You probably recognise it: a party at which a number of bottles of wine have been opened. At some point, everyone has had enough wine and the bottles that have been opened are filled with wine. It’s a shame to throw it away, but when is wine over the date? For some wines, leaving the bottle a little longer is a very good idea. They will taste better then. However, this does not apply to all wines. And is it better to keep wine in the fridge after opening it or not?
How long can wine be kept?
This is actually the most important question and the answers vary. The difference in the shelf life of a bottle of wine lies in various factors. Think of whether it is an opened bottle or an unopened bottle. White wine and red wine also play a role in the shelf life. Below is a list of how long wine can be kept:
- Keep an opened bottle of wine 1-3 days
- Unopened bottle of wine 0-100 years
- Fresh, fruity white wine: keep for 1 year until the new harvest Light red wine: keep for a maximum of 1 year
- Full bodied, wood-ripened white wine 2-4 years
- Strong red wine 3-6 years
- Sweet white wine 2-10 years
A winery can choose to add sulphite to the wine. This way, the wine can be kept longer. Sulphite provides extra protection against spoilage and is always mentioned on the label. In general, more expensive wines can be kept longer, but this differs per wine.
Storing wine in the fridge?
Opened a bottle, but had enough? It’s a shame to empty the bottle and throw it away. After all, you can still keep the bottle for 1-3 days. Is it good to keep wine in the fridge? We generally drink white and rosé wine cold, but keeping it in the fridge for too long can affect its taste. Storing white wine in the fridge for too long can make it taste very bland. The same applies to red wine. It is better to keep the bottle in a dark place that is slightly warmer than the fridge.
When is wine no longer good?
There is only one way to find out: by tasting. Is the taste sour? Then it is oxidised and no longer good. Of course tastes differ, but very sour wine is not very tasty. An opened bottle of wine develops quickly: after 3-4 days, most wines are oxidised. With red wine, the taste is no longer good after 1 day. Wine loses its aroma and its taste becomes more and more sour. Drinking wine that is actually no longer good does not make you ill. However, the taste of it is not good.
Now that you have an answer to the question: when does wine go over the date, you can take your next opened bottle into account. You know how long a bottle can be kept and that it is also not a good idea to keep wine in the fridge.