How long does white wine last after opening? This is a question that many wine lovers ask. The answer, unfortunately, isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
White wine can last anywhere from a few days to a week or more, depending on how it’s stored and how fresh it is when you open it.
In this blog post, we will look at how to tell if your white wine has gone bad and how to store it so that it lasts as long as possible!
How long does white wine last when opened?
The greatest gamble with any wine is to consume it in its entirety. When a bottle of wine is opened, all of the tastes change. White wines, being as susceptible to temperature as they are, can alter dramatically in terms of taste after only a few days. There are methods to keep whites after opening them and consume them a few days later, but they may be challenging. Understanding the white you’re attempting to retain and following the instructions are crucial.
Here are the guidelines for how long white wines will keep, but keep in mind that light, temperature, and other factors can all affect the style.
- Sparkling Whites: 1-3 days in the fridge with a sparkling wine stopper.
- Light Whites: 5-7 days in the fridge when recorked.
- Full Bodied Whites: 3-5 days in the fridge when recorked.
- Wine in a Bag in a Box: 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
How can I extend the life of my wine after it has been opened?
Although nothing will be able to extend the life of your wine indefinitely, or even longer than a few days, there are two products that can help you keep an opened bottle for longer. One is called a vacuum stopper, such as the VacuVin Winesaver.
This gadget is a tiny pump with a bottle stopper that allows you to pull the air out of the bottle after putting the bottle stopper on, resulting in a vacuum. Oxidation results from this air. So, the less air there is in your bottle after you seal it, the more quickly your wine will oxidize. It’s a small device that every wine enthusiast should have in his arsenal.
The second instrument, which is referred to as a Coravin, is a tool for extracting wine without uncorking the bottle.
The Coravin device uses a thin, hollow needle and argon, a gas commonly utilized in wine bottling operations, to extract wine through the cork after it’s inserted. It then pumps in a little amount of argon. When the needle is removed, the cork naturally expands, as if to say that the wine was never opened.
Unless you finish a bottle each time you open one (there’s no need to be embarrassed about that!), these gadgets will help keep your wine for longer rather than forcing you to sniff and toss it the next day or two. With two different pricing options, you may select the best one for you depending on how much alcohol you consume and the price of a typical bottle. After all, these gadgets pay for themselves since you’ll be saving money by not drinking wine!
How long does white wine last unopened?
White wine may be kept for a long time if kept properly. Cellaring is the greatest solution, but keeping your pantry chilly and dark is the next best location.
Assuming that more of us have pantries than cellars, the following are the basic guidelines for storing unpacked wines in a pantry:
- Bottled Whites last 1-2 years
- Juice Boxes last 1 year
How do I know if my wine has gone bad?
Fortunately, there are methods for detecting whether or not your wine has gone bad, so you won’t have to taste it all the time.
Visual Clues
- Oxidized wines generally turn brown. For a white wine, look for one that hasn’t turned an orangy yellow or straw color. A change in color is usually a good indicator of something being wrong, but you may also smell or taste the wine to confirm.
- If the cork has been pushed out of the bottle, You’ve been spoiled by too much wine. This is a warning that the bottle has been excessively heated. Normally, this happens in transit, but it could also happen in areas where the bottles have not been properly stored.
- If you see bubbles But, wow, the wine is still! You can also detect this signal when you open a sealed still bottle of wine. While it won’t be as loud, there will be a distinct sound made by a wine that has gone fizzy when the cork is removed.
Clues Through Smell
- Smells like vinegar. This is a telltale aroma indication that your wine has gone bad. Wines with an unpleasant vinegar or sour odors should be discarded.
- Smells musty. What should I do if my basement floods? Is it parquet flooring? Is it the smell of damp cardboard or mildew that fills your senses when you enter the house after a rainstorm? Corked bottles are unusual but no matter what the cause – whether due to neglect or misuse, you don’t want to consume bad wine.
- Smells sweet. It’s not good if a dry white has a pleasant fragrance.
Clues Through Taste
- Tastes like vinegar. On the other hand, if you detect a vinegar odor on certain wines, it’s an excellent hint that they’ve oxidized.
- Tastes fizzy. If the whites do not fizz, it is an indication that they are bad. If you detect little bubbles, it’s time to toss them out.
- Tastes flat. The bottle is bad if there are few fruit tastes and a general lack of enjoyment in wine.
Learn From Bad Wine
If you’re at a restaurant or event and the sommelier or staff says the bottle is bad after opening it, ask for a lesson! When it’s their turn to choose a new bottle, ask questions as you compare and contrast the excellent stuff with the awful – colour, fragrance. These will help you develop your knowledge of what these terms imply.
White wine tips
If you’re looking for a way to make white wine last longer after opening, there are gadgets available that will help. Cellaring is the best option, but if you don’t have a cellar, keeping your pantry cold and dark is the next best thing.
There are visual and olfactory clues that can help you determine whether or not white wine has gone bad, and if you’re ever unsure, side with caution. With a little knowledge, you can ensure that your white wine lasts as long as possible after opening.
