Of course, all food and drink lasts for a shorter period of time if they are not stored properly. It generally won't have a use by date, but it will have the year that the wine was sealed into the bottle with a cork.

How to tell if Wine is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

Once un-corking and opening reds should be used within 2 weeks and whites should be used within 3 days. That's typically how long the flavor lasts after opening before it begins to taste sour or "vinegary". Be sure to bring red wine to room temperature for best quality before drinking. Reds should also be allowed to "breathe" or sit open for awhile before they are consumed, air further brings out the flavor of reds (unlike most other food and drink). This is true regardless of the quality.

Wine boxes, although they generally hold cheaper product, last longer once opened because they are in aseptic packaging that does not allow air to get in and further ferment the product. Boxes contain a bag within a box so the liquid is dispensed and then re-sealed automatically after each use.

You can usually tell before you open the bottle if your wine has gone bad. Some common traits of bad wine are a leaky cork, a change in the color of the liquid (usually a cloudy appearance) or a "dusty" settlement in the bottom of the bottle. If these things are going on in the bottle, then it has most likely gone bad and the taste will be a bit rancid. If your wine has gone bad, check our substitution page for alternatives.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled drinks so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your drinks before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Wine to extend its shelf life?

The perfect conditions for proper storage exist in a wine cellar - a cool, dark place kept at a constant temperature of 50-55°F (13°C) with slightly angled shelves and only other wines as neighbors. Since most of us can't do this, just remember that the best storage is under cool, dark, and somewhat humid conditions.

Storing wine above the fridge, under the stove, or next to the dishwasher are the worst possible storage choices because the wine will be heated whenever one of these appliances is on.

Storing wine horizontally keeps the cork moist, which preserves the seal and prevents air from seeping into the bottle along with keeping the cork from drying out and crumbling upon opening.

So, corked wine (vino) should always be kept on its side until opened.

Once opened, all wines may be refrigerated to keep them fresh for a longer period of time.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Wine:

The shelf life of wine in your cellar, when properly stored can be many years. The 1% of wines that are able to be stored for extended lengths of time are the sturdy red ones, which range from the Rhones and French Bordeaux to the high-end Cabernet Sauvignons from California and Australia. Also some of the finest wines come from Spain and Italy.

How long is Wine good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does wine last? That depends. How long does pasta last? In general, it lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Wine lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Wine.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Wine shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please drink responsibly!