Though unopened wine has a longer shelf life than opened wine, it can go bad. Unopened wine can be consumed past its printed expiration date if it smells and tastes OK. ... Cooking wine: 3–5 years past the printed expiration date. Fine wine: 10–20 years, stored properly in a wine cellar.

Can old unopened wine make you sick?

Summary. Drinking old wine will not make you sick. Drinking wine that has gone off will most certainly be an unpleasant experience but you are unlikely to get sick. Only about 1% of wines improve with aging as the majority are made to consume within months of bottling.

Why does unopened wine go bad?

This means the wine has had too much contact with oxygen (found in the air) that has caused it to turn. Most of the time, this occurs with wine that has been open for a few days. Occasionally, unopened wine oxidizes through the cork. ... Saving a wine for years longer than designed may lead to oxidized wine.