How long open bottle wine

Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions , from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends!

I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. As soon as you open a bottle of wine, you expose the wine inside to more oxygen.

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 in moments of desperation, a slightly brown avocado is better than no avocado.

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 I recommend you drink sparkling wine the day you open it.

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 can't drink it, once sparkling wines can be wonderful for dressing up fresh fruit, like in this recipe for Plums with Sparkling Wine, Black Pepper, and Tarragon.

If you want a white wine that will last, your best bet are wines from cool-climate growing regions because those wines naturally have higher acidity. While lower-acid whites can last three to four days, high acidity will keep your wine fresh and vibrant for at least five days in the refrigerator.

If you transfer the 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 was opened. If you wait too long and can't drink it, use leftover white wine in a risotto , a soup , or in a one-pot vegetarian stew. For maximum lifespan in red wines after the bottle has been opened, choose wines that are higher in tannin. 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; and you will find these in red wine because white wines are made without using the skins and seeds. View Deal. Colder temperatures may make a heavy red wine taste unbalanced by bringing tannin and oak to the fore. Ignore this if you have a temperature-controlled wine fridge, of course.

Red wines can generally last three to five days if stored with a stopper in a cool, dark place, said UK retailer Laithwaites after publishing a study in on the amount of wine people throw away. Some fortified wines are built to last and can be kept in the kitchen fridge for up to several weeks once opened. In her recent feature on serving and preserving sweet and fortified wines , Anne Krebiehl MW said ruby and reserve will last a few weeks and Tawny could have up to six weeks in the fridge.

In particular, look out for the wine becoming oxidised. Have the fruit aromas and flavours become dulled, or has the colour dimmed or gained a brown-edged tinge? The colour gauge works less well on a Tawny Port, because the wine has already been subjected to controlled oxidation to a greater extent.