How Long does Wine Last in a Closed Bottle?
Wine is a living element, in continuous evolution, which matures over time but can just as quickly deteriorate before reaching its full development. Not all bottles and types of wine are suitable for aging but need to be kept in the bottle for several months before they can be tasted and fully appreciated.
The duration of a wine over time is closely linked to some of its intrinsic characteristics, including longevity, which is in turn determined by the presence of substances such as acids, tannins, minerals and sugars. A wine with good tannins, therefore, aged in wooden barrels, will tend to keep longer than a young wine with low acidity, aged in steel barrels.
Secondly, the presence of tannins, substances with high antioxidant properties, allows organoleptic properties of a wine to be preserved over time, which thus manages to evolve and refine.
How Long Does Wine Last in a Closed Bottle Based on its Characteristics?
White Wine
Young white wines should be drunk within six months or at most within a year, in short, a few months after harvest. 15-24 months from harvest is the recommended limit for this type of wine. However, it is equally true that a lot depends on the vintage and the structure of the wine, as more structured white wines can also be tasted from three to four years after adequate storage in a wine cellar.
Rosé Wine
Unlike white wine, rosé wines cannot under any circumstances undergo aging processes and the maximum storage time would be reached two years from harvest.
Red Wine
For red wines, with exception of novello or sparkling, aging is essential.
A bottle of red wine can be kept for a shorter or longer period depending on the vintage, grape variety and production area.
In principle, a red wine in a closed bottle, if medium-bodied, must be consumed within three or four years, but if it is an aging red, it will need more time to refine its qualities and can also be tasted 15 years after harvest.
Novello (New) Wine
New wine is produced with carbonic maceration of whole grapes which give it a particular fragrance and the characteristics of freshness. Precisely these characteristics make new wines drinkable within the first six months of harvest.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wines obtained using the traditional method, i.e., fermented in bottle, must be consumed within six months or at most one year, as separation from yeast causes deterioration of their qualities.
