Wine does not last long once opened

[keverman]

I have a '22 Marquette that I just started drinking that came out really nice. I notice, though, that by the very next day after opening it's already considerably more harsh. I can certainly hit with a little argon and that helps, but I'm wondering why it goes off so quickly compared to commercial wines. Not enough sulfite at bottling, maybe? I can test a newly opened bottle to see what free SO2 it has, but wonder after bottle aging what would be expected? Thanks for any knowledge you can pass along!

 

[NorCal]

When you say “harsh”, what are you tasting? More acidic, different flavors?

 

[ibglowin]

Could be SO2 levels or just the fact that cold hardy hybrids don't have a whole lot of tannin which also helps like SO2. I always add tannin to my CHH wines so they will age longer. The next time you open a bottle and are not going to finish it same day, try pouring half into a split (375ml) bottle and stick a cork in it so it has little to no air exposure. Drink your other half the same day and try the other half in a day or so and compare.

 

[mainshipfred]

I can't speak for hybrids or SO2 levels but I always Vacuvin my wines after opening. It takes me 3 days to finish a bottle.

 

[Raptor99]

I use Vacuvin as well, and I have found that some wines last longer than others. Some commercial wines start to taste oxidized by day 2, while others can last 2-3 days. I think that the difference is due to differing antioxidant factors in the wine. Tannins and SO2 will both help prevent oxidation. I suspect that fruits that have a high level of other natural antioxidants such as blueberries or cranberries will keep longer as well.

Early last year I bottled two wines that had both sat in carboys for over a year without adding any SO2 (it was a busy time). The pear wine was highly oxidized while the blueberry wine was not.

Not enough sulfite at bottling, maybe? I can test a newly opened bottle to see what free SO2 it has, but wonder after bottle aging what would be expected?

I suspect that this might be a factor. If the free SO2 in a newly opened bottle of wine is very low, it won't keep as long in the fridge. If you have a different wine that will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, it would be interesting to measure the free SO2 in both so that you have a comparison. For a fair comparison, it would be best to compare two wines that have similar tannin levels.

 

[Rice_Guy]

#1 risk is oxidation, I would expect acetaldehyde to reach taste levels in a week or so, not over night. Are you a super taster? I would describe acetaldehyde as a burn in the back of the throat swallowing.
Higher meta and tannin as noted already. We are home wine makers , I have been increasing the meta dosages over the years.
Marquette has so so tannins. I describe most northern reds as flinty or “northern hybrid flavor “

 

[tjmeyer]

Sounds like a low SO2 wine, nothing wrong with that! If you're not finishing a bottle before it starts to go, consider smaller bottles. I regularly bottle in 350mL bottles for wines I don't trust to stand up to much more than a light breeze lol

 

[wood1954]

I add a lot of tannin to my Marquette and it stays fine and gets better after a day or two. Maybe add tannin to your Marquette

 

[Cedar Hill]

I add a lot of tannin to my Marquette and it stays fine and gets better after a day or two. Maybe add tannin to your Marquette

When do you add the tanning?
Thanks!

 

[Cedar Hill]

When do you add the tanning?
Thanks!

Spell check: Tannin

 

[keverman]

When you say “harsh”, what are you tasting? More acidic, different flavors?

Just a bite it didn't have on day 1...similar to what I taste in a commercial wine that has been on the counter for 4 or 5 days.

 

[keverman]

Sounds like a low SO2 wine, nothing wrong with that! If you're not finishing a bottle before it starts to go, consider smaller bottles. I regularly bottle in 350mL bottles for wines I don't trust to stand up to much more than a light breeze lol

I also have been buying up 350mL bottles....LOVE those little things, so handy!

 

[ibglowin]

When do you add the tanning?
Thanks!

Depends on the tannin. They make both pre and post fermentation tannin products.

 

[keverman]

I add a lot of tannin to my Marquette and it stays fine and gets better after a day or two. Maybe add tannin to your Marquette

I add Tannin Rouge soft as a sacrificial tannin at crush, but I have not added more after that....

 

[keverman]

#1 risk is oxidation, I would expect acetaldehyde to reach taste levels in a week or so, not over night. Are you a super taster? I would describe acetaldehyde as a burn in the back of the throat swallowing.
Higher meta and tannin as noted already. We are home wine makers , I have been increasing the meta dosages over the years.
Marquette has so so tannins. I describe most northern reds as flinty or “northern hybrid flavor “

I am definitely NOT a super taster...I wish. Low S02 seems to be the likely thing. For a red with around 3.4 pH what would you say you are bottling at?

 

[Rice_Guy]

I am a bad food scientist.

Twenty years ago with recipes out of books too low. This evolved into 0.2 gm per gallon target pH 3.3 +/- on everything which started to produce drinkable wines. Last year with wild MLF on everything apple combined with letting the pH start at 3.5 & 10%ABV I started 0.3 gm per gallon.
Yes I could run ppm with the Vinmetrica chemicals aren’t available in town so I don’t bother testing everything. My background assumption is fruit wines are zero ppm free SO2

 

[wood1954]

I add at crush and then after 2nd racking, so about a month after fermentation is done. If you don’t do MLF maybe the malic acid is coming thru.