How Long Does Opened Wine Actually Last in the Fridge?

Short answer: most opened wine is best within 3 to 5 days in the fridge, cork or stopper back in. But that range hides a lot — a resealed Prosecco and a resealed tawny Port do not play by the same rules, and treating every bottle the same is how good wine gets poured down the sink too early, or bad wine gets kept too long.

Sparkling wine: the shortest window

Once it's opened, sparkling wine is racing against its own bubbles. With a proper stopper keeping some pressure in, expect 3 to 4 days before it noticeably flattens. If the bottle is already more than half gone, that window shrinks closer to 2 days — there's simply less wine holding onto less fizz.

White and rosé: a few days, longer for the good stuff

A everyday, mass-produced white or rosé is best within about 2 days. Fuller-bodied, higher-quality whites — the kind with real structure, not just fruit — can hold for 3 to 4 days, and a standout single-vineyard white can occasionally go a full week without falling apart.

Red wine: more forgiving than you'd think

Most reds keep for 3 to 4 days once resealed. Bigger, more tannic reds can go 5 to 6 days — tannins act as a natural preservative, which is part of why a robust red is the most forgiving bottle to leave half-finished on a Tuesday.

Fortified and dessert wine: the exception to the rule

This is where the calendar really changes. A Fino or Manzanilla sherry lasts about a week. Oloroso or Amontillado sherry can go 8 weeks. Tawny Port holds for 2 to 3 weeks, though a vintage Port is the opposite story — only 3 to 4 days, closer to a delicate red than to its own fortified family. Madeira, for what it's worth, lasts longest of all.

The habit that matters more than the calendar

Reseal it properly, keep it cold regardless of color, and if you're not sure what category a bottle falls into, treat it like a light white and drink it within a couple of days. Or sidestep the math altogether: a smaller format means there's rarely a half bottle left to worry about in the first place.

Never leave a bottle half-finished again — explore our Minis or try a few at once with a Discovery pack.