Let’s be honest. When you sip some sweet wine and hold it in your mouth for the flavor to hit right, the last thing you think of is bad wine. Well, get ready for this; wine can go bad. Of course, they told us wine gets tastier and rich with age, but even that has a time limit.

So, our focus question right now is how long do sweet wines last? We will concentrate on both opened and unopened wine bottles. 

How Long Does Your Bottle Of Sweet Wine Last Before Going Bad?

Your wine in an unopened bottle can last for years. Some can stay good for 3 years; others go for up to 6 years. And the good news is that your sweet wine can stay good even beyond the expiry date. It is not surprising that your newly opened bottle tastes great despite its expiry date a few months ago. 

For your wine to last longer, store it in cold and dark spaces. Also, keep bottles on the sides to prevent the cork from drying out. 

Once you open the bottle, the shelf life changes dramatically. You should drink your wine in a matter of days, and if it stays good beyond a week, then you are lucky. 

You see, once the bottle is open, you are exposing your wine to a lot of changes. There will be oxygen, light, yeast, heat, and bacteria, all finding way to your sweet drink. All these start chemical reactions, and the quality of your wine is adversely affected. 

It is advisable to keep your opened bottle in a cold place to add at least a day or two to your wine’s shelf life. But it can only last that long, so you better be ready to finish up the bottle in a few days once you open it. 

Factors That Affect How Long Your Sweet Wine Lasts

While the type will have a bearing on how long wine lasts, other factors come into play. 

Here are some of those factors;

·         Light

Do you ever ask why wine bottles are dark? They keep away sunlight. This is why you are advised to keep your wine bottles in dark and cold places. By all means, keep light out of where you keep your wine. The cellar is such a perfect place for your wine to last long. 

·         Temperature

Wine and heat do not go well. Typically, you should store your wine in a place with a temperature range between 50 and 55℉. Any temperature above that would accelerate its going bad. 

·         Angle

Surprisingly, the angle you store your wine bottles will affect its shelf life. When the cork is facing upwards, air can easily find its way in. This will affect your wine’s quality and spoil its freshness. It is advisable to store your bottles at 45-degree angles or with the cork facing downwards. 

 Wrapping Up

It will vary on how long your wine stays good and fresh. However, how you handle and store it will have some bearing on its shelf life. Your sweet wine can stay good for up to 5 years or longer. It is your role to keep it in the right conditions. Stay away from any bad wine because it never tastes like anything good you know.