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How Long Does Open White Wine Last For?

  • 3 min read

After our blog about red wine on the same subject, today we’re answering the question:how long does white wine last after it’s been opened? After all, nobody wants to plan on finishing a bottle of chardonnay, only to find it spoiled. Keep reading on to learn all about White Wine’s shelf life, how to tell if it has gone bad, and how to keep it fresh longer.

How Long Does White Wine Last?

White wines tend to not last much more than 5 years, though you can find some that last up to 10 years. Of course, there are exceptions. 

Below you can see how long popular white wines may last when stored under good conditions:

  • Chardonnay (2-10 years)
  • Chenin Blanc (1-7 years)
  • Viognier (2-7 years)
  • White Bordeaux (3-5 years)
  • Semillon (1-5 years )
  • Riesling (0-5 years)

What Causes White Wine to Go Bad?

After being opened, your wine will be exposed to bacteria, yeast, heat, and light, which will alter the chemicals in the wine, eventually causing it to go bad. What also happens is a process called oxidation where air converts the ethanol (alcohol) into acetaldehyde, which can quickly lead to your wine spoiling. 

What Lasts Longer - Red Wine Or White Wine

Generally, red wine lasts longer than white wine. For example, you can find cabernet sauvignons that last between 5 and 25 years. This means that the vast majority of wines that are stored for aging are red wines. 

How Can You Tell If White Wine Has Gone Bad?

When white wine has spoiled, you can expect an off or sharp odour which will often burn the nasal passages, as well as unpleasant sour or vinegar flavours. Spoiled white wines will also look darker than they should.

How Long Opened White Wine Lasts For?

As a general rule, opened white wine’s average life span is about 3 days under the right conditions. Wine’s are extremely sensitive to temperature, light, oxygen, as well as a range of other factors which means that it will go bad pretty quickly after being opened. White wine in particular is sensitive to changes after being opened, so your best bet is to drink it as soon as possible. 

The following gives a better idea of how long white wine lasts after being opened:

  • Sparkling Whites: last about 1 to 3 days in the fridge with a wine stopper. 
  • Light Whites: last about 5 to 7 days in the fridge after being recorked
  • Full-Bodied Whites: last about 3 to 5 days in the fridge after being recorked
  • Wine in a Bag in a Box: these can last up to 3 weeks in a fridge.

How to Extend Your Open White Wine’s Life

Although you can’t extend the life of an opened bottle of wine by much, you can still help to extend it for a few days by placing it in the right conditions. Wine Fridges are the best for wine storage, but for opened bottles of wine, a standard fridge can suffice. 

Other tips include:

  • Store in a dim, cold place
  • Use a Vacuum Pump
  • Pour the remaining wine into a smaller bottle (to reduce the amount of oxygen in the bottle)
  • Use Wine Stoppers
  • Use Inert Wine Gas Preservation Systems
  • When recorking, face the ‘stained’ side towards the bottle. The outer part of the cork may be dirtier and more exposed to bacteria which can alter your wine.

Store Your White Wine With Confidence with Wine Stash

For all your wine storage needs - including wine refrigerators, wine racks and accessories - check out Wine Stash’s online store.

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