How Long Does White Wine Last In The Fridge? (Quick Guide)

by Philip Thompson
24 July, 2023

How Long Can You Keep White Wine In The Fridge

It's a beautiful summers day and you've been enjoying a few bottles of crisp white wine in the sun with friends. Theres a couple of half full bottles left over to enjoy later in the week...

But how long does white wine last in the fridge?

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How Long Does White Wine Last In The Fridge?

An opened, full bodied bottle of white wine can last 3-5 days in the fridge, while an opened bottle of lighter white wine can last up to 5-7 days, providing the bottles are well sealed.

Unopened white wines should ideally be stored for the longer term (over 7 days) in a wine cellar, wine fridge or wine cabinet as regular fridges can have a negative effect on wines as they don't offer the best conditions which are stillness, dark and the right humidity levels.

White wine generally tends to have a shorter life span than red wines, regardless of if its a full or light bodied variety. Most white wines can last for years past there labelled expiry date if they're stored in optimal conditions.

Storing Opened White Wine In The Fridge

As we mentioned, full bodied white wines like Moscato and Chardonnay can last 3-5 days in the fridge, while light bodies white wines can last a little longer, 4-7 days.

Once opened white wine starts to oxidise due to a chemical reaction with oxygen in the air.

It's impossible to completely eliminate this effect but the best way to keep your opened white wine tasting better for longer is to:

Use a suction sealed cork which allows you to suck any air out of the bottle before placing the bottle in the fridge

Place the bottle upright in the fridge to stop any leaks

Try not to move the bottle when you're opening and closing the fridge door or getting something from in the fridge, the less movement of the bottle, the better

Storing opened wines in regular fridges exposes them to unwanted smells like strong food odours such as onions or leftover meals you are keeping chilled in the fridge.

The longer wines are kept in a place with strong odours the more likely these smells will impact your wines taste, which is a great reason to invest in a wine fridge.

Best Temperature for White Wine In The Fridge?

White wine should be chilled, the best temperature to serve white wine is between 43–52°F or 6-11°C and the best storage temperature is between 11°C and 15℃ (51–59°F).

White Wine	Temperature (°C)	Temperature (°F)
Serving Temperature	6-11°C	43–52°F
Storage Temperature	11-15°C	51–59°F

White wines tend to have lots of searing acidity and aromatic aromas that prefer a colder temperature in comparison to red wines.

Temperature makes a huge impact on the flavours of your white wine, so once your white wine has reached your preferred temperature and you’re ready to serve, try and use a wine cooler to help maintain that temperature.

But not all white wines are the same, and some styles of white wine may prefer slightly different serving temperatures.

So what effect does style have on the serving temperature of white wine?

3 Popular Styles of White Wine and Their Ideal Serving Temperature

White Wine Types

In order to help you reach the best serving temperature for your white wine when storing it in the fridge, here's a little breakdown of the three main styles of white wine and the serving temperatures they prefer.

1. Light Bodied White Wine

Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and even some unoaked styles of Chardonnay fall into this category.

Their lighter nature means they can handle being served well chilled, aiming for between 47–50°F or 8-10°C.

2. Full Bodied White Wine

Fuller-bodied and bolder styles of white wine can be served slightly warmer.

So try and serve wines such as Chablis, Viognier or Oaked Chardonnay a few degrees warmer, around 50–54°F or 10-12°C.

Remember you can always put your bottle back in the fridge if it gets too warm for your liking!

3. Sparkling White Wine

Sparkling wines, such as Champagne, Cava and Prosecco, like to be served very cold, it helps to accentuate their flavours as well as keep their coveted fizziness in check.

Aim for between 47–50°F or 8-10°C for serving sparkling wines.

White Wine Type	Recommended Serving Temperature (°C)	Recommended Serving Temperature (°F)
Light Bodied White Wine	8-10°C	47–50°F
Full Bodied White Wine	10-12°C	50–54°F
Sparkling White Wine	8-10°C	47–50°F

So that’s serving temperature sorted, but what are the best storage temperatures for white wine?

What is the Best Fridge Temperature for White Wine?

The best wine fridge temperature to store White Wine is between 11°C and 15℃ (51–59°F).

When it comes to storing your wine in the fridge, try to maintain a good level of humidity and avoid direct sunlight with your bottles where you can.

A regular kitchen fridge will be fine to store opened or unopened bottles of white wine for up to a week.

If you don’t have a wine cellar, your garage or kitchen pantry is often a good place to store your wine.

Related: How To Store White Wine

But can white wine go in the fridge?

Should You Put White Wine In The Fridge?

Ideally, you shouldn't store unopened bottles of white wine in a regular fridge other than 1-2 hours prior to needing a bottle, just to cool it down to the ideal temperature.

For opened bottles, keeping white wine in a regular fridge for 3-7 days should be ok, but the taste of the wine will reduce the longer its kept open in the fridge.

Depending on the style, white wine should be chilled down to 47–54°F or 8-12°C before serving.

So, when it comes to getting your white wine ready to serve, it’s actually recommended that you place them in the fridge to reach the required temperature.

If you want to make sure that you are consistently serving your white wine at the best temperature possible you may want to consider investing in a specialised wine refrigerator.

So how long should you put white wine in the fridge?

How Long Should You Chill White Wine In The Fridge For?

Chill Time For White Wine

We recommend putting any white wine you want to drink in the fridge 1-2 hours before serving.

If you have a specialist wine fridge the conditions will have been designed to look after your wine at a stable temperature.

This means that you can leave your bottles in there for long periods of time without having to worry about them getting too cold.

However, if you have a domestic refrigerator the drier conditions may damage any corks, so it’s best to store your white wine in the long term elsewhere.

Here are some of our top tips on serving white wine: