I'm a wine idiot

[Drew]

Welcome Monanna. There's no way to tell if a wine is bad other than opening and tasting. That said, you could do some detective work about your wines to determine their possible condition. In a nut shell quality wines produced from average to great vintages made by good producers that are stored properly, 50 to 65 degrees F, should age well and provide a nice drinking experience 5 to 10 years from the vintage date. If any of these factors is missing, that timetable becomes smaller. If your Grandmother was known to collect high quality wines, you might have a few gems in the 50. If she stashed daily drinkers, I suspect many of the older ones, particularly the whites, may be vinegar by now. Fine Portuguese ports are another matter and can age for decades. Why not compile a list and take it to a reputable wine merchant in your area for a look over?

Drew