Home
Red Wine Blog
Types of Red Wine
Pinot Noir Wine
Syrah & Shiraz Wine
Zinfandel Wine
Sweet Red Wine
Party Ideas
Stain Removal Tips
Store & Serve
Wine Terms
Sonoma Wineries
Sonoma Hotels
Napa Valley
Napa Valley Hotels
Contact
Site Map

Enter your E-mail Address

Enter your First Name (optional)

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Red Wine News & Notes.
 

Storing Opened Wine

If you don't drink all of the wine on the day it's opened, here are some tips for storing opened wine for the next few days:

  1. If you store your opened wine properly, it can last up to a couple of weeks. However, It’s best to drink your left over wine in 2 to 4 days to preserve the taste.

    2. storing opened wine

  2. If you drink more than half of the bottle, move the remaining wine to a smaller bottle to decrease the amount of oxygen that mixes with the wine. You’ll probably want to have a few smaller bottles available, so that you can use the one that will allow you to fill it up as much as possible. Once it’s filled up, add a stopper to the top.

  3. If you drink less than half of the bottle, you can keep the wine in its current bottle or you can also move it to a smaller container. Again, it will store longer if you have it in a container that is filled as close to the top (with as little extra air) as possible.

  4. Keep the red wine cool after it’s opened in order to slow the process. You can even refrigerate it, if you have a refrigerator that will keep it cool, but not too cold.

  5. If you do drink the wine more than 4 days after it’s been open, be aware that the taste may change due to the longevity of the oxygen exposure.

Overall, once a wine is opened and exposed to oxygen, the red wine will begin to change. It’s best to plan on either drinking the bottle once it’s opened or within the next couple of days in order to maintain the integrity of the wine.

Want to learn more about how to store red wine before it’s opened? Check out the section 8 Tips for Storing Wine to learn more.

Return to the Red Wine Storage & Serving Tips page from the Storing Opened Wine page


footer for storing opened wine page