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Conservation of white wine: Know everything
White wine is a delicate product that deserves special conservation to preserve its aromas and freshness. Whether you are a wine merchant, restaurateur or fine food shop owner, it is essential to know the best practices to optimize the conservation of white wine and ensure optimal tasting for your customers.
Find out how long you can keep white wine depending on its type and storage conditions.
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🕐 3 min of reading | Posted on: 02/19/2025
Types of white wine and their shelf life
First of all, it is important to know that the shelf life of red wine is different from white wine. Then, this shelf life varies for each type of white wine, whether the bottle is closed or open. To help you better manage your stock, we have designed a detailed guide that includes white wine storage temperatures and their duration.
Dry white wines
The shelf life of closed white wine is relatively short for dry white wines like Sauvignon Blanc or non-woody Chardonnay.
- Closed bottle: 2 to 3 years on average, or even more for the great wines.
- Once opened: 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, well filled.
Young dry wines must be consumed quickly to preserve their freshness and fruity aromas. On the other hand, more complex dry white wines, like some Burgundy, can age for several years.
Sweet white wines
Soft or sweet white wines, such as Sauternes or Monbazillac, have a high aging capacity.
- Closed bottle: 5 to 20 years old, or even more for certain vintages.
- Once opened: 7 to 10 days, keeping the bottle in the fridge with a hermetic cap.
Thanks to their high concentration of sugar and alcohol, these wines improve over time and develop even more complex aromas.
Sparkling wines
Sparkling wines, such as Champagne or Crémant, require special attention regarding their shelf life.
- Closed bottle: 1 to 3 years for non-vintages, 5 to 10 years for vintages.
- Once opened: 1 to 2 days, ideally with a special cap under pressure to preserve the effervescence.
An open sparkling wine will quickly lose its carbon dioxide if it is not properly filled.
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Storage of closed white wine
The preservation of closed white wine depends on many factors, including storage conditions and the type of bottle used.
Ideal storage conditions
To ensure the proper preservation of white wine, it is essential to respect these principles:
- Stable temperature: between 10 and 14°C, so do not store in the refrigerator.
- Controlled humidity: around 70% to prevent the cork from drying out.
- Absence of direct light: prioritize storage away from light and UV.
- Lying down to slow down oxidation.
The development of a wine cellar greatly helps to maintain these ideal storage conditions. For optimal conservation of your bottles, you can opt for wooden wine shelves or even wine displays.
The role of the type of bottle in conservation
Packaging also plays a crucial role in the shelf life of white wine.
Indeed, dark glass bottles protect better from UV rays, which can alter the aromas and accelerate the aging of the wine. Cork stoppers, on the other hand, allow a delay in the oxidation of the wine and thus an optimal conservation, while screw caps retain freshness better.
Proper storage of the bottles facilitates their conservation and enhancement.
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Conservation of white wine once opened
Once opened, a bottle of white wine gradually loses its taste qualities. Here are our best tips for prolonging its freshness.
How the remaining quantity affects conservation
The more empty the bottle, the more air is present inside and the faster the oxidation process. A half-opened bottle will keep for less time than a bottle still three quarters full, since it will lose its aromas more quickly given the greater amount of air.
It is therefore preferable to keep the bottles as full as possible to extend their freshness and quality.
Techniques to prolong the freshness
Here are some tips to optimize the conservation of open white wine:
- Use a hermetic cap to limit oxygenation.
- Keep the bottle in the refrigerator to slow aging.
- Use a vacuum pump to extract air and delay oxidation.
For efficient professional storage, discover our wine cellar furniture specially designed for wine merchants and delicatessens.
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Temperature: a key factor in conservation
Temperature is one of the most important elements for the conservation of white wine. Poor temperature management can alter its aromas and reduce its lifespan.
- Too hot (above 18°C): the wine evolves too quickly and loses freshness.
- Too cold (below 5°C): the wine loses its aromas and an unpleasant flavor can develop.
The ideal is to store white wine at a temperature between 10 and 14°C, and to serve it slightly fresher, that is to say between 8 and 12°C depending on the type.
Practical tips for storing your white wine
To ensure an excellent conservation of white wine as a professional, and satisfy the customers of your establishment, here are some recommendations:
- Invest in suitable furniture, solid wood furniture is ideal for good ventilation and a neat presentation.
- Respect storage and service temperatures to offer your customers optimal tasting.
- Adapt your preservation methods to the types of white wine you offer.
- Use professional accessories (vacuum pump, hermetic caps) to prolong the freshness of your open bottles.
- Renew your stock regularly to avoid keeping certain bottles too long.
Thanks to these tips, you will be able to guarantee the best taste experience for your customers and optimize your white wine stock management. We also offer you a blog post to organize your wine cellar, which will allow you to further optimize the management of your stocks.
The conservation of white wine therefore depends on its type, storage conditions and precautions taken after opening. By following good practices, you guarantee your customers a quality product, ready to be enjoyed in the best conditions!
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