REFERENCE
Most still wines keep three to five days in the fridge with the cork back in. Sparkling drops to a day or two; fortified wine and boxed wine last weeks. Here's every style at a glance.
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Shortest-lived once open
Sparkling — 1–3 days
Longest-lived once open
Boxed (bag-in-box) — 4–6 weeks
Days a resealed bottle stays fresh. Refrigerate it, whatever the style — cold is what slows oxidation.
| Wine type | Refrigerated, resealed | Room temperature, resealed | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| SparklingChampagne, Prosecco, Cava | 1–3 days | Under a day | The bubbles (dissolved CO₂) escape once the seal is broken, so it goes flat fastest. A sparkling stopper is essential. |
| Light white & roséSauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, dry rosé | 5–7 days | 1–2 days | High acidity and low tannin make crisp whites and rosé the most forgiving once opened — they hold their fruit for the best part of a week cold. |
| Full-bodied whiteOaked Chardonnay, Viognier | 3–5 days | 1–2 days | Richer, often oak-aged whites have already seen some air, so they turn a little sooner than a lean, high-acid white. |
| RedPinot Noir to Cabernet Sauvignon | 3–5 days | 1–2 days | Tannin and acidity buy a few days, but oxidation still flattens the fruit. Chill it too — then pull it out 30–60 minutes before serving. |
| FortifiedPort, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala | 3–4 weeks | 2–3 weeks | The added spirit and, often, prior oxidation make these remarkably stable — most keep for weeks, and Madeira almost indefinitely. |
| Boxed (bag-in-box)Cask & box wine | 4–6 weeks | 3–4 weeks | The collapsible inner bag keeps air off the wine as you pour, so an opened box outlasts every bottle. |
Ranges assume the bottle is resealed with its cork or a stopper. They reflect widely published wine-preservation guidance — treat them as a guide, since a wine's age, tannin, and sulfite level all move the exact window. Last reviewed 2026-08-14.
Refrigerate every opened bottle
Cold slows oxidation for every style in the chart — reds included. Reseal, stand it in the fridge, and pull a red out 30–60 minutes before serving so it's back to temperature.
Wondering when to open it in the first place?
That's a different question — a sealed bottle's drinking window, measured in years, not days. These guides cover it.
Most still wines keep 3–5 days in the fridge with the cork pushed back in. Crisp whites and rosé stretch to 5–7 days, sparkling drops to 1–3, and fortified wines like Port last 3–4 weeks. Refrigerate every style — even red — to slow the oxidation that flattens an open bottle.
Yes. Cold slows the oxidation that dulls an open bottle, and it helps every style, reds included. Reseal it, stand it in the fridge, and pull it out 30–60 minutes before serving so it comes back to drinking temperature.
It smells sharp or vinegary, tastes flat or unexpectedly nutty, or has simply lost its fruit. Oxidised wine won't hurt you — it just won't taste good, so cook with it rather than pour it.
Resealing helps by limiting air contact, and a vacuum stopper can buy a still wine an extra day or two. A sparkling stopper is essential for holding bubbles. None of it beats refrigeration, though — cold is what slows oxidation most.
No. This is an opened bottle's shelf life, measured in days. A drinking window is how long a sealed bottle should age before it peaks, measured in years. If you're asking when to open a bottle you're cellaring, see how drinking windows work.
Know what to open tonight — and never miss a wine at its peak.
Saignée logs every bottle you own and tells you which sealed ones are hitting their peak, so nothing gets forgotten in the rack.
Free Taster: up to 100 bottles · 20 AI scans · 10 pairings / month
Free forever · No credit card