According to news reports, UK consumers throw away around 50 million liters of wine per year, valued at around $726 million.
That’s a lot of wine being poured down the sink.
The British supermarket chain that reported this statistic, presumably from some study they had done, suggests that it is due “in part, to Brits not knowing how long it stays fresh in open bottles and too much wine being served at a time.”
Leaving aside for the moment the fact that the people reporting this statistic are purveyors of bag-in-the-box wine that combats this very problem, let’s assume for a moment this is actually true, and that consumers everywhere (at least those with options for refrigerating their wine) have the same issue.
Either people are tossing out wine too early, for fear that it has gone bad, or they’re keeping it too long without finishing it and finding that it has indeed gone bad.
Care to hazard a guess which is more likely? I’m not sure myself, but if I had to put my money on one, it would be that people are throwing out a lot of perfectly good wine.
I’m not infrequently asked how to store opened wine, and also continue to come across friends who express surprise to see me (or to be instructed by me to) put the cork back in a bottle and throw it in the fridge. Red or white, it doesn’t matter.
This is by far the most common way I store wine for later consumption. If I were richer, and a little more organized about such things, I’d buy inert gas canisters and spray some of that into my better bottles to displace the oxygen before putting the cork in to make sure the wines lasted the longest, but really, I can’t be bothered (not to mention paying eight bucks for a can that feels like it has nothing in it still makes me feel a little weird). At any given time I’ve got several bottles in the door of my fridge at home.
Keeping wine in the refrigerator is quite important if you want it to last once opened. The chemical reactions, that take place to spoil wine, especially those involving living organisms like bacteria and yeasts are dramatically slowed by cooler temperatures. Oxidation, on the other hand, can be slowed by the aforementioned dose of Nitrogen or Argon, or by simply keeping an empty half-bottle and a funnel around and pouring it full of the leftover wine, thereby dramatically reducing the amount of oxygen that can come into contact with the wine.
But let’s get back to the basics: push the cork back in, and throw it in the fridge.
I’ve tried those mechanical vacuum sealers and pumps of different kinds and I don’t think they really make much of a difference over the course of time. Don’t waste your money or your time — though the little rubber stoppers you get with them can be handy.
As for how long wine will keep with the cork shoved back in the bottle (or that screw cap re-threaded): a lot longer than some people think.
I tend to keep white wines (and pink ones) re-corked in the fridge for sometimes up to three or four weeks. Yes, at week four I can often taste some oxidation, but most white wines are still quite drinkable even at that stage. Sadly Champagnes don’t last nearly that long, but as someone once put it to me in outrage: “what on earth would make you not want to finish a bottle of Champagne once it was opened?” A very good question, indeed.
Red wines are a different story, as they oxidize much quicker than white wines. How long a red wine will last in the fridge seems to be much more variable, and in my experience dependent upon the winemaking. Without getting into a whole digression here about what makes some wines able to age much longer than others, suffice it to say that the wines most likely to last decades in your cellar are those most likely to last weeks in your fridge.
I recently “lost” a bottle of red wine in my fridge (OK, so I mostly just ignored it in favor of other wines for weeks) and found it in remarkably good shape after more than three weeks. At that point the blend of Pinot Noir and Pinotage tasted like it was 10-years-old, but it was quite surprisingly still in fine shape. It made me think I ought to buy a case of it and throw it in the cellar for a long time.
That bottle is an extreme case however. Usually my reds last about a week before they show noticeable signs of oxidation. Some I can continue drinking for another week, others are pretty much kaput on day seven. It’s always luck of the draw, and in my house I have the luxury of having a lot of other wines around if one opened bottle from last week turns out to be over the hill.
But the short story is that keeping leftover wine to drink later is a pretty simple proposition that merely involves remembering not to throw out that cork (or screw cap) once you remove it. And perhaps reminding yourself to not pour the remains of that bottle down the sink after all.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
FAQs
So how long does wine last after opening? Typically, an opened bottle of red wine, white wine, or rosé wine—depending on how much sulfur is in the bottle and proper wine storage—can last between three and five days. “People tend not to put reds in the fridge, so they may go a bit sour faster,” Gray explains.
How long does white wine last once opened screw top? ›
How long do opened full-bodied white wines stay fresh for? If sealed with a screw cap, cork or stopper and stored in the fridge, three days is the use-by for a Rosé or full-bodied white like Chardonnay, Fiano, Roussanne, Viognier and Verdelho.
Can you drink opened wine after 3 months? ›
How Long Does Open Wine Last? In general, table wines, which are your typical non-sparkling reds and whites, last three to five days after they've been opened. Fortified wines, like Port or Sherry, can last a few weeks or even months after they've been opened.
What is a bottle of wine suffering from if it's got an unpleasant wet cardboard smell? ›
You can usually detect cork taint in a wine by aromas and flavours that are musty or reminiscent of damp cardboard. The pungency of these aromas and flavours can vary from barely noticeable to overpowering. You may have heard someone say a wine is corked when you aren't able to notice anything wrong at all.
Is it okay to drink opened wine after 2 weeks? ›
Generally, an opened bottle of red wine can last for up to 5 days if stored properly in a cool and dark place with a wine stopper or cork in place to prevent excess oxygen from getting in. For white wine, it can last for up to 3 days under the same storage conditions.
What happens if you drink wine 30 days after opening? ›
Although a person can drink a small amount of spoiled wine without fearing the consequences, they should avoid drinking large amounts of it. Typically, wine spoilage occurs due to oxidation, meaning that the wine may turn to vinegar. Although it may taste unpleasant, it is unlikely to cause harm.
How to tell if wine is bad? ›
Pour a little in a glass, swirl gently, and take a whiff. Does it smell moldy, musty, acetic, or otherwise unpleasant? This could be a sign that the bottle is either flawed or was left open for too long.
Can opened wine go bad? ›
Just like any other drink, wine has an expiration date. The shelf life of an opened bottle of wine is a few days maximum, but the ideal drinking window is shorter. Once a wine bottle has been opened, it will begin to spoil, turning vinegary and gross.
How to tell if white wine is bad? ›
First, the fruity aromas disappear, then its flavors turn dull and flat, with a sharp or bitter edge, and the color changes. White wines darken and turn brownish; reds get lighter and browner. Soon, a wine that used to smell like apples or cherries may smell like vinegar or cider.
Can you drink 100 year old wine? ›
The best wines can be stored for more than 100 years, but most great wines will reach their peak before they turn 50 years old. Find out if your wine is ready to drink now...
Speyer Wine Bottle 325-350 AD
The Speyer wine bottle is believed to be the oldest bottle of wine in the world. Displayed in the Pfalz Historical Museum in Germany, this ancient bottle dates back almost 1,700 years. It was found in 1867 in the tomb of a Roman couple.
Does wine go bad in the refrigerator? ›
5–7 days in fridge with a cork Most light white and rosé wines will be drinkable for up to a week when stored in your refrigerator. You'll notice the taste will change subtly after the first day, as the wine oxidizes. The overall fruit character of the wine will often diminish, becoming less vibrant.
Why does wine smell like fart? ›
Sulfur Compounds
If you notice rotten egg, fart, burnt rubber, cooked garlic, or skunk smells in your wine after decanting it for some time, then you probably have a mercaptan problem. What it is: Sulphur is a complicated issue in wine. Sulfur is added in small amounts to almost all wine to stabilize it.
What is bad wine called? ›
The most common kind of wine flaw is called 'cork taint' (ie, when you hear people say a bottle is 'corked'). This means that the cork of the bottle has been infected with a bacteria called Trichloroanisole ('TCA' for short). A 'corked' wine will smell and taste like musty cardboard, wet dog, or a moldy basem*nt.
How to tell if cabernet sauvignon is bad? ›
How Can You Tell if Wine Has Gone Bad?
- Cloudiness. This rule applies to wines that were originally clear. ...
- Change in Color. Similar to fruit, wines often brown over time when exposed to oxygen. ...
- Development of Bubbles. ...
- Acetic Acid Scents. ...
- Oxidation Smells. ...
- Reduction Odors.
The tips above can help you identify elements about your wine to deduce how long you might have to drink it before it goes bad. Generally speaking, an open bottle of wine can last between 3 and 5 days, though that timeline varies when you get more specific with the bottle in question.
Does wine go bad after 7 days? ›
5–7 days in fridge with a cork Most light white and rosé wines will be drinkable for up to a week when stored in your refrigerator. You'll notice the taste will change subtly after the first day, as the wine oxidizes. The overall fruit character of the wine will often diminish, becoming less vibrant.
Is red wine OK after 1 week? ›
An opened red wine typically lasts for 3 to 6 days if you place it in a cool, dark space with a cork or a wine stopper. If you don't have a cool, dark space for your leftover wine, you can keep it in the fridge. (We will discuss refrigerating red wine later.) Lost the cork or don't have an extra stopper?
What happens if you drink wine a week after opening? ›
While drinking a bottle that's been open for a week certainly won't make you sick or have any other adverse effects on your health, whether or not it'll actually be enjoyable is a different question.
