Does Leftover Wine Always Need To Be Refrigerated?

You've just finished an at-home girls' night, and as you're cleaning the kitchen, you notice a few bottles of unfinished wine; half a bottle of prosecco here, a quarter of Cabernet there. Now you're debating whether to stick the broken corks back in their bottles on the counter and call it a night — but you shouldn't. We spoke to Amy Racine, beverage director and partner with JF Restaurants, who told us that nearly every bottle of wine, from dry reds to buttery chardonnays, should be refrigerated after opening.

"Refrigerate almost everything, red included," Racine says, adding that even though red wines are typically served at room temperature, it's important to put the opened bottles in the fridge when not in use. "Just pull it out 20 to 30 minutes before you pour again, and it will come back up to temperature on its own," she advises. The main reason behind refrigeration isn't merely safety, but also preserving the wine's integrity.

"Cold slows the chemical reactions," Racine explains, the same chemical reactions that can leave a tart red wine tasting more like vinegar from a science experiment than berries from Napa Valley, which is one simple way to tell if your wine has gone bad. Racine points out that sparkling wines can last "one to three days with a bouchon or proper stopper" with refrigeration, while orange wines can last four to five days. Per the expert, "most whites and reds" will last three to four days in the fridge, though unopened red wine can last between two and three years.

When it comes to refrigerating that opened bottle, it's less about placement and more about getting it there in the first place. Plus, you need to ensure that it's sealed properly, a common mistake everyone makes with leftover wine. A mis-sealed bottle of wine can fall victim to acetic acid bacteria and other wild yeasts, a process which is slowed by cooler temperatures.

We also consulted Molly Horn, chief mixologist and spirits educator at Total Wine & More, who had some additional advice for sealing opened bottles. When it comes to expensive vintages in particular, Horn recommends a Coravin. "This only works if you had the bottle unopened at home first," she notes, "but it's a great option as it will keep all oxygen out and can keep the wine in prime condition for weeks or longer." Of course, that's not the only way.

"If you're more looking for something that will keep it consistent for a few days," Horn adds, "I prefer the vacuum cork sealer." This device also works with restaurant leftovers, as "it allows you to pump oxygen out of the bottle after sealing it and will definitely keep it fresh for a bit." Still, opened bottles run the risk of oxidation, which begins the moment you remove that original cork.

Proper sealing and refrigerator temps can help slow this oxidation, but, according to Racine, "the variable that matters most is headspace, not the closure." Her best advice? "Half a bottle of wine sitting under half a bottle of air will oxidize no matter how well you seal the top," she concludes, "so drink faster the less full the bottle!"