I have a bad habit of letting open wine sit in my fridge or on my counter without being able to throw it away — you never know when you might need it for cooking or sipping!

How long until wine really goes bad?

I totally do this, too! Recently, I left a fantastic (and somewhat pricey) bottle of red on my counter, thinking I’d use the rest of it for drinking or cooking. I left for a trip/totally forgot about the wine and came back to what was essentially a bottle of unusable vinegar (and wasted money). Curses!

So, here’s the deal: As a general rule, anything with sparkles will last one to three days after opening. Reds, rosés, and whites can survive up to five days. Whites and rosés should be stored in the fridge with a cork or wine stopper; reds in a cool, dark place with a cork or wine stopper.