What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Expired Wine

If you drink wine, you've probably been there: You go to pour a glass and discover, much to your dismay, that your wine is smelly and expired! The brave among us might drink it anyway, but everyone else will probably head straight to Google to find out: What really happens to your body if you drink expired wine?

It turns out that not too much will go wrong if you indulge in a glass or two. Sure, the scent might be less-than-great, but if you're okay with that particular adventure, then you'll be set. Wine On My Time explains that, while red wine might turn a little vinegary after it goes bad, it won't actually harm you if you drink it. "Though the vinegar wine may not be drinkable anymore, it is not chemically contaminated and should not harm you."

The site also explains that it is possible for bad wine to harm you, but it's exceedingly rare. "Wine can only be bad for human consumption in cases where it is contaminated with pathogens that can be harmful to human beings. This is very rare, and you would have to intentionally contaminate your wine for it to happen" (via Wine On My Time).

While overindulging in wine can definitely cause long-term effects that can be quite serious, there's a pretty specific reason why drinking wine that's gone bad won't really hurt you: The alcohol content keeps things in check. Wine On My Time explains, "The main reason wine can hardly be contaminated so much that it is harmful to human beings is due to the alcohol in there. The alcohol content in wine acts as a bactericide and keeps it safe for drinking."

Of course, when it comes down to it, there's not a really good reason to drink bad wine at all. As Wine Turtle explains,while it's not going to hurt you health-wise, the experience won't be very pleasant. Instead, just get a new bottle and enjoy that. "However, it's unlikely that you'll ever enjoy it. The best thing to do if you suspect you're drinking bad wine is to just uncork a new bottle."