To refrigerate or not to refrigerate,

That is the question. I'm talking about a half-open bottle of red wine, of course. Following arguments with Becky and Spautz on this topic, Jud and I did a little research. Most web sites and books we've checked, along with the information we received in class, encourages refrigerating open bottles of red wine. The logic is scientifically sound. Wine loses its flavor through oxidation, and it turns to vinegar because of bacteria. Oxidation occurs much more slowly at lower temperatures, and bacteria likes moist, warm environments--meaning it doesn't survive well in the fridge. That said, with a lot of deeper digging, Jud discovered there is some evidence that red wine may last longer when not refrigerated. Unfortunately, we didn't find this evidence, and the article Jud saw indicated scientists are not sure why this may be. Our theory is that there could be some sort of enzyme, present at much higher concentrations in red wines than in whites, that breaks down in cold temperatures, leading to yucky wine. The temperature dependence of enzymes is much more complicated than that of other compounds. If enzymes were to blame, it seems plausible that some red wines would have much higher concentrations than others, and because of this, some would need refrigeration while others should go without it. This means that Jud and I aren't crazy when we claim our red wines have lasted longer and stayed truer to form when refrigerated, and Spautz and Becky aren't nuts when they claim the opposite. In the end, you have to do what works for you. And speaking of methods to preserve wine, our research seemed to indicate that the inert gas method is the best way to keep oxidation at bay. Your nerdy friend, signing out. =)