An opened bottle of wine does not last long, and the answer depends on the color and style. Most still wine holds 3 to 5 days in the fridge, sparkling wine 1 to 3, and fortified wine from days to months by style. Below: the timeline for each type, whether wine savers work, and when to pour it out.
How long does wine last after opening?
The short answer: Most opened red and white wine lasts 3 to 5 days if you re-close it and refrigerate it. WSET says up to five days. Sparkling wine lasts 1 to 3 days with a stopper, boxed wine 2 to 6 weeks depending on the source, and fortified wine from days to months by style. These are quality windows, not safety cutoffs.
For a complete pantry storage reference, see our Food Storage Guide. More wine and bar guides live in our Bar & Spirits Guide.
How Long Does Wine Last After Opening: At a Glance
Red wine
3 to 5 days in most sources. WSET: up to 5 days re-closed in the fridge
White and rosé
Up to 3 days (Coravin) to up to 5 (WSET). Light whites about 2 days
Sparkling
1 to 3 days with a sparkling stopper. WSET: up to 5 with an inexpensive stopper
Fortified
Days for fino sherry, months for tawny port and oloroso sherry
Boxed wine
2 to 3 weeks (UF/IFAS) to up to 6 weeks (Black Box), refrigerated
Fridge
Re-close and refrigerate, red included. WSET’s up to 5 days is for a re-closed bottle in the fridge
Wine savers
The SAQ’s test found every system preserved wine well over 2 to 3 days
Safety
Penn State and Oklahoma State Extension treat vinegar and nail polish smells as a wine fault, not a health finding. No agency source found
Key Takeaways
Most opened still wine lasts 3 to 5 days in the fridge. Sources range from about 2 days for light whites to a week or more for some whites and higher-acidity reds.
WSET says a red or white wine closed back up and kept in the fridge stays reasonably fresh for up to five days.
Sparkling wine is the shortest at 1 to 3 days under a sparkling stopper. WSET says an inexpensive stopper can keep bubbles going up to five days.
Fortified wine lasts longest: up to a week or two for fino sherry, 2 to 3 months for tawny port, and up to a year for Pedro Ximénez per Lustau.
Boxed wine lasts 2 to 6 weeks once opened, depending on the source, longer than bottled wine because the bag collapses as you pour.
Put the cork or stopper back and refrigerate, red included. The Missouri board calls the fridge the best place for an opened bottle, and WSET’s up to five days is for a re-closed bottle in the fridge.
Wine savers help a little. The SAQ’s test found every system preserved wine well over two or three days, and only Coravin was a real option for weeks.
We found no FDA or USDA figure for opened wine. The only university figure is UF/IFAS’s two to three weeks for bag-in-box. The rest come from educators, a wine board and makers, and they are quality guides, not safety cutoffs.
Which Wine Do You Have?
Still wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine and boxed wine r
