If there's a half-empty bottle of merlot on the counter and you can't quite remember how many days it's been there, should you pour it down the drain or take a chance on sipping it during your next Netflix session? How long a bottle of wine is good for after it's opened is a popular question. The short answer: It depends on the wine. Learn how long each type of wine typically lasts once the cork has been popped, which also means understanding that wine has a drinkability window. Also, get our tips for storing open wine properly to keep it at its best until you can enjoy it.
How to Get a Stuck Cork Out of a Wine Bottle
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Wine Has a 'Drinkability Window'
Before discussing how long you can expect specific wines to stay delicious, it's important to understand that wine has a life cycle: Think of wine as you would an avocado. When wine is in the bottle, it goes through a process called micro-oxygenation. Traces of oxygen permeate the closure and get to work on the organic molecules of the wine, slowly starting to ripen it and break it down. The same thing happens when you expose an avocado to air. Wine sees more micro-oxygenation every moment it's in the bottle and gets riper and more evolved every second until it finally hits a '"peak" of optimal drinkability. And once it peaks, it begins to decline very quickly. Just like an avocado sees a peak of perfect ripeness (and we know what a brief window that is!) before it starts to turn brown and soft and mushy—wine goes through a similar journey.
Once a bottle of wine has been opened or uncorked, it's exposed to much more oxygen, and therefore, the evolution process is drastically sped up. This is why you have a limited time to enjoy it at its peak of flavor. However, although wine that's past its prime peak may taste a little flat or stale, it's not actually harmful to consume. As long as it tastes okay to you, feel free to drink it—just as a slightly brown avocado is often better than no avocado.
2 Ways to Make Open Wines Last Longer
Whether they are sparkling, white, rosé, red, or even orange, all wines will last longer if you treat them with care. What does that mean? Let's keep the avocado going for a moment.
Limit Exposure to Oxygen
The first thing you can do to slow down the "ripening" or breakdown of the wine is to limit its further exposure to oxygen. Imagine our cut-open avocado: it will stay fresh much longer if stored in an airtight container, wrapped in plastic wrap, or stored in a zip-top bag. The wine equivalent to that is making sure the wine bottle is as air-tight as it can be. Make sure your corks are inserted as deeply back into the bottle as possible and your screw-caps are fully tightened.
If you really want to take it to the next level, there are vacuum pump systems that are inexpensive and will remove remaining oxygen from the bottle (and are used by many top restaurants for their by-the-glass pours).
Another great option (or gift for yourself or another wine lover) is the Repour Wine Stopper—which is a wine stopper with a special packet inside that removes oxygen from the bottle and the wine.
Refrigerate
The second important step is to keep the wine refrigerated—yes, even your open reds should always go into the fridge. Just like cold temperatures will stop the ripening of an avocado, the same holds true for wine. If you don't want to drink your reds chilled, simply remove them from the refrigerator 20-30 minutes prior to drinking.
How Long Do Sparkling Wines Last?
Sparkling wines like Champagne, cava, and prosecco have the shortest enjoyment window—once the cork is popped, the bottle pressure that retains the bubbles dissipates, and the wine turns flat. A sparkling wine stopper might help for a day or so, but we recommend you drink sparkling wine the day you open it.
Avoid the Issue: Sparkling wines are widely available in half bottles and even single-serve "minis" for this reason: to prevent "leftovers" for solo or duo drinkers who just want a single glass.
If you don't want to drink it: Once-sparkling wines can be wonderful for dressing up fresh fruit, like our plums with sparkling wine, black pepper, and tarragon.
How Long Do White Wines Last?
High-acidity white wines, such as pinot gris from Oregon, riesling from New York's Finger Lakes, Italian pinot grigio, and New Zealand sauvignon blanc will last at least five days in the refrigerator after opening. Lower-acid whites can last three to four days.
Make It Last Longer
If you transfer a higher-acid wine to an airtight container such as a Mason jar before refrigerating it, you can enjoy it for up to a whole week after it is opened.
If you don't want to drink it: Use leftover white wine in risotto, soup, or in a one-pot vegetarian stew.
How Long Do Red Wines Last?
Low-tannin reds, like pinot noir and merlot, will last for two to three days, but higher-tannin wines should be delicious for up to five days after opening, as long as you treat them with care. Wines with naturally higher tannin include cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and nebbiolo.
Tannin is a compound found in the seeds, stems, and skins of grapes, and will help protect wine from oxygenation and lend a hand to ageability. Some grape varietals have more natural tannin than others; you will find these in red wine because white wines are made without using the skins and seeds.
If you don't want to drink it: Leftover red wine is wonderful in low, slow cooking like this slow-cooker Sicilian-style beef stew.
How Long Do Rosé Wines Last?
For rosé wines, the timeframe for savoring them at their best hinges on a few variables. The region where they're grown, the grape variety they're made from (spoiler alert, they are all made from red grapes!), the style they're made in, and how long they're been aged prior to opening can all affect how long they'll stay fresh when opened.
Longer-Lasting Rosé
Your best bets for rosés that will last longer are ones that share the qualities of a white wine, like high acidity, or qualities of a red wine, like more tannin. Rosé wines with these attributes will still taste vibrant for up to one week as long as they are sealed up well and refrigerated.
Just like white wines, rosé wines from cooler climates will have higher natural acidity. Look for cool-climate rosés from regions such as Oregon, the Loire Valley in France, Alto-Adige in Italy, or Chile's Casablanca Valley.
Rosés that have more tannins are easy to spot: those are the deeper-toned bottles where the grape skins have had more contact with the juice—lending not only their color but also their tannins! Look for bottles from Tavel, France, or deeply toned rosado wines from Spain.
I've spent years diving into the intricate world of wines, from their production to their nuanced flavors and, importantly, their lifespans once opened. The decomposition process of wine post-opening, known as the "drinkability window," has been a focal point of my expertise. Understanding the chemical reactions and the impact of oxygen exposure on wine's evolution is crucial in gauging its remaining quality.
The analogy of wine to an avocado undergoing micro-oxygenation is spot on. Like an avocado ripening and turning brown when exposed to air, wine evolves in the bottle due to oxygen slowly interacting with its organic compounds. After uncorking, this process accelerates dramatically, leading to a limited timeframe for optimal flavor.
To preserve opened wine, two key strategies come into play: limiting oxygen exposure and refrigeration. Much like sealing an avocado in an airtight container, ensuring the wine bottle is tightly closed slows down the degradation process. Vacuum pump systems or specialized wine stoppers aid in removing residual oxygen, maintaining the wine's quality for a bit longer.
Refrigeration, even for red wines, significantly extends their drinkability by slowing the ripening process. Red wines can be taken out of the fridge shortly before serving to reach an ideal temperature.
Different types of wines have varying lifespans post-opening. Sparkling wines lose their fizz rapidly and are best consumed immediately. High-acidity whites can last around five days, while lower-acid whites might persist for three to four days if stored properly. Low-tannin reds like pinot noir endure for two to three days, while higher-tannin varieties can stay palatable for up to five days.
Rosés' longevity depends on factors like acidity and tannin levels. Those resembling white wines or possessing higher tannins can last up to a week when sealed and refrigerated, showcasing vibrant flavors.
Understanding these concepts allows for better appreciation of wine and ensures that each glass, whether enjoyed immediately or days later, maintains its distinct characteristics.
