How to Store an Open Bottle of Wine

Quick Answer: What is the best way to store opened wine?

For still wine, replace the original screw cap or cork promptly, keep the bottle upright and refrigerate it. This applies to red, white and rosé wine. Refrigeration slows chemical changes, including oxidation, which is one of the main reasons opened wine loses freshness.

Red wine can go in the refrigerator after opening. Take it out before serving and allow it to move towards a suitable serving temperature. A domestic refrigerator is a practical short-term storage solution, particularly in a warm Australian home or during summer.

For sparkling wine, use a compatible sparkling-wine stopper that grips the bottle securely, then refrigerate the bottle upright. A vacuum pump is not suitable for sparkling wine because it can remove the bubbles. An ordinary cork, loose cover or teaspoon in the neck is not a reliable substitute for a sparkling stopper.

A reclosed, refrigerated still wine may remain enjoyable for several days. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust gives up to about five days as a practical guide for refrigerated red or white wine, but this is not a promise. The result depends on the wine, how much remains, the amount of air above it, the closure and how quickly it was refrigerated.

What to do immediately after opening

After pouring, follow this simple routine:

1. Pour what you need.
2. Reseal the bottle straight away.
3. Keep still wine upright.
4. Place it in the refrigerator.
5. Keep it away from direct light and heat.

Use the original screw cap if it closes securely. A clean, intact cork can also be reinserted carefully, although a dedicated still-wine stopper is another practical option.

The aim is to limit further contact with air. Resealing does not reverse changes that have already occurred, but it can reduce additional exposure.

Why upright storage and refrigeration help

Once a bottle is partly empty, air sits above the wine. This space is called the headspace. The more wine that has been poured, the more headspace there usually is.

Keeping an opened bottle upright reduces the wine’s exposed surface area compared with storing it on its side. Refrigeration slows the chemical processes that gradually change the wine’s aroma, flavour and colour.

This is different from storing an unopened bottle for long-term ageing. Opened wine needs short-term protection from air, heat and light, while unopened wine has different storage considerations.

Should red wine go in the fridge?

Yes. Refrigeration is useful for opened red wine as well as white wine.

The cold temperature may make the red taste less expressive immediately, but that is a serving issue rather than a storage problem. Remove the bottle from the refrigerator before drinking and give it time to warm towards an appropriate serving temperature.

White wine and rosé can generally be served closer to refrigerator temperature, depending on the style and your preference. For more guidance on serving rather than storing wine, see WineDaddy’s wine serving temperature guide if that page is available.

How long does an open bottle of wine last?

There is no single number that applies to every bottle.

A promptly reclosed and refrigerated still wine may be enjoyable for several days. WSET’s guidance of up to about five days is best treated as a practical upper guide for reclosed refrigerated red or white wine, not a guaranteed shelf life.

Wine may decline more quickly when:

• the bottle is mostly empty;
• it was left open or warm for a long period;
• it was opened repeatedly;
• the closure does not seal securely;
• the wine was already delicate, mature or partly developed when opened.

A nearly full bottle generally has less headspace than a half-empty bottle, so it may have more favourable conditions. That does not guarantee a particular result: wine style, condition and storage history still matter.

Sparkling wine may retain useful carbonation for several days with a proper stopper and refrigeration, but this varies with the wine, stopper and storage conditions. Without a suitable stopper, its bubbles can fade quickly.

What if only a little wine is left?

If a substantial amount of wine remains in a nearly empty bottle, transferring it to a clean, odour-free smaller bottle can reduce the headspace.

Fill the smaller bottle close to the top if practical, close it promptly and avoid vigorous splashing during the transfer. The transfer is only useful if it reduces the amount of air above the wine without introducing unnecessary contamination or agitation.

This is an option, not a requirement. For an ordinary partly full bottle, prompt resealing and refrigeration are the most important steps.

Do wine-preservation systems work?

Preservation devices can be useful, but none provides indefinite protection and none repairs wine that has already deteriorated.

Vacuum pumps

A vacuum pump removes some air from a bottle of still wine before it is resealed. Research has found that vacuum resealing can reduce measured headspace and dissolved oxygen in tested conditions. However, the effect can vary between wines, and research has also observed wine-specific chemical and sensory effects.

A vacuum pump is therefore an optional tool for still wine, not a guarantee that every bottle will taste fresher for longer. Do not use one for sparkling wine.

Inert gas

Inert-gas products introduce a relatively unreactive gas into the headspace of still wine, reducing direct contact with oxygen. They may slow quality loss, but their performance depends on the product and how it is used. They are not a perfect seal or a way to preserve wine indefinitely.

You do not need specialist equipment for the basic method: reseal the bottle, keep it upright and refrigerate it.

How to store opened sparkling wine

Sparkling wine needs separate treatment because preserving its carbonation is as important as limiting oxygen exposure.

• Use a sparkling-wine stopper designed to grip the bottle securely.
• Keep the bottle upright in the refrigerator.
• Do not use a vacuum pump.
• Do not rely on the original cork, a loose cover or the teaspoon method.
• Expect the wine’s bubbles and aromas to change over time.

Australian sparkling wine is commonly sold in standard sparkling bottles, so choose a stopper that is compatible with that bottle shape and closure area. The key is a secure seal that can resist the pressure inside the bottle.

How to tell whether opened wine has declined

Taste and smell are more useful than a fixed calendar deadline.

Signs that a still wine may have lost quality include:

• muted or flattened fruit aromas;
• a stale, bruised-apple or nutty character that does not suit the wine;
• a duller or browner colour, particularly in white wine or rosé;
• a less fresh, less lively palate.

For sparkling wine, a noticeable loss of pressure or bubbles is another sign that the wine is no longer at its best.

These changes mainly indicate a loss of quality and enjoyment. They are not a complete food-safety test. If wine smells or tastes unpleasant, appears contaminated or is otherwise clearly unacceptable, do not serve it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I store open red wine in the refrigerator?

Yes. Refrigeration slows quality loss. Remove the bottle before serving and allow the wine to warm towards a suitable serving temperature.

Should an opened wine bottle be stored upright or on its side?

Store an opened still wine bottle upright. This reduces the wine’s exposed surface area compared with storing it horizontally.

Does putting wine in the fridge stop oxidation?

No. Refrigeration slows oxidation and other chemical changes; it does not stop them completely or restore wine that has already oxidised.

Is a screw cap better than a cork after opening?

The most important thing is that the bottle is securely resealed. Reuse the original screw cap if it closes properly, or use a suitable stopper. There is not enough evidence here to claim that one closure type is universally better in every situation.

Does a teaspoon keep sparkling wine fizzy?

No. A teaspoon placed in the neck is not a reliable way to preserve sparkling wine. Use a proper sparkling-wine stopper instead.

Is storing opened wine the same as cellaring wine?

No. This article covers short-term storage after opening. Long-term cellaring of unopened wine requires different conditions and advice.