How Long Does Unopened Wine Last?

How long does unopened wine last?

Most unopened wine is meant to be drunk within a couple of years of bottling, typical white table wines keep their quality for about three years, and red table wines run from three to 10 years depending on style. Only a small number of wines made for aging last for decades. These are typical ranges, not guarantees, and storage can shorten or protect them.

Two sources anchor the ranges here. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) says only a small number of wines benefit from aging and that most are meant to be drunk within a couple of years after bottling. Purdue Extension's wine storage guidelines, written by an enology professor, give about three years for typical white table wines and three to 10 years for red table wines, and note that some wines are made to be consumed within their first year while others age gracefully for several decades.

Where a style has its own authority, such as Champagne or Prosecco, the line below uses that producer or consortium.

How long does each style of unopened wine last?

Everyday white wine: a couple of years to about three. WSET's general rule is a couple of years after bottling, and Purdue Extension gives about three years for typical white table wines kept at a steady temperature.

Rosé: a couple of years. The named wine bodies we checked give no separate figure for rosé, so WSET's general rule of a couple of years after bottling is the guide.

Sparkling wine: it depends on the style. Laurent-Perrier says non-vintage Champagne keeps 3 to 4 years, vintage Champagne 5 to 10 years or more, prestige cuvées 10 to 20 years or more, and rosé Champagne 3 to 5 years. The Prosecco DOC Consortium says Prosecco should be drunk young, preferably in the year after the harvest.

Everyday red wine: a couple of years to several years. WSET says most wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years, while Purdue Extension says red table wines may keep or improve their quality for three to 10 years depending on winemaking style. The spread is wide because style drives it, and WSET links longevity to tannin and acidity.

Age worthy red wine: up to several decades. WSET says the wines that benefit from aging tend to be of exceptional quality, often with notably high tannin and acidity, and Purdue Extension says some age gracefully for several decades. Exact windows depend on grape, region and producer, so see our guide to when a wine is ready to drink for peak timing.

Fortified wine: the longest of all. Taylor's says Port keeps improving in cask, vat or bottle for much longer than most wines, and that Vintage Port can improve for many decades in the cellar. Port is one style, and other fortified wines vary.

Does price tell you how long a wine will last?

Not on its own. WSET ties aging ability to exceptional quality and to high tannin and acidity, not to what a bottle costs, and Purdue Extension shows how wide the spread is even among red table wines, from three to 10 years depending on winemaking style. The style and structure of the wine are a better guide than the price tag.

How does storage change how long unopened wine lasts?

Storage can cut a wine's life short, and heat is the main risk. Purdue Extension gives 50 to 60°F for long-term storage, and WSET's storage advice is 50 to 59°F in a cool, constant and dark place. Purdue's shelf life figures assume a constant temperature, within about 2 to 3°F.

• Above 60°F: Purdue says it speeds up maturation and can shorten a wine's life, especially a white.
• Above 75°F: Purdue says it greatly and untypically ages most wines, with undesirable changes in aroma, flavor and color. For one to four weeks, Purdue says 75°F or below.
• 86°F or above: Purdue says wine should never be exposed to it, even briefly.
• Below 50°F: Purdue says wine stored cooler than recommended may not develop its full aroma and flavor.
• Swings in temperature: Purdue says they stress the closure and can let air into the bottle, leading to rapid spoilage.
• Bottle position: Purdue says cork closed bottles should be stored sideways or upside down.

If you do not have a cellar, our guide to storing wine without a wine cellar covers where in a home stays steady.

Can you still drink an old bottle of wine?

Is a bottle from 2015, 2009 or ten years ago still good?

It depends on the style and how the bottle was stored, so compare its age with the ranges above. Subtract the vintage year from the current year, then check the result against the style. A typical white table wine at ten years is well past Purdue Extension's three years, while a structured red made for aging may still be inside its window.

The year alone does not decide it. A bottle made to age that stayed cool and steady has the best chance, and an everyday bottle, or one that sat somewhere warm, is more likely to be past its best. For bottles made to age, our guide to when a wine is ready to drink gives peak timing, and the checks below show what to look for.

What are the signs an unopened bottle has gone bad?

Check the closure, the color and the smell before you pour. These checks come from Purdue Extension and Laurent-Perrier.

A cork pushed up or wine seeping past the closure. Purdue says excessive heat builds pressure that can push wine past the closure, and Laurent-Perrier lists a protruding cork as a possible problem.

A sour smell. Laurent-Perrier names a sour smell as a sign of trouble in a stored bottle.

A brown white wine that smells nutty or like caramel. Purdue describes heat browning white wines, with aromas of Spanish Sherry, caramel and nuttiness, and calls it a grave defect unless the style was meant to be oxidized, as with Madeira, Sherry and Port.

Cloudiness or crystals. These are not always a fault. Purdue calls protein haze an aesthetic flaw only, and calls the crystals that very cold storage can cause a visual defect.

For cork taint, oxidation, reduction and heat damage in detail, see our guide to wine faults.

What about wine you have already opened?

Once a bottle is open, its life is measured in days, not years. See our guide to how long open wine lasts for the ranges.

Keeping track of what you own

If you hold more than a handful of bottles, the practical problem is remembering vintages. InVintory calculates a drinking window for each bottle in your collection and surfaces what is ready to drink, so you can open bottles before they slip past their best. See what each plan includes.

Track every bottle's drinking window in InVintory →

FAQ

Does unopened wine expire?

Unopened wine does not come with an expiration date. The ranges in this guide describe how long a wine typically keeps its quality, and storage can shorten them.

How long does unopened red wine last?

Purdue Extension says red table wines may retain or improve their quality for three to 10 years depending on winemaking style, and WSET says most wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years after bottling. The few wines made to age can last decades.

How long does unopened white wine last?

Purdue Extension gives about three years for typical white table wines kept at a steady temperature, and WSET's general rule is a couple of years after bottling.

How long does unopened Champagne last?

Laurent-Perrier says non-vintage Champagne keeps 3 to 4 years, vintage Champagne 5 to 10 years or more, and prestige cuvées 10 to 20 years or more, when stored properly.

Does the vintage date mean the wine expires?

No. The vintage is the harvest year, not a use by date. Count forward from it and compare the result with the range for the style.

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