Allow us to paint you a picture. You've gathered your closest people for a night of good food and good wine. The evening goes off without a hitch, but you end up with a couple of unfinished bottles and no idea what to do with them. So you squeeze the cork back in and hope. A few days later you open one for dinner and it's gone as sharp as vinegar. Down the sink it goes.
Easy scenario to find yourself in. The problem is that most people don't know how long an open bottle actually lasts in the fridge. They either throw it out too early, or open it far too late. So here's the answer, and a few storage tips that will save you a bottle or two.
Does Wine Go Bad?
Wine does have a lifespan, and it's short once the bottle is open. The main culprit is oxidation.
Air is part of winemaking, but too much of it changes things. Once wine is exposed to air, chemical reactions start. Some of that is good, and it's why aerating works. Past a point, the ethanol converts to acetaldehyde and then to acetic acid, which is what makes an old open bottle taste vinegary.
Winemakers use sulphites to slow this down and extend shelf life, so wines with less of it tend to turn faster. Bacteria can get in too, and cause their own spoilage and flavour change.
Most people put the cork back, or use a wine gadget, and hope. Here's what actually happens.
How Long Does An Opened Bottle Last?
An open bottle left at room temperature lasts about three days. Put it in the fridge and you get closer to five. That's a general figure and it moves depending on the wine.
Alcohol content matters. Lighter-bodied wines, at 12.5% or below, spoil faster and should be finished within two or three days. They also prefer the cold, so room temperature is out.
Fuller-bodied wines hold up a little longer, up to five days. Some people find leaving these open is actively good for the first day, because air opens up the aromatics. Above about 13.5% you can let one breathe for a while, but not indefinitely.
Red and white behave differently, so here they are separately.
How Long Does An Opened Red Wine Last?
Reds have a reasonably long life, and unopened they often outlast whatever date is printed on the bottle.
An unopened red can be drinkable years past its notional shelf life, provided it's been kept properly: cool, dark, and free from vibration.
Once opened, it comes back to body. Lighter reds are fine for two or three days, but they need the fridge. Fuller reds hold for around five days, sometimes longer, but taste it first. If the colour has gone brown at the edge or it's turned sharp, it's finished.
How Long Does White Wine Last?
White wine storage works much the same, with a little more room for error.
Once opened, white lasts slightly longer than red: five to seven days, sometimes more. Check the taste and the fruit. Air contact changes the wine, and keeping it cold slows that down considerably.
Unopened whites will stay in good condition for one to three years past bottling, again given a dark, cool place.
There's one common mistake with white. People pull it from the fridge and pour it immediately. Cold keeps a wine safe but it flattens the flavour. Let a white sit out for fifteen or twenty minutes before you pour it, and it will show a great deal more.
Wine Storage Tips
The cork is your best tool, despite the gadgets. It seals the bottle and keeps air contact minimal, so don't throw it away. Getting it back in isn't always easy, but it's worth the effort.
Once the cork is back in, the bottle goes in the fridge. It can still go off, but the cold slows the breakdown considerably. When you're ready to drink again, pour reds after they've warmed slightly, and give whites a few minutes out of the fridge.
The short version: an open bottle doesn't last long, so drink it while it's good.
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