Wine aging does not only occur inside wooden barrels, but it is a process that continues after bottling inside the wine bottle. It is said that the wine is alive, due to the changes it undergoes both in the cellar and in the bottle.

The wine grows and evolves in the bottle as time passes until it reaches its optimal state and conditions of consumption.

Surely you are wondering, How long does the wine last in the bottle? When can I drink it? Depending on the type of wine and its aging in the cellar, the recommended aging time in the bottle can vary considerably.

Throughout this article we will give you answers to these and other questions about the time of bottling wine.

You may be interested in our full article about the wine aging.

How long does the wine last in the bottle?

It is difficult to establish an exact time in the bottle that marks the optimization of the wine, however there are some universally accepted guidelines and they are the following:

The duration in the bottle according to the type of wine

Rosé wines

Prompt consumption is recommended for rosé wines, up to a year after bottling. It is the type of wine that should be drunk before, although there are certain rosé wines that can last up to 2 years in the bottle.

White wines

The time that white wines last in a bottle is somewhat higher than that of rosé wines and less than that of red wines. In the case of young white wines without passage through the barrel, it is recommended to be drunk before a year or a year and a half after bottling. However, for aged white wines that have undergone a barrel aging stage, the consumption time after being bottled is a maximum of 3 to 5 years.

Sparkling wines

The prolonged passage of time leads sparkling wines to partially lose carbon dioxide. Therefore, its prompt consumption is recommended, no more than 1 to 2 years after bottling.

Sweet and generous wines

For Jerez, Fino and Amontillado wines, a consumption time of no more than one year is recommended after being bottled. For fragrant wines it lasts for a maximum time of between 5 to 10 years. For the cream it can be extended to 15 years.

Red wines

Establishing the optimal consumption time for red wines is more complex than in the previous cases, since it will depend on the aging time. Let's take a closer look at it in the next section.

How long does red wine last in the bottle? The optimal time for consumption

Regarding to red wines, their optimal consumption time varies considerably, depending on whether it is a young, crianza, reserva or gran reserva wine. Let's see each of them separately:

• Young red wine: it is recommended to be stored for a maximum of 2 years after bottling.
• Crianza red wine: its aging in the bottle should not exceed a maximum of 2 to 5 years.
• Reserva red wine: it can reach a maximum time in the bottle of between 6 to 10 years.
• Gran Reserva red wine: they can exceed 15 years in the bottle. Sometimes they can be stored in the bottle for several decades, being widely those that have a longer maturation and conservation time in the bottle.

There is still a popular belief that the longer a wine is stored, the better its maturation and aging process. However, this is not so. Each type of wine requires a maximum maturation time in the bottle, after which its quality will begin to decline.

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