How long can you keep an unopened red wine?

Most red wines cannot be stored for long and should be drunk within three years. Some red wines last much longer and develop in the bottle, but the question is whether you will like such an aged wine. Typical of ageable red wines is that they come from a well-known wine region and have a high price tag.

It’s a common misconception: red wines can be stored for a long time. Or even worse: red wines improve with age! But what is a long time and how do you know which red wines can be stored and which cannot? In short: which part of your wine stock should you donate to the sink and which part to your stomach? 😊

Drink red wine within three years

In general, all red wines between €5 and €15 are intended to be drunk within three years. That is to say: a maximum of three years. If you store the wine in your living room, where there is a lot of sunlight, heat, and temperature variation, the wine will deteriorate more quickly. Why a price between €5 and €15?
On the one hand, because you should avoid wines under €5. Those wines have as much to do with wine as white chocolate has to do with chocolate. On the other hand, more expensive red wines, say from €15 upwards, often keep well for several years. Some wines even improve with age, although opinions (i.e. taste preferences) are divided on this. But how do you find out if your wine is suitable for aging?

Which red wines can you keep

There is good news and there is bad news. The bad news is that there is no simple and definitive answer to this question. Even though we know a lot nowadays, the ageing of wine remains a subject with many question marks. The good news is that there is something to be said about it. There are universal characteristics in wine that help it age. These characteristics are:

• High sugar content
• High acidity
• High tannin content
• High aroma content
• High alcohol content

All these so-called ‘natural preservatives’ prevent undesirable flavor development during aging. Note that a wine suitable for aging does not necessarily need to have all of them for better shelf life. For example, a red wine with lots of aromas and tannins, but with little acidity and sugar, could have a long shelf life. Conversely, a wine that has (one of) these characteristics is not guaranteed to have a long life.

First aid: practical tips for aging

Back to the initial question: how long can you keep an unopened red wine? You can use the following as a guideline:

1. Retail price below €15: drink within 3 years, counting from the vintage year
2. Retail price above €15 and from an unknown wine region/wine producer: can possibly be stored for 3 to 5 years
3. Retail price above €15 and from a well-known wine region/wine producer: can probably be stored for 3 to 10 years or even longer

In the latter case, you are quickly looking at a price of 40 to 50 euros, because the reputation (higher demand) commands a higher price. Think, for example, of Barolo (Italy), Haut-Medoc (Bordeaux) or Priorat (Spain). But we have forgotten to ask the most important question.

Why would you want to keep a red wine

Only a handful of wines, such as the examples above, benefit from five or more years of bottle ageing before being drunk. This is because any drying tannins in the wine may soften and become more pleasant over time. However, most red wines are perfectly drinkable at the time of purchase. This also applies to wines that can be stored for a long time. Another reason for aging red wines has to do with the development of complexity, but not everyone finds that this makes a wine taste better.

So when is the right time to open a bottle of red wine? It’s when you feel like it! Don’t wait until it’s too late, just open that bottle. Worst case scenario, you’re too early. In that case, you can always decant the wine.

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Robert, Cloud Wine

Hi wine enthusiast. Congratulations on finding Cloud Wine! On this wine blog I will amuse and infuse you with useful wine knowledge. All towards helping you make better wine choices in your daily life.

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