Q: How long does open wine last?

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: " Open wine " here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles . How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored. Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator . Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life: Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks. Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer. Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day. Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating , the longer. More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article How long does open wine last?

Q: How long does open wine keep?

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: " Open wine " here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles . How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored. Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator . Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life: Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks. Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer. Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day. Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating , the longer. More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article How long does open wine last?

Q: What is the shelf life of opened wine?

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: " Open wine " here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles . How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored. Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator . Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life: Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks. Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer. Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day. Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating , the longer. More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article How long does open wine last?

Question 1

What factors influence the shelf life and ageing potential of wine?

Accepted Answer

Wine has four natural enemies: sunlight, heat, large temperature changes and oxygen. All these factors destroy the fine aromas and balance of the wine. Accordingly, care must be taken during storage to ensure that these elements have as little influence as possible.

However, the wine itself already has certain ingredients that make it durable. The higher the content of these substances, the longer the wine can be stored and the higher its ageing potential. These preservation factors reflect the traditional methods of preserving food: sugars (e.g. in jam), acids (e.g. in pickles), salts (e.g. in ham), smoking (e.g. in fish) and sulphur (e.g. in dried fruit).

One of the most important factors for the longevity of a wine is its Extract - so technically the Must weight (i.e. the sum of all substances dissolved in the grape must). The easiest way to obtain the extract is to limit the Income influence: The fewer grapes hanging on the vine, the higher the extract of the individual berries and the more substantial, high-quality and storable the wine is. As the grapes ripen, the must weight increases, as more and more extract substances are formed in the grape.

Sugar and Acid are naturally present in wine, salts in the form Minerals as well. Wines aged in wooden barrels are preserved by the antibacterial effect of the smoke (when the barrel is flamed out, the so-called toasting) and the wood tannin. Red wines have been preserved by the Tannin from the grape skins and kernels provides an additional natural shelf life factor.

Apart from these "internal" factors Sulphur (which occurs in wine in the form of sulphites, i.e. the salts of sulphurous acid) is a highly effective "external" preservative, because it binds oxygen, deprives micro-organisms such as bacteria of the basis of life and inhibits enzymes in their activity. Sulphur is added to the wine after fermentation and once again before bottling; there are legal limits for this

Question 2

What is the shelf life of wine?

Accepted Answer

Based on the factors influencing the ageing potential, the following basic, rough rules apply to the shelf life of wines:

Red wines can be stored longer than white wines (keyword: tannin).
Wines matured in wood can be stored longer than wines matured in stainless steel (keyword: smoke).
Residual sweetness and noble sweet wines can be stored longer than dry or semi-dry wines (keyword: sugar).
Acid-rich wines can be stored longer than low-acid wines (keyword: acid).
Winesrich in minerals can be stored longer than wines poor in minerals (keyword: salt).
Wines with a higher predicate level can be stored longer than wines with a lower or no predicate level (keyword: must weight).
Wines with low yield can be stored longer than wines with high yield (keyword: extract).

However, these rules can only serve as a rough guide. In the end, a shelf life prognosis depends on each individual wine and, last but not least, on its storage conditions. Basically, grape varieties with high acidity and/or tannin content favour the shelf life - such as Riesling, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese or Cabernet Sauvignon. Some factors can therefore be immediately recognized or deduced from the bottle label, others cannot be assessed without background information or tasting.

At least 80 percent of all wines produced in the world are intended for consumption within the first one to two years after the harvest. Only the smallest part of the wines tolerates or even requires a maturation of ten, 20 or more years. This is where many of the durability factors come together: either a lot of sugar, a lot of acidity, a lot of minerality and a high must weight (noble sweet Riesling, mainly from Germany) or a lot of extract, a lot of tannin, a lot of minerality, relatively much acidity and wood barrel ageing (great red wines, mainly from France or Italy, for example Bordeaux, Barolo, Barbaresco or Brunello).

Question 3

How to protect wine from damage by the cork moth?

Accepted Answer

There is a not so rare but still relatively unknown pest in the wine cellar: the cork moth (with the scientific name "Nemapogon cloacellus"). The caterpillar of this moth is also called cork worm. The resulting butterfly becomes about 7.5 mm long and has a wing span of 10 to 14 mm.

The cork moth likes to lay its eggs in damp places in the wine cellar, especially directly on the cork of the wine bottle. The cork then serves the caterpillars as food. However, the corker's corrosion causes the corks to leak over time, which leads to a rapid loss of quality of the wine because it oxidises. It is also possible for the taste to be impaired by mould, bacteria and mites, which settle on the cork crumbs interspersed with excrement.

Wine bottles that are infested by the cork moth can be recognized by the corroded corks or cork crumbs under the capsule or on the shelf or cellar floor. Sometimes you can also find the caterpillars of the moth itself on the cork. If you find that the cork moth has made its home in the wine cellar, an insecticide such as Blattanex from Bayer can help. There are of course also biological moth traps (for example from Aries), but these have been developed primarily against food or clothing moths; their effectiveness against cork moths is not guaranteed. In any case, the most favourable time to combat cork moths is the flight period from July to August.

Uninfested bottles can be quite reliably protected against cork moth infestation by covering them with sealing wax. The capsules above the bottle neck and opening are only in rare cases really tight. Also helpful are spiders in the wine cellar, which as insectivores offer a certain protection against the pests. The most effective protection is provided by bottles with screw caps, glass stoppers or crown caps, which are not made of organic material and are therefore not attacked by the cork moth.

Question 4

How do you store opened wine bottles?

Accepted Answer

Once a wine bottle is opened, the wine reacts with the oxygen in the air. The oxygen changes the chemistry of the wine and thus its aroma. First of all, this is desirable (keyword aeration), because the oxygen in the air is what breaks down many of the aromatic substances in the wine: The wine gains in expression, complexity and finesse. However, if you want to keep the opened wine bottle in order to continue drinking it later, you have to stop the reaction of the wine with the oxygen - the oxidation - because if the contact with oxygen is too strong and/or too long, the wine aroma changes negatively: the wine becomes dull and stale, it tastes tired and old.

There are a number of possibilities to prevent the oxygenation as effectively as possible. In any case, opened wine bottles should be tightly closed and stored in a cool place, because a low temperature reduces the chemical reaction speed. It is preferable to store opened bottles upright, even if they are resealed. All these factors apply to white and rosé wines as well as to red and orange wines.

Even a simple, airtight closure is sufficient to store opened wine bottles - especially white wines - sometimes even for weeks without their aromas suffering significantly. The fill level in the bottle is important here: an almost full bottle will last longer because there is naturally little air in it. A fairly empty bottle lasts considerably shorter. Simple white wines can be kept in the refrigerator for one or two days, higher quality white wines for several weeks. Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can be enjoyed for at least several days. Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last much longer than one day. Sweet wines can be stored for several weeks without hesitation.
Instead of just closing the bottle to prevent fresh oxygen from getting in through the exchange of air, you can also extract the air from the bottle with a vacuum pump. A suitable, gas-tight closure then ensures that this condition is maintained for several days. However, opinions on this system are divided among wine lovers; critics argue that aromas are also lost when air is extracted.
Another way to prevent contact with oxygen is to introduce inert gas into the opened wine bottle. Noble gases - also known as inert gases - such as argon do not react with other substances under normal conditions, i.e. neither with atmospheric oxygen nor with aromatic substances in the wine. These gases are heavier than air and lie like a protective layer on the liquid level in the wine bottle, preventing oxidation. There are special systems for this, for example from Winaro. By means of a bottle top and a gas cartridge, the noble gas is introduced into the bottle, which is then sealed; for this purpose, even a conventional cork is sufficient. However, the bottle must be stored upright afterwards. The noble gas barrier is only dissolved when the bottle is tilted, i.e. the liquid level is changed and the noble gas is stirred up. Since inert gases are so extremely inert, they are widely used in the food industry.
The least effort is required to simply decant the wine remaining in the bottle into a small bottle. These are available in various sizes from household goods stores. They usually have a swing stopper, which is also airtight thanks to the rubber ring that rests on the bottle opening; the principle is the same as for preserving jars. However, a small used water bottle with a screw cap is just as suitable. The aim is to ensure that as little air as possible remains in the new bottle after decanting in order to almost completely eliminate progressive oxidation. The faster (in terms of time) the wine is decanted after opening the large bottle, the longer it will keep in the new bottle if it is immediately tightly closed and kept cool. In order to minimize oxidation during decanting (which is especially useful for older wines), a protective gas can be filled into the small bottle beforehand (see above). For the same reason, it is also advisable to use a funnel for decanting, whose trunk reaches down to the bottom of the new bottle.
For sparkling wines, there are special closures that not only do not allow air to enter the bottle, but also withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide and ensure that it remains in the bottle. These closures are firmly locked in place at the neck of the bottle or at its opening.

With certain (still) wines, however, it can make sense to deliberately expose them to atmospheric oxygen over a period of several days by either not closing the opened bottle at all or just by using a simple cork. Then the bottle can still be stored in the wine cellar; it does not necessarily have to be kept in the refrigerator. This procedure is mainly chosen for full-bodied, strong, substantial wines when they are still very young. The oxygen then, as described at the beginning, unlocks the aromas and makes the tannins of red wines somewhat softer: the wine becomes more accessible and harmonious. To a certain extent this treatment anticipates the future a little and has the effect of time lapse; the changes that an opened wine undergoes over the course of one or two days allow, to a certain extent, an estimation of how it will develop over the next few years as it matures.

Question 5

How can you tell when you are ready to drink?

Accepted Answer

There is only one thing worse than drinking a wine too early: drinking it too late. The highest pleasure experience is to drink a wine at its peak: when it has reached its optimum drinking maturity.

However, this moment can be different for every wine lover, depending on his or her personal preferences. Every good wine goes through different phases in the course of its "life" after bottling, in which it changes its aroma and also its texture. Many people prefer young, fruity wines with a fresh fragrance and harmonious taste, while others prefer more mature wines, which are characterised by complex, less primary fruity aromas, but are particularly persistent.

At least 80 percent of all wines produced in the world are intended to be enjoyed within the first one to two years after the harvest. These wines reach their drinking maturity within six to eight weeks after bottling. These are mostly base, litre or estate wines, which are intended to provide uncomplicated drinking pleasure.

Indicators for the ageing potential

The ageing potential of a wine depends on a number of factors, not least of which is its shelf life. These include the extract (depending on the yield and age of the vines), the residual sugar content, the acidity, the tannin content and the minerality. All these factors are in turn determined by the grape variety and the terroir.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the quality level (determined by the narrowness of the origin and/or the predicate), the more potential the wine has to mature. The narrowest origin is borne by wines whose grapes come from a single vineyard or plot of land. In Germany, the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates(VDP) has once again classified vineyards; the highest quality wines come from so-called " Erste Lagen " and " Große Lagen". In Austria, wines with DAC status- in the areas that award this status - have a greater potential to mature. In the Romanesque wine-growing countries of Europe(France, Italy, Spain, Portugal), the narrowness of the origin is indicated by the AOP or DOP status. The predicate - which is relevant for German and Austrian wines - is based on the must weight of the grapes, i.e. the sum of the dissolved extractives. The main predicates are Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

Phases of the ripening process

A young wine is like a small child: impetuous, a little wild, with a character that is not yet fully developed. The individual components(fruit, acidity, tannin, possibly wood) are not yet integrated and are perhaps still "side by side": each component is present and identifiable on its own. Especially the acidity can be quite dominant (sometimes pointed) in this phase; likewise the wood, which can drown out all other aromas with smoky, roasted, vanilla and caramel notes, and with red wines the tannin, which leaves a furry drying sensation on the tongue. The fruit is intensely pronounced in this phase and is reminiscent of fresh fruit and, depending on the grape variety, vegetables or other plants

After a certain time, the wine enters "puberty": it becomes inaccessible, closes up and becomes inharmonious. In this phase a chemical transformation takes place. The individual ingredients react with each other, aroma compounds are dissolved and recombined, the fruit decreases, acidity, tannin and wood are gradually incorporated. In this phase, which usually lasts several years, the wine is not a pleasure and is actually undrinkable. It simply needs rest and should develop undisturbed in the cellar.

Once the reconstruction is complete, the wine is mature to a certain extent. The individual components (fruit, acidity, tannin, wood) are now harmoniously combined, new aromas have been added, the wine has become more complex and elegant and has found its inner balance; the character is fully developed. The fruit aromas are now less superficial, but a little more reserved, but more complex. In the course of the further ripening phase they decrease more and more in favour of "autumn" aromas (nuts, earth, mushrooms, leaves). The tannin becomes crumbly, the texture soft, smooth and full-bodied. The colour becomes darker: golden yellow for white wines, brownish for red wines.

This is followed by the degeneration phase: the wine "dies" slowly. The colour loses its lustre and becomes darker and darker (amber to brown for white wines, brick red to reddish brown for red wines), the fruit disappears completely, the aroma goes more and more into the earthy spicy and finally becomes diffuse and dull; the texture becomes duller, the tannin brittle, the individual components dissolve from their connection again, acidity and bitter substances are finally left as a "skeleton".

In this respect - as has already happened here - analogies can be drawn between the development of a wine and the stages of a person's life or the sequence of the seasons. A wine has the optimal drinking maturity in its adult age or in its "summer". For high-quality wines, this phase takes up the longest time in their "life" and extends over several years. Therefore, the drinking maturity is not actually a time, but a period. In order to adjust to this, one can orientate oneself by the above mentioned points of reference. The storage conditions under which the wine has matured are also important. In case of doubt, there is only one thing that helps: try it out!

Anticipation of the ageing process

In order to estimate how a wine will develop in the future, it is possible to expose it to air in a controlled manner, since the influence of oxygen is the main cause of the change in the wine's aroma and texture over time. A wine that does not collapse or even get better (more complex, harmonious, smooth) after one, two or three days in the open bottle or in the carafe has a great potential for ageing (more than five years).

However, this experiment should be done mainly with younger wines. Old wines often collapse quickly and unstoppably with air. A young wine that survives only a few hours in the air has no ageing potential and should be drunk within the next few months.

Drinking maturity tables

Most wine guides and critics give explicit drinking recommendations: They specify the period of time during which the wine in question is expected to develop positively or at least not negatively if stored properly (dark, rather cool and at a constant temperature).

In addition, the wine magazine "Vinum" or the "Little Johnson" by British wine critic Hugh Johnson, for example, offer detailed drinking maturity tables for the vintages in individual wine-growing regions.

Question 6

What do you have to consider when transporting wine?

Accepted Answer

In principle, similar rules apply to wine transport as to wine storage.

First of all, it is important that the bottles are protected from damage. This can be reliably achieved with standard bottle shipping cartons, which are available at every post office, packaging manufacturer or courier service. Packaging made of polystyrene or using bubble wrap also serves its purpose, although it is less practical. Note: Some shipping companies only insure the goods if officially certified packaging (shipping boxes) is used.

In addition, the two main risks in wine transport are, on the one hand, excessively high temperatures and, on the other, wide temperature fluctuations. Both affect the aroma and stability of the wine. So driving a trunk full of wine around for two weeks at over 30 degrees Celsius during a summer holiday is definitely not recommended. A sign that a wine has been exposed to too high temperatures is sometimes the fact that the cork is moist and sticks out a little from the bottle. But this is at best a possible indication and by no means a reliable indication.

Shocks during transport can also have a negative effect on the wine - whether it is due to uneven roads, starting and braking or the use of conveyor belts at the service provider. For this reason, it is advisable to give the wine a certain amount of rest after transport to allow it to regain its balance. One or two weeks is a safe period for this.

Question 7

How to store wine properly?

Accepted Answer

Wine has four natural enemies: sunlight, heat, large temperature changes and oxygen. All these factors destroy the fine aromas and balance of the wine. Accordingly, care must be taken during storage to ensure that these elements have as little influence as possible. It is irrelevant whether the storage period is a few months or several years or even decades.

Principles

Wine should be stored as dark as possible and under no circumstances should it be exposed to direct sunlight.
The Temperature in the storage room should be as constant and relatively low as possible; ten to twelve degrees is a guideline. A higher storage temperature is far less disadvantageous than frequent and large temperature fluctuations (over five degrees difference). At a constantly higher temperature (which should never exceed 18 to 20 degrees) the wine only matures faster; constant and considerable temperature changes, on the other hand, disturb the chemical balance. In particular, temperature differences between day and night should therefore be avoided, as they occur at a very high frequency. Certain seasonal temperature differences (up to five degrees) are more acceptable, as they are more gradual and last longer, allowing the wine to adapt better.
The Humidity in the storage room should be higher, especially if the wines are predominantly sealed with corks.
Whether the bottles are stored upright or lying down is in principle irrelevant. Horizontal storage is only relevant for wines that are to be matured over a long period of time (considerably more than five years) and are sealed with natural corks to prevent them from drying out.

A conventional refrigerator is not suitable for long-term storage of wine, even if the temperature here is low and constant. Every time the door is opened, there are temperature fluctuations and light (daylight as well as lamplight). In addition, the wine in the refrigerator is constantly exposed to vibrations (by opening and closing the door as well as by the operation of the motor), which can have a negative effect on it.

Cellar rooms

Those who have an old cellar at their disposal which is thermally shielded from the outside world to such an extent that at least the temperature differences between day and night are largely prevented, and which has above-average humidity, can consider themselves lucky.

Even a conventional cellar can be prepared with some measures for the proper storage of wine:

In order to protect high-quality wines from the influence of air and pests (such as cork moths), the bottle top can also be covered with document sealing lacquer.

Wine climate control cabinets

A wine climate control cabinet is ideal for the proper storage of wine. Such cabinets ensure vibration-free storage at a stable, specifically selected temperature and ideal humidity. They are available in various sizes (from 18 to several hundred bottles) and with different temperature zones. The prices range from three to five figures; however, in addition to the purchase costs, one should also take into account the current electricity costs.

Here is a selection of manufacturers (in alphabetical order)

Question 8

Where to put old wine?

Accepted Answer

Basically there is only one way to find out whether a matured wine is still drinkable: open the bottle and taste it. Whoever does not want to do this - for whatever reason - can try to sell the wine to a lover or dealer or give it away as a gift.

Whether a matured wine is considered "old" is a question of type or identity. A simple white wine is already relatively old after five years, whereas a high-quality red wine can mature for 20 years or more without really being "old". An expert (retailer, sommelier, wine expert, critic) can roughly estimate the probability of a mature wine being drinkable or not, based on certain clues such as vintage, quality grade, origin, grape variety and producer.

An extremely important point is the storage of the wine. Those who know and perhaps can even document where and how the wine has been stored during its maturing period have a much better chance of selling it, as a more reliable statement can be made as to whether the wine is likely to be drinkable. Optimal storage is in a dark (cellar) room with a constant temperature of ten to twelve degrees and relatively high humidity.

The easiest way is to offer the "old" wine bottles you want to sell on the Internet, for example on ebay - with as much information as possible and with meaningful photos. Alternatively, one can first seek advice from a specialised rarity dealer, who may also take delivery of the goods; but for this, the wines must be of really high quality, well matured and optimally stored, and their originality must be proven.

Question 9

How long does wine last?

Accepted Answer

This question is not entirely clear, so the answer refers to two other contributions.

On the shelf life of wine in closed bottles see: What is the shelf life of wine?

For the shelf life of opened wine bottles see: What is the shelf life of open wine?

Question 10

How long does open wine last?

Accepted Answer

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: "Open wine" here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles.

How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored.

Indicators of wine quality

Wine has certain ingredients that make it durable. The higher the content of these substances, the longer the wine can be kept - in closed or open bottles.

One of the most important factors for the shelf life of a wine is Extract - in other words, technically speaking, its must weight, which depends on the yield and on the maturity of the grapes. The easiest way to influence the extract is to limit the yield: The fewer grapes hanging on the vine, the higher the extract of the individual berries and the more substantial, high-quality and storable the wine is. As the grapes ripen, the must weight increases as more and more extract substances are formed in the grape. Indications for yield limitation and must weight are provided by the protected designation of origin (the closer the origin, the lower the yield) and/or Predicates(Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein).

Sugar and Acid as further durability factors occur naturally in wine, salts in the form of minerals as well. Wines, which are Wooden barrel are preserved by the antibacterial effect of the smoke (during the toasting process) and the wood tannin. Red wines have a very good reputation due to the Tannin from the grape skins and grape pips provides an additional natural shelf life factor.

Apart from these "internal" factors Sulphur (which occurs in wine in the form of sulphites, i.e. the salts of sulphurous acid ) is a highly effective "external" preservative, because it binds oxygen, deprives micro-organisms such as bacteria of the basis of life and inhibits enzymes in their activity. Sulphur is added to the wine after fermentation and once again before bottling; there are legal limits for this.

Based on this, the following basic, rough rules apply to the shelf life of wines:

Red wines can be stored longer than white wines.
Wines aged in wood can be stored longer than wines aged in stainless steel.
Residual sweetness and noble sweet wines can be stored longer than dry or semi-dry wines.
Acid-rich wines can be stored longer than low-acid wines.
Winesrich in minerals can be stored longer than wines poor in minerals.
Wines with a higher predicate level have a longer shelf life than wines with lower or no predicate level.
Wines with low yield can be stored longer than wines with high yield.
Wines with a narrower designation of origin (e.g. single vineyard site) can be stored for longer than wines with a wider designation of origin (e.g. wine region).

Storage and shelf life

Once a wine bottle is opened, the wine reacts with the oxygen in the air. The oxygen changes the chemistry of the wine and thus its aroma. At first this is desirable, because the oxygen in the air is what breaks down many of the aromatic substances in the wine: The wine gains in expression, complexity and finesse. However, if you want to keep the opened wine bottle in order to continue drinking it later, you have to stop the reaction of the wine with the oxygen - the oxidation - because if the contact with oxygen is too strong and/or too long, the wine aroma changes negatively: the wine becomes dull and stale, it tastes tired and old.

There are a number of possibilities to prevent the oxygenation as effectively as possible. In any case, opened wine bottles should be tightly closed and stored in a cool place, because a low temperature reduces the chemical reaction speed. It is preferable to store opened bottles upright, even if they are resealed. All these factors apply to white and rosé wines as well as to red and orange wines.

Even a simple, airtight closure (e.g. a cork) is sufficient to store open wines for several days, sometimes even weeks, without their aromas suffering significantly. The fill level in the bottle is important here: an almost full bottle will last longer because there is naturally little air in it. A fairly empty bottle lasts considerably shorter.

The following rule of thumb applies to the shelf life of wine bottles when they are stored in the refrigerator with their tops closed again:

Simple white and rosé wines can be kept for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks.
Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer.
Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day.
Sweet wines can be stored without hesitation for several (four, six or more) weeks - the higher the rating level, the longer.

In order to extend the shelf life of open wines, there are also certain aids and tricks that are explained in the following article
How to store opened wine bottles?

Question 11

How long does open wine last?

Accepted Answer

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: "Open wine" here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles.

How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored.

Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life:

Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks.
Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer.
Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day.
Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating, the longer.

More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article
How long does open wine last?

Question 12

How long does open wine keep?

Accepted Answer

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: "Open wine" here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles.

How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored.

Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life:

Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks.
Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer.
Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day.
Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating, the longer.

More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article
How long does open wine last?

Question 13

What is the shelf life of opened wine?

Accepted Answer

First of all, a brief explanation of the term: "Open wine" here does not mean wine that is served in gastronomy by the glass or carafe, but opened wine bottles.

How long a wine lasts in an opened bottle depends on the one hand on the quality of the wine itself and on the other hand on how the bottle is stored.

Opened wine bottles should always be resealed airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies for the shelf life:

Simple white and rosé wines can be stored for one or two days, higher quality white wines for one or two weeks.
Young red wines with a lot of acidity and tannin can also be enjoyed for several days to one or two weeks - the higher quality wines (see quality characteristics), the longer.
Matured red and white wines are more sensitive and usually do not last longer than one day.
Sweet wines can be stored for several (four, six or more) weeks without hesitation - the higher the rating, the longer.

More detailed information on the indications of wine quality as well as the storage and shelf life of opened bottles can be found in the following article
How long does open wine last?

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Wine storage and preservation

How do I store wine? For how long? Does wine have an expiry date?

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