How Long Does Wine Last After Opening?
Open wine starts dying the moment air meets it — light reds and whites two days, big reds four to five, sparkling 24 hours. A few simple tricks extend everything.
You opened a beautiful bottle. You drank half. You re-corked it. Now it's three days later, and you wonder: is it still good?
The honest answer depends on what kind of wine it is. Oxygen — the same thing that lets wine breathe in a decanter — eventually kills it. The same chemistry that softens a young Malbec over 20 minutes destroys a delicate Pinot Noir over 48 hours.
Below are the actual numbers, by wine type, plus the simple tools that extend every wine's life by days.
The four chapters
01The Chemistry
What oxygen does to open wine.
Read Step 1 →How Long Each Type Lasts
Light reds, big reds, whites, sparkling, fortified.
Read Step 2 →How to Preserve Open Wine
Re-cork, refrigerate, transfer.
Read Step 3 →When to Use Coravin & Vacuum Pumps
Tools worth the money — or not.
Read Step 4 →Quick answers
How long does an opened bottle of red wine last?
2–5 days depending on body. Light reds (Pinot Noir, light Malbec) last 2–3 days. Medium reds last 3–5 days. Full-bodied icon Malbecs and Cab Sauvs last 4–5 days. Always re-cork and refrigerate, even reds — cold dramatically slows oxidation.
How long does open white wine last?
2–5 days. Light aromatic whites (Torrontés, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio) last 2–3 days. Fuller whites like oaked Chardonnay last 3–5 days. Always refrigerated, re-corked.
How long does open sparkling wine last?
24 hours, maximum. After that the bubbles die and the wine flattens. Special champagne stoppers exist but only extend life by a few hours. Drink it the next day, not the day after.
Should you refrigerate red wine after opening?
Yes, always. Cold slows oxidation 2–3×. Take the bottle out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving to come back to proper drinking temperature (15–18°C for most reds).
Is Coravin worth the money?
For some people. If you regularly open expensive bottles and drink them by the glass over weeks or months, Coravin pays for itself quickly. If you finish bottles in 2–3 days, a $15 vacuum pump does 80% of the job. Coravin works only on cork-sealed wines — never on screw caps.