Even the most esteemed wine lovers have left a bottle open at least once and forgotten about it. They are small moments of oblivion. But why does an opened bottle of wine turn into vinegar over time?

Let's see together why wine turns into vinegar.

Premise

There are some small bacteria, acetic ones in fact, responsible for acetic oxidation: they actually transform wine into vinegar (ethanol into acetic acid, to be precise). This phase is called fermentation or acetic oxidation and occurs only in the presence of oxygen and if the temperature is quite high (between 23° and 30°).

The transformation into vinegar does not depend on the quality of the wine but on these two conditions. And then, acetic acid bacteria don't like sulfur dioxide...

How can chemical transformation be counteracted?

To avoid the transformation into vinegar, the already opened wine must be preserved as much as possible in the absence of oxygen , keeping it at a low temperature .

Transformation of wine into vinegar: the absolute evil?

Of course, if the goal is not to obtain vinegar, forgetting half an open bottle of excellent wine is not pleasant. But it must be said that vinegar is a noble product, and today we are increasingly able to appreciate not only its aromatic qualities but also its sharpness and angularity. An open challenge, if you will, in search of balance at all costs.

Wine after vinegar?

Wine is not stable and neither is vinegar. If there are still acetic bacteria, presence of oxygen and high temperatures, the vinegar tends to turn into water.

Wine is a living material. And this is also why it has so much charm.