I Need an Education on Shelf Life for Liqueurs and Wines

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving, Roger and all reading here.

You can look at them when you're here tomorrow for dinner. From there, we can figure out what to put in a list for others to chime in on.

Good idea.

I just looked up Heitz, and some bottles from the eighties are going for $60.00.... which means those particular bottles are still drinkable. They have probably been kept in better conditions than BBBs, but maybe some of hers would make the cut.. Depends I think a lot on the grape and the original treatment of the wine (blah blah), and then conditions since (blah blah).
I'm likely to recognize some vineyards that have a good history, or middle of the road or dreck, but sort of catch as catch can. Depends on how BBB bought, as wines went from the then Gallo to extremely respected. (BBB, you wouldn't have bought Gallo back then, I just know it, for labor reasons if I remember.)

FWIW, I'm a wine drinker a wine hobbyist for about 25 yrs. I'm no expert, however. I may ramble and prattle and maybe repeat things said before so pls forgive me if I do.

I judge shelf life by my tastebuds. A well-sealed but previously opened white wine can taste acceptable to good after about 3-5 days in a refrigerator which keeps 40-45 deg temp. Sparkling wines, blush and rosé I keep in frig. Most red wine I keep out of frig but away from light or heat for up to a week. After that time (more than a week) I taste it, but most likely I'll put it in a red sauce or toss it.

Typically to make a red last a full week, I use a very good sealing cork. I haven't gone to a vacu-vin system or anything exotic. However, after a week it tastes off to my taste buds... a bit puckery...vinegary or oxidized.

White wines (that I buy with my limited budget) are often less complex and as such I only give them 3 days. I mix them into salad dressing or make a white sauce with them.

Unopened wine is a whole other story. Quality red wine (that is worth aging and maturing) can last 10-15 yrs or more. In fact, with the 'sophisitcated' wines it is suggested to age in wine cellar conditions. Typically, and on average, red wine that is not expensive (under $15) isn't worth aging or keeping in a wine rack for more than a couple years (up to 5) under good conditions.

Typically very few (but a small minority) of white wines can have a long shelf life unopened but are predominantly not in the affordable range of under $15.

I have an ice tray I pour the red into when it is a couple of days old if we haven't finished it. I pour it in there and freeze it in cubes to use for cooking. I put it in a plastic baggy and it works very well.

The reds get so acidic after a few days that I don't enjoy them as much as I do when they are first opened. But they are great in cooking.

Now that's clever Mismi.

Thanks Tsars - Every once in a while I manage.
I actually think I got the idea from a cooking show. Or a magazine or something - not originally mine.

Nice suggestion. That's a keeper.

Happy Thanksgiving..gobble gobble!

I also apply the ice cube tray technique for freezing cubes of veggie stock or other types of stock for soup starter. In other wriods, in winter when I want an individual instant soup I reach into the tray, take 2 cubes of frozen stock and make up a soup.

When I want to I get fancy, I sauté ahead of time some veggies and leave them in the fridge. Then I can make a more hearty soup if added to these 2 cubes. Othewise, when I come home and want a quick appetite hit, they serve me fine..maybe add ramen or soba noodles.

That's a great idea Ragman. I love soup. I freeze my stock but it is in old tupperware - I like the ice cube idea better. Easier to measure out I think.

Yup..and it served me well whether when I was married and we both worked and/or now that I'm single again. As a timesaver, it resolved the problem of getting home and being hungry but not wanting to cook.

Once you've got the little frozen cubes, you can put them in the baggie and use the tray to freeze more. I have some cooking friends that have baggies full of all kinds of stock and liquid ice cubes stacked in their freezers.

I started the ice cube project, but kinda lost interest. I do freeze things like diced celery and carrots and shredded cheese in snack size baggies. I hate cleaning the food processor, so if I'm using it I'm going to shred a LOT of cheese or dice/shred a LOT of carrots.

If I had a lot of alcohol to work with, I'd probably work up a lot of different stocks and freeze them. I'd be reluctant to toss them.

Are we talkng your average garden worm here? Or tiger worms who prefer warm compost?