The belief that all wines improve with age doesn’t ring true for every bottle; in fact, both opened and unopened wines can spoil over time.
The Lifespan of Wine:
When stored appropriately and unopened, white wines can often extend beyond their suggested drinking window by 1-2 years, red wines by 2-3 years, and fortified culinary wines for 3-5 years. Quality wine is often savored gradually, necessitating adherence to recommended preservation methods in a cool, dark environment. Storing bottles on their sides helps prevent cork dryness.
However, once a wine bottle is opened, its contents encounter exposure to heat, light, microbes, and oxygen, triggering chemical processes that rapidly impact its quality. While refrigeration slows down these reactions, opened bottles inevitably undergo deterioration. Typically, white wines degrade faster than reds once opened. As a general guide:
- Ports last 1-3 weeks.
- Dessert wines maintain quality for 3-7 days.
- Red and full-bodied white wines retain taste for approximately 3-6 days.
- Lighter white wines last around 4 or 5 days.
- Sparkling wines quickly lose their sparkle, lasting only 1-2 days.
For optimal enjoyment, it’s crucial to properly seal and refrigerate wine. Alternatively, transferring the remaining liquid into a smaller, clean container, like an empty 375ml bottle, limits oxygen exposure. Ensuring cleanliness or sanitization prevents cross-contamination.