How long should you keep wine in your cellar? | Heritage Vine Inc. (2024)

FAQs

How long to keep wine in the cellar? ›

Most white wines are typically at their prime within 5 years of bottling. Most thin-skinned red grapes are ideal to consume within 5 to 7 years. Most thicker-skinned red grapes are best enjoyed with 5 to 10 years of age. Even the most cellar-worthy wines are not recommended to be aged beyond 20 years.

How Long Does Wine Typically Last? When stored properly and kept unopened, white wines can often outlive their recommended drinking window by 1-2 years, red wines by 2-3 years, and cooking wines by 3-5 years. Fine wine — as you may have guessed — can typically be consumed for decades.

Generally, wine should be kept in cool, dark places with bottles placed on their sides to prevent the cork from drying out. The shelf life of unopened wine can last 1–20 years depending on the type of wine.

Red wine: 3-6 days. Light white wine and rose: 4-5 days. Rich white: 3-5 days. Sparkling wine: 1-2 days.

While it may not taste amazing, drinking wine that's past its heyday will not hurt you. Remember, you're better off not trying to age your wine. So few bottles benefit from aging and you could end up ruining a perfectly good bottle.

Fortified Wine — Fortified wines, such as Port, Sherry, and Madeira, have a higher alcohol content and are more stable than regular wines. Unopened fortified wines last longer, often around 4 to 20 years, sometimes even longer, depending on the style, storage, and quality of the wine.

Most wines will improve with age but too much age will ultimately spell the end of what was once a great wine. 200 year old shipwreck wines are lucky if they taste like wine at all.

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...

Typically, unopened bottles of red wine will last 2-3 years past the recommended drinking window. Their high tannin content ensures this long natural preservation. To maximise shelf life, store in a cool dark area away from sunlight.

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.

Is a 10 year old pinot noir still good? ›

We generally suggest 10 years, and in some cases 15+ years. If you're drinking a cellared Yering Station Pinot, expect evolved flavours in the space of cranberry, forest figs, Russian toffee and truffles. In some cases – raisins, Christmas brandy cake and soft leathery spice as well.

You are generally safe in drinking it. A separate question is will you ENJOY drinking the wine. Only certain wines were meant to age. Most wines are NOT meant to age.

You are generally safe in drinking it. A separate question is will you ENJOY drinking the wine. Only certain wines were meant to age. Most wines are NOT meant to age.

For a red wine that's upwards of 40 years old, it's a good idea to let the bottle stand quietly for four to six weeks—or until the wine becomes perfectly clear. In fact, no old wine should be opened until it's brilliantly clear, and the sediment completely settled.

With time, the sugars, acids and tannins present in the red wine alter its taste with a change in aromas, colour, and mouthfeel. The resulting wine may feel pleasing to the taster, but over cellaring may neutralise the taste of a wine.

Typically, unopened bottles of red wine will last 2-3 years past the recommended drinking window. Their high tannin content ensures this long natural preservation. To maximise shelf life, store in a cool dark area away from sunlight.