it, but heat will. Thats not how your post read, sorry.

200 year old bottles of wine from shipwrecks have also been totally undrinkable