How Long Does an Open Bottle of Wine Last?
Sparkling Wine
3 days in the refrigerator with the stopper for sparkling wine. Sparkling wines have a tendency to lose their carbonation shortly when they are opened. The conventional method wine like Cava or Champagne will last longer than tank-method sparkling wine such as Prosecco. Traditional method wines contain higher pressure and more atmospheres (more bubbles) inside them after they’re bottle-conditioned this is the reason they last longer.
Light White, Sweet White and Rose Wine
7 days in the refrigerator with cork Most light rose and white wines will be drinkable for as long as one week if stored in the refrigerator. The taste of the wine changes slightly within the first few days, as the wine begins to oxidize. The overall fruity flavor in the wine is often diminished in brightness, and the wine will become dull.
Full-Bodied White Wine
3 to 5 days in the refrigerator with cork Full-bodied white wine, such as Oaked Chardonnay and Viognier tend to oxidize faster because they were exposed to more oxygen in their pre-bottling process of aging. Make sure to keep them corked and stored in the refrigerator. If you consume lots of this kind of wines, it’s a wise idea to get vacuum caps.
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Red Wine
3 to 5 Days in cool, dark location with cork The more acidity and tannin the wine’s acidity and tannins are the more time it will tend to keep its freshness after opening. Also, a light-colored red wine with minimal tannin, like Pinot Noir, isn’t likely to remain open for as long as a deep red such as Petite Sirah. Certain wines may even get better within the first few days of opening. The wine should be kept in a fridge or in a dark, cool area following the opening. If you do not have a chiller your fridge will be better then letting it hang outside in a 70 degree F (21degC) area.
Fortified Wine
28 days when stored in a cool, dark location with cork Fortified wines such as Port, Sherry as well as Marsala have extremely long shelf lives due to adding brandy. Although these wines look stunning when placed on a shelf, they’ll be able to lose their vibrant flavor more rapidly when exposed to heat and light. The only wine that can remain indefinitely after opening are Madeira and Marsala. They’ve already been fermented and oxidized! The sweeter the dessert wine is, the longer it’ll last in the bottle. The same rules of temperature apply to this: it is best to store them in the refrigerator.
Why Wine Goes Bad
Quick Answer The wine that is stored once it has been opened can spoil in two main ways. The first is when the acetic acid bacteria eats alcohol from wine and converts it to the acetaldehyde and acetic acid. The result is that the wine will possess an strong, vinegar-like scent. Furthermore, alcohol can be oxidized, creating the wine to have a bitter, nutty taste and takes away the wine’s fresh, fruity tastes. Both of these are chemical reactions and the lower the temperature at which the wine is kept at the slower it will occur.
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Special Containers
Bag-in-a-Box
- 3-4 weeks stored in the refrigerator (red as well as white)Bag-in-a-Box is a wonderful item for people who drink frequently because the container provides part of an anaerobic atmosphere. Some producers have excellent tasting box wines with no defects. However, you shouldn’t be able to keep these wines longer than a month since boxes have expiration dates due to the regulations regarding food items stored in plastic containers.
Wine-in-a-Carton
