Does wine go bad?
Yes, but slowly: most unopened grocery-store wine tastes best within about two years for whites and rosé and about three to five years for reds, as long as it is kept somewhere cool and dark.
Unopened wine doesn't spoil like milk, but it does fade. Most bottles on a grocery shelf are made to be enjoyed soon, not saved for a decade. This page is about sealed bottles; once you pull the cork, the clock runs much faster, and that has its own page.
- White and rosé (unopened)
- Best within about 1–2 years
- Everyday red (unopened)
- Best within about 3–5 years
- Sparkling (unopened)
- Best within about 1–3 years
- Boxed wine (unopened)
- Check the best-by date on the box, usually within a year
- Store at
- Somewhere cool, dark and steady, around 55–65°F
How long a sealed bottle really lasts
A $12 Sauvignon Blanc or rosé is at its best the year after it's bottled. Its whole appeal is fresh, zippy fruit, and that fades with time. Everyday reds hang on a bit longer because their tannin and acidity help them hold up.
Only a small slice of wine is built to improve for years, and it usually costs a lot more than grocery-store money. If you're holding a bottle you got as a gift three years ago, open it this weekend rather than waiting for a special occasion.
Signs a bottle has turned
Smell it first. Vinegar, nail polish or a flat, sherry-like smell means air got in and the wine has oxidized, which is the fancy word for gone stale from oxygen. White wine that has turned dark gold or brownish is another giveaway.
A musty, wet-cardboard smell is cork taint, a flaw from a bad cork rather than age. A cork pushed partway out of the neck usually means the bottle got hot at some point. Wine that has gone off is generally unpleasant rather than harmful, but there is no reason to drink something that tastes bad.
How to keep it good until you open it
Heat and light are what age wine fastest. A closet floor or a basement beats the top of the fridge or a sunny kitchen counter, and a car trunk in July is the worst spot of all.
Store corked bottles on their side if you plan to keep them for months, so the cork stays moist and sealed. Screw-cap bottles can stand upright. Opened already? Head to the guide on how long wine lasts after opening.
Keep reading
- How long does wine last after opening?
- How should you store wine after opening?
- Can you freeze wine?
- What is the best boxed wine?
- What's the best cheap wine?
Last checked 2026-10-18.