When cooking with wine, one rule of thumb is to use wine that you would want to drink at the table. Bad wine will not magically transform itself into a good sauce.
A bottle of wine is constantly changing. This change is often for the better, as the various chemical elements in the bottle (acids, tannins and numerous other compounds) are learning to get along. However, once that bottle is uncorked, and oxygen is introduced into the scene, deterioration sets in. No matter how good or expensive the wine was to begin with, it will soon turn to vinegar.
Bear that in mind when a recipe calls for wine. It’s easy to reach for that half-full bottle you’ve kept in the cupboard for a month. But before you pour it into the pan, take a moment to determine its condition. Chances are pretty good that it is in very bad condition. Cooking with this wine will make the dish taste sour.
One way to make the wine last a bit longer is to refrigerate it. The cold climate will slow the chemical changes that are conspiring to turn your wine to vinegar. Another method is to transfer the leftover wine into a smaller bottle. This helps because a smaller bottle will have less air in it. You can also buy fancy vacuum contraptions that suck the air out of the bottle. An even easier solution, of course, is to drink the wine before it goes bad!
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