Q: How long does open wine last?

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

Q: How long can open wine be kept?

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

Q: How long is the shelf life of opened wine?

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

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 of these factors destroy the fine aromas and balance of the wine. Accordingly, care must be taken during storage to ensure that these elements can exert 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 preservability factors reflect the traditional preservation methods for food: sugaring (e.g. for jam), acidifying (e.g. for pickles), salting (e.g. for ham), smoking (e.g. for fish) and sulphurising (e.g. for dried fruit).

One of the most important factors for the longevity of a wine is its Extract - i.e. technically the Must weight (i.e. the sum of all dissolved substances in the grape must). The extract can be influenced most easily by limiting the Yield 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. With increasing ripeness, the must weight then increases, because more and more extract substances are formed in the grape.

Sugar and Acidity occur naturally in the wine, salts in the form of Minerals also. Wines that are matured in wooden barrels are preserved by the antibacterial effect of the smoke (when the barrel is flamed, the so-called toasting) and the wood tannin. Red wines have a high degree of preservation due to the Tannin from the grape skins and seeds, red wines have an additional natural preservation 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 their basis of life and inhibits enzymes in their activity. Sulphur is added to the wine after fermentation and again before bottling; there are legal maximum values for this

Question 2

How long does wine keep?

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 for longer than white wines (keyword: tannin).
Wines matured in wood can be stored for longer than wines matured in stainless steel (keyword: smoke).
Residually sweet and noble sweet wines can be stored longer than dry or semi-dry wines (keyword: sugar).
High-acid wines can be stored longer than low-acid wines (keyword: acidity).
Winesrich in minerals can be stored for longer than wines low in minerals (keyword: salt).
Wines with a higher predicate level can be stored for longer than wines with a lower or no predicate level (keyword: must weight).
Wines with a low yield can be stored for longer than wines with a 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 not least on its storage conditions. In principle, grape varieties with a high acid and/or tannin content favour shelf life - for example Riesling nebbiolo, Sangiovese or Cabernet Sauvignon. Some factors can be immediately recognised or deduced from the bottle label, others cannot be judged without background information or tasting.

At least 80 per cent of all wines produced in the world are intended for consumption within the first one to two years after harvest. Only a very small proportion of wines can withstand or even require ten, 20 or more years of ageing. This is where many of the shelf life 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 high acidity and ageing in wooden barrels (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 nevertheless relatively unknown pest in the wine cellar: the cork moth (with scientific name "Nemapogon cloacellus"). The caterpillar of this moth is also called cork worm. The resulting moth grows to about 7.5 mm long and has a wingspan 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 as food for the caterpillars. However, due to cork decay, the corks become leaky over time, which leads to a rapid loss of quality of the wine because it oxidises. It is also possible that the taste is impaired by moulds, bacteria and mites that settle on the cork crumb webs interspersed with faeces.

Wine bottles infested by the cork moth can be recognised by the eaten corks or cork crumbs under the capsule or on the shelf or cellar floor. Sometimes the caterpillars of the moth itself can be found on the cork. If you discover that the cork moth has taken up residence in the wine cellar, an insecticide, such as the product Blattanex from Bayer, can help. Of course, there are also biological moth traps (e.g. from Aries), but these are primarily developed against food or clothing moths; their effectiveness against cork moths is not guaranteed. The most favourable time for controlling the cork moth is in any case the flight period from July to August.

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

Question 4

How do you store opened bottles of wine?

Accepted Answer

Once a wine bottle has been opened, the wine reacts with the oxygen in the air. The oxygen changes the chemistry of the wine and therefore its flavour. Initially, this is desirable (keyword aeration), as the oxygen in the air unlocks many of the flavouring substances in the wine: The wine gains expression, complexity and finesse. However, if you want to store the opened bottle of wine so that you can drink it later, you have to prevent the wine from reacting with the oxygen - oxidation - because if the wine is exposed to oxygen too much and/or for too long, its flavour changes negatively: the wine becomes dull and stale, it tastes tired and old.

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

Even a simple, airtight seal is enough to keep opened bottles of wine - especially white wines - for weeks at a time without significantly impairing their flavour. The fill level in the bottle is important here: an almost full bottle lasts longer because there is naturally less air in it. A fairly empty bottle will keep considerably shorter. Simple white wines can be kept in the fridge for a day or two, higher quality white wines for a few 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 keep much longer than a day. Sweet wines can be kept for several weeks without hesitation.
Instead of simply sealing the bottle to prevent fresh oxygen from entering due to air exchange, you can also remove the air from the bottle using a vacuum pump. A suitable, gas-tight seal then ensures that this condition is maintained for several days. However, opinions on this system are divided among wine lovers; critics are of the opinion that flavours are also lost when air is removed.
Another way to prevent oxygen contact 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 the oxygen in the air nor with flavourings in the wine. These gases are heavier than air and act like a protective layer on the liquid level in the wine bottle, preventing oxidation. Special systems are available for this purpose, for example from Winaro. The inert gas is introduced into the bottle using a bottle attachment and a gas cartridge and the bottle is then sealed; a conventional cork is sufficient for this. However, the bottle must then be stored upright. The noble gas barrier is only dissolved when the bottle is tilted, i.e. the liquid level is changed and the noble gas is swirled around. As noble gases are so extremely inert, they are widely used in the food sector.
The least effort is required to simply decant the wine remaining in the bottle into a small bottle. These are available in various sizes in household goods shops. They usually have a swing top, which is also airtight thanks to the rubber ring that fits over the bottle opening; the principle is the same as with preserving jars. However, a small used water bottle with a screw cap works just as well. The aim is to ensure that as little air as possible remains in the new bottle after decanting in order to minimise oxidation. The quicker (in terms of time) you decant the wine after opening the large bottle, the longer it will keep in the new bottle if it is immediately tightly sealed and refrigerated. To minimise oxidation during decanting (which is particularly useful for older wines), a protective gas can be poured into the small bottle beforehand (see above). For the same reason, it is also advisable to use a funnel for decanting with a nozzle that reaches to the bottom of the new bottle.
There are special closures for sparkling wines that not only do not allow air into the bottle, but also withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide and ensure that it remains in the bottle. These closures are firmly secured to the neck or opening of the bottle.

With certain (still) wines, however, it can make sense to deliberately expose them to atmospheric oxygen for several days by either not closing the open bottle at all or only closing it with a simple cork. The bottle can then be kept in the wine cellar; it does not necessarily have to be kept in the fridge. This procedure is particularly suitable for full-bodied, strong, substantial wines when they are still very young. As described at the beginning, the oxygen then opens up the flavours and softens the tannins in red wines: the wine becomes more accessible and harmonious. In a way, this treatment anticipates the future a little and acts like a time-lapse; the changes that an opened wine undergoes over the course of one or two days allow us to estimate to a certain extent how it will develop over the next few years as it matures.

Question 5

How do you recognise drinking maturity?

Accepted Answer

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

The moment of optimal drinking maturity 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, during which it changes its aroma and also its texture. Many people prefer young, fruity wines with a fresh aroma and harmonious taste, others like more mature wines that are characterised by complex, less primarily fruity aromas, but are particularly long-lasting.

Anticipating the ageing process

You can often tell the ageing potential of a wine from the label - if you know how to read it. If you have several bottles of a wine and want to find out how long it is likely to be drinkable with pleasure, you can also conduct a sensory experiment for the sake of simplicity:

To estimate how a wine will develop in the future, expose it to air in a controlled manner by leaving it in the open bottle or a carafe for a few hours or even longer (cooled if necessary). This is because exposure to oxygen is the main cause of the wine's aroma and texture changes over time. A wine that does not lose its expressiveness after one, two or three days in the opened bottle 'or in the carafe, or even gets better (more complex, harmonious, smooth), has a great ageing potential (more than five years).

However, this experiment should be done primarily with younger wines. Old wines that have already been in the bottle for more than a decade often break down quickly and inexorably 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.

At least 80 per cent of all wines produced in the world are intended for drinking within the first one to two years after harvest. These wines reach drinking maturity within six to eight weeks of bottling. These are mostly base, litre or estate wines, which are intended to provide uncomplicated drinking pleasure. These wines also do not go through a long life cycle or one that can be divided into individual phases: they are characterised by fruit aromas, supplemented by a subtle spiciness if necessary, and they are harmonious in terms of acidity and/or tannin from the start.

After one or two years, the fruit aromas recede, the freshness disappears, the wine becomes inharmonious and dull, it smells and tastes "old". Then you don't want to drink it any more, and you shouldn't. By now, at least one new, fresh vintage should be available.

Clues to the ageing potential

Such wines that can be drunk quickly are usually recognisable by the fact that the grape variety is written in large letters on the label and that there is no complicated designation of origin (place or individual vineyard name). In this respect, the designation of origin is already a clue to the ageing potential of a wine.

The origin is measured by the size of the area from which the grapes for the wine come. There are just as clear regulations for this geographical framework as there are for the production of the wine itself. As a rule of thumb, the narrower the origin, i.e. the smaller the area, the higher the quality of the wine and the greater its ageing potential. This is related to other factors that can be indirectly read from the designation of origin. For only if the wine meets certain quality specifications is it allowed to bear a protected designation of origin.

One of the most important quality factors for wine is the quantity of grapes produced, the yield. The fewer grapes a single vine bears, the more extractives each berry contains, and the higher the extract, the higher the quality and ageing potential of the wine. The maximum quantity of grapes produced is precisely defined for each protected designation of origin: The lower the maximum harvest quantity, the better and more ripe the wine.

Wines whose grapes come from a single vineyard or plot have the highest quality and the greatest ripening potential. In Germany, the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) has classified vineyards again; the highest quality wines come from so-called "Erste Lagen" and Große Lagen. In Austria, origin-protected wines with DAC status are particularly ripe. In the Romance wine-growing countries of Europe(France, Italy, Spain, Portugal), the narrowness of the origin is indicated by the AOP or DOP status. Wines that bear the name of a single vineyard and/or a protected designation of origin (DAC, AOP, DOP, AOC, DOC, DOCG, DO, DOCa) on the label thus have a higher quality and greater ageing potential than wines without such protection of origin.

Another criterion for wine quality and maturity potential can be a predicate, i.e. an additional designation. Prädikats are only relevant for German and Austrian wines and are based on the ripeness of the grapes in the vineyard. This results in the must weight, i.e. the sum of the dissolved extract substances (mainly the sugar content) in the berries. Again, the higher the extract, the higher the quality and ripeness. The main predicates are Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein.

Phases of the ripening process

A wine whose protected designation of origin already documents its quality and ageing potential on the label can develop over several years or even decades in the bottle. In the process, as already mentioned, it passes through different phases.

A young wine is like a small child: impetuous, a little wild, not yet fully developed in character. The individual components(fruit, acidity, tannin, possibly wood) are not yet integrated and perhaps still "stand next to each other": each component is present and identifiable on its own. The acidity in particular can be quite dominant (sometimes sharp) in this phase; as can the wood, which can drown out all the other aromas with notes of smoke, toast, vanilla and caramel, as well as the tannin in red wines, which leaves a furry, drying feeling on the tongue. The fruit is intensely pronounced at this stage, 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 unharmonious. During this phase, a chemical transformation takes place. The individual ingredients react with each other, aroma compounds are dissolved and linked anew, the fruit recedes, acidity, tannin and wood are gradually integrated. In this phase, which usually lasts several years, the wine is no pleasure and actually undrinkable. It simply needs rest and should develop undisturbed in the cellar.

After the conversion is complete, the wine has grown up, so to speak. 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 prominent, more restrained, but more complex. As the wine matures further, they diminish more and more in favour of "autumnal" aromas (nuts, earth, mushrooms, leaves). The tannin becomes mellow, 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 slowly "dies". The colour loses its luster 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 becomes more and more earthy and spicy and finally becomes diffuse and dull; the texture gradually becomes dull, the tannin brittle, the individual components separate again from their connection, acidity and bitter substances ultimately remain as a "skeleton".

Recognising phases of maturity

In this respect, analogies can be drawn - as has already been done here - between the development of a wine and the stages of a person's life or the sequence of the seasons. A wine reaches its optimal drinking maturity in its adulthood or in its "summer". This phase takes up the longest time in the "life" of high-quality wines and extends over several years. Therefore, drinking maturity is not really a point in time, but a period of time. In order to find the right time, one can orientate oneself on the above-mentioned points of reference. A really good wine lasts at least five years, many even several times that. However, it always depends on the storage conditions under which the wine has matured. If in doubt, there is only one thing to do: try it out!

If a wine has the sensory characteristics described above, one can roughly guess in which "phase of life" it is currently in. If it is still in its youth, the experiment outlined at the beginning comes into play again: carafe it and let it "breathe" for several hours, i.e. expose it to the air. If the wine has just reached "puberty", you can also try exposing it to oxygen for a few hours, but a positive change is not guaranteed in this difficult phase. You can immediately recognise the maturity of the wine when it has "grown up": harmony, complexity, length... Then enjoy it for several hours! And if the wine has already passed its zenith and is only somewhat frail in the glass: make the most of it and drink it as quickly as it is still enjoyable. You may not get the most pleasure from old wines that are already in degeneration, but you can learn the most from them. But wines that are already dead, sensory dead, can only be disposed of immediately, please, albeit with appropriate regret.

Most wine guides and critics give explicit drinking recommendations: They name the period of time within which the wine in question is expected to develop positively or at least not negatively when stored properly (dark, rather cool and at a constant temperature). In addition, the wine magazine "Vinum" or the "Little Johnson" by the 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 do you store wine properly?

Accepted Answer

Wine has four natural enemies: sunlight, heat, large temperature changes and oxygen. All of these factors destroy the fine aromas and balance of the wine. Accordingly, care must be taken during storage to ensure that these elements can exert 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 in as dark a place as possible and should never be exposed to direct sunlight.
The Temperature in the storage room should be as constant as possible and relatively low; ten to twelve degrees is considered a guide value. A higher storage temperature is far less disadvantageous than frequent and large temperature fluctuations (over five degrees difference). At a constantly higher temperature (which, however, 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. Temperature differences between day and night in particular should therefore be avoided, as they occur with great frequency. Certain seasonal temperature differences (up to five degrees) are more acceptable, as they are more gradual and occur over a longer period of time, so that the wine can adapt better.
The Humidity in the storage room should be higher, especially if the wines are mainly sealed with corks.
Whether the bottles are stored upright or lying down is basically irrelevant. Horizontal storage is only relevant for wines that are to mature over a long period of time (considerably more than five years) and are sealed with natural corks so that they do not dry out.

A conventional refrigerator is not suitable for storing wine permanently, 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 (from the opening and closing of the door as well as from the activity of the motor), which can have a negative effect on it.

Cellar rooms

Those who have an old cellar at their disposal that 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 for the proper storage of wine with a few measures:

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

wine fridges

Ideal for the proper storage of wine is a wine climate cabinet. Such cabinets ensure shock-free storage at a stable, selectable temperature and ideal humidity. They come in a wide variety of sizes (from 18 to several hundred bottles) and with different temperature zones. Prices range from three to five figures; in addition to the purchase costs, however, you should also factor in the running costs of electricity.

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 an aged wine is still drinkable: open the bottle and taste it. Those who do not want to do this - for whatever reason - can try to sell the wine to an enthusiast or dealer or give it away.

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

An extremely important point is the storage of the wine. If you know, and perhaps can even document, where and how the wine was stored during its maturing period, you have a much better chance of selling it, as you can make a more reliable statement about its probable drinkability. 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 informative photos. Alternatively, one can first seek advice from a specialised rarity dealer, who may also accept the goods; but for this, the wines must really be of high quality, well matured and optimally stored, and their originality must be proven.

Question 9

How long does wine keep?

Accepted Answer

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

For 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: How long does open wine keep?

Question 10

How long does open wine keep?

Accepted Answer

First of all, to clarify the term: "open wine" here does not mean wine that is served by the glass or carafe in the catering trade, but open bottles of wine.

How long a wine lasts in an open bottle depends on the quality of the wine itself as well as on how the bottle is stored.

Indicators of wine quality

Wine has certain ingredients that make it long-lasting. The higher the content of these substances, the longer the wine will keep - in a closed or open bottle.

One of the most important factors for the shelf life of a wine is its Extract - technically speaking, its must weight, which depends on the yield and the ripeness of the grapes. The easiest way to influence the extract is to limit the yield: The fewer grapes on the vine, the higher the extract of the individual berries and the more substantial, high-quality and storable the wine. As the grapes ripen, the must weight increases, as more and more extract is formed in the grapes. 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 the Predicates(Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein).

Sugar and Acidity are naturally present in wine, as are salts in the form of minerals. Wines that mature in Wooden barrel are preserved by the antibacterial effect of the smoke (when the barrel is toasted) and the wood tannin. Red wines have a longer shelf life due to the Tannin from the grape skins and seeds, red wines have an additional natural preservation 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, as it binds oxygen, deprives microorganisms such as bacteria of their basis for life and inhibits the activity of enzymes. Sulphur is added to the wine after fermentation and again before bottling; there are legal maximum values for this.

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

Red wines can be stored for longer than white wines.
Wines matured in wood can be stored for longer than wines matured in stainless steel.
Residual sweet and noble sweet wines can be stored for longer than dry or semi-dry wines.
High-acid wines can be stored for longer than low-acid wines.
Winesrich in minerals can be stored for longer than wines low in minerals.
Wines with a higher predicate level can be stored for longer than wines with a lower or no predicate level.
Wines with low yields can be stored for longer than wines with high yields.
Wines with a narrower designation of origin (e.g. single vineyard) 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 has been opened, the wine reacts with the oxygen in the air. The oxygen changes the chemistry of the wine and thus its flavour. Initially, this is desirable, as the oxygen in the air unlocks many of the flavours in the wine: The wine gains expression, complexity and finesse. However, if you want to store the opened bottle of wine so that you can drink it later, you have to prevent the wine from reacting with the oxygen - oxidation - because if the wine is exposed to oxygen too much and/or for too long, its flavour changes negatively: the wine becomes dull and stale, it tastes tired and old.

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

Even a simple, airtight seal (e.g. a cork) is enough to keep open wines for several days, sometimes even weeks, without significantly affecting their flavour. The fill level in the bottle is important here: an almost full bottle lasts 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 if the wine bottles are kept resealed in the refrigerator:

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

To extend the shelf life of open wines, there are also certain aids and tricks that are explained in the following article:
How do you store opened bottles of wine?

Question 11

How long does open wine last?

Accepted Answer

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

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

In any case, opened wine bottles should be closed again airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies to the shelf life:

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

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

Question 12

How long can open wine be kept?

Accepted Answer

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

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

In any case, opened wine bottles should be closed again airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies to the shelf life:

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

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

Question 13

How long is the shelf life of opened wine?

Accepted Answer

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

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

In any case, opened wine bottles should be closed again airtight and then stored in the refrigerator. Then the following rule of thumb applies to the shelf life:

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

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

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You can also use our powerful search function with many flexible filters, such as:

Wine tastings

Wine producers

Wine regions

find+buy wine search engine

Business directory wine

Places

Lexicon

News & stories

Events

Wine storage and preservation

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

Categories

EVENTS NEAR YOU