Q&A: Wine & Food Questions
is my wine off?
we found some wine in the garage that has been there for some years the bottle reads " thorin 1976, cotes du rhome, appellation controlee" i was wondering if it was any good? we also opened a bottle and its colour is a redish brown, is it off?
Answer From Expert Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
A basic Cotes du Rhone such as the one you found is intended for drinking within a few years of release; in this case, by the early 1980's. Except in areas with regular temperate climates - neither very hot nor very cold - a garage is probably one of the worst places to store wine, other than the kitchen. Once in a while, however, you can have a pleasant surprise, and anyone who has collected wine has had such experiences. The fact that the color still has some red and is not completely brown is a good sign. If the nose is not sharp and vinegary, or does not smell like wet dish rags, and the taste is pleasant - soft, perhaps a bit "leathery" with some red cherry notes - then it's not off in normal wine terms. But the answer to your question is really up to you!
About The Expert
Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with Europe's leader in direct sales of fine wines to consumers. Previously, he served as senior executive of Frederick Wildman & Sons, traveling regularly around the world to visit wineries and taste the new vintage from barrel. Roger became one of America's first Masters of Wine in 1993.
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