It’s a common phrase used when wine goes bad — “It’s turned to vinegar.” But, has the wine magically transformed itself from something that’s enjoyable to drink to something that can be mixed with olive oil and poured over a salad?

The answer is technically yes, it can. But not really. Vinegar can be made from wine - Red wine vinegar is one example of this. Red wine vinegar does start with red wine, but a vinegar “mother” is added to the wine to create vinegar. This “mother” is a gelatinous disc that looks like jiggly raw liver. It's composed of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that turns alcohol into acetic acid with help from oxygen and time. A good wine vinegar will age for 10-15 years.

So, what happens when a bottle of wine “turns to vinegar?” Without getting into all the technical details, the wine has simply gotten 'infected' with bacteria. This bacteria occurs naturally in the air and on fruit. This leads to acetic acid building up in the wine in combination with too much exposure to oxygen. When this happens, you’ll immediately notice that your wine will take on a sharp vinegar smell that’s also been described as being like nail polish remover.

While wine vinegar is a real thing, your bottle of wine doesn’t actually turn to vinegar that you’d want to consume. So, if you do open a bottle of wine that smells like vinegar, send it back, return it or, dump it down the drain. And, the best way to keep a bottle of wine from going bad before you open it is to ensure it is well sealed (no leakage through the cork), kept cool and out of direct sunlight. Once opened, a bottle of wine should be stored properly by removing air from the bottle with a vacuum-sealed stopper, stored in a cool place and consumed within a couple of days. Cheers!