How long do dessert wines last

In terms of wine storage, it is important to understand how richly sweet dessert wines are made. The sweetness and acidity of these grapes are what preserve their fresh flavor.

Probably the most well-known of these wines are made in styles you may have heard of — but are not quite sure about. Below some of these styles are explained in more detail. Storage of richly sweet dessert wines: Due to the specialized mold mentioned above, these wines have been oxygenated during production and will last between one and three months in a kitchen refrigerator after opening. Except for the cheap commercially produced sweet reds, most are on the decline. However, some still remain popular and interesting.

Storage of sweet red wines: Up to two weeks after opening in the kitchen refrigerator. Fortified wines are made when grape brandy is added to a wine and can either be dry or sweet.

Storage of fortified wines : A longer shelf life of three to four weeks after they are opened can be enjoyed because of this high alcohol content stored in the refrigerator. Dessert wine must be stored properly like any other type of wine. The biggest enemy of wine in terms of storage is heat. There is a theory that dry air will dry out the corks in your dessert wine, letting air into the bottle and spoiling the wine. Placing a pan of water in your storage area can improve conditions.

On the other hand, extremely damp conditions can promote mold. In this case, a dehumidifier will be a good option to fix that problem. The angle at which you place the bottle in storage can have an effect on its shelf life. When air gets into the bottle it can negatively affect the flavor, and make the wine lose its freshness. When the liquid is up against the cork it is more difficult for air to penetrate the cork.

This will ensure that the wine is in constant contact with the cork and will prevent air from seeping in over a period of time. Tips for horizontal storing — the riddling rack.

The riddling rack was invented in the early s by Veuve Clicquot Champagne house as a way to hold bottles of wine in the process of making sparkling wine.

This process is called disgorgement. The racks are great looking and there are free-standing versions as well as ones that can be mounted to a wall.

They can be quite a statement piece, and a great way to keep the bottle stored in a horizontal position. Some can hold the wine bottle in a variety of positions depending on how you tilt them.

Always keep any bottle of wine out of direct light, especially sunlight. Many wine bottles are made of dark glass that helps to keep light out. Ideally, a bottle of dessert wine will be stored in dark or dimly lit conditions. This is the reason for the popularity of wine cellars. Keeping your dessert wines in your household kitchen refrigerator is fine but only for a few months. A longer amount of time in the refrigerator is not recommended. When the liquid starts to freeze, it can expand enough to push the cork out.

There are also theories that vibration can damage dessert wine in the long term by speeding up some of the chemical reactions in the wine. However, unless you live by a train station or a venue that constantly plays loud music, your wine should be fine while it is being stored. While there are some wine collectors who worry that the vibrations emitted by electrical appliances, there is no data to support this. The bigger concern with vibrations is they can stir up sediments that should settle at the bottom of your dessert wine bottle.

This can make removing sediment much harder when it comes time to serve. If you are looking to invest in dessert wines that you want to mature, you should probably invest in professional-grade storage.

A good question to ask is, how much did I spend in the last year on wine? There are some inexpensive systems for small spaces, but in most cases, a standalone cooling unit specifically designed for wine can get expensive.

Sweeter white and rose wine, on the other hand, can last a lot longer. This is because sugar acts as a natural preservative. Depending on the amount of sugar in the wine, sweet wines can last up to several weeks. Most lighter-bodied and table reds will last around three to five days. This is because lighter red wines have lower acidity and tannin which help to naturally preserve the wine. Light reds should be kept in the fridge after opening if you plan to consume it after a day or two.

Full-bodied red wines have higher acidity and tannin, which help to naturally preserve the wine by slowing the aging process.

Because of this, full-bodied red wine can last up to a week or even longer. Some wines will actually improve after the day it was opened.

Storing your opened bottles of red wine in a cellar or the fridge will help it last longer. Sparkling wine will last two to three days at the most after it's opened. After three days the wine may still be drinkable but it will have lost its carbonation. Sparkling wine will taste its best during the first 24 hours. That's because it starts to lose its carbonation as soon as it has been opened. A good tip is to store the bottle upright in your fridge with a proper champagne stopper.

Try not to store it on its side if possible. If you store the bottle on its side, it will lose its carbonation faster. Fortified wine, like port and sherry, can last much longer than other wines.

If stored properly, they can last several months. Some say even years. Madeira and Marsala wines will never go bad. That's because they are already oxidized and cooked. Dessert wine can also last a lot longer than other wines because of the high amount of sugar. Sugar helps by naturally preserving the wine. The sweeter the dessert wine, the longer it will last after opening it.

As with other types of wine, it will last the longest if you refrigerate it. The first thing you will notice when a wine has gone bad is a change in color. Pour a small amount of the wine into a clear glass and take a look at it. Red wine will start to look brownish unless its a fortified wine which is already aged and brownish in color. Keep in mind that full-bodied, aged reds will have a slight brown hue and that is normal.

White wine will go from a light white color to golden color when it is starting to go bad. Sometimes it may even start to look cloudy. White wine should be transparent so if it doesn't look clear, you know something is off. The next thing to do is smell the wine. If the wine has gone bad you may notice a funky smell that was not there before. Lookout for tart, sharp, or even sulfur or acetone types of smells. You might even notice an earthy or barnyard smell in some varietals like Baco Noir and Marechel Foch, this is normal.

Lastly, if the appearance and smell of the wine do not put you off, you could try to taste it. Wine does expire , but it strongly depends on its quality. If it's a quality one, it can be stored even for a hundred years and after opening it'll be of great quality. Once the bottle of wine is opened , it will go bad fairly quickly, usually within a week.

Wines stored in warmish air mature too quickly and do not keep long. Champagne in the Refrigerator. White wine , rose, sparkling wine , and dessert wine lose flavor and bouquet when stored in a refrigerator , but the taste is enhanced when they are chilled in a refrigerator for several hours.

Storing Unopened Wine Once you refrigerate a closed bottle of wine , you prevent it from aging properly. Store unopened white wine in the refrigerator to chill it before drinking. Never store unopened red wine in the refrigerator because it's typically served at room temperature.

In general, table wines last three to five days after they've been opened. Fortified wines , or dessert wines , like Port and Sherry, can last much longer ; some say months or even years. Can you drink old opened wine? A: Probably not. The unpleasant taste that you detect in a bottle of wine that has been open for more than a day or two is due to the process of oxidation. Oxidation occurs, as you might imagine, when oxygen is introduced to wine.

This taste is unpleasant, to be sure, but it's not necessarily harmful to your body. How do you know if a wine will age well? The density of the color how opaque it is isn't necessarily as important as the vibrancy of the color. Red wines that age well generally have higher tannins the astringent, bitter taste in wine.

Do you refrigerate Muscat? Muscat wine These are all fortified by adding spirit to the fermenting wines before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol. Despite their luscious sweetness, these bright, golden wines are neither sickly nor cloying — providing they are served chilled, which accentuates their fresh, clean, citrusy flavours.