How long to keep an open bottle of Port? – Grape to Glass (2024)

FAQs

How long to keep an open bottle of Port? – Grape to Glass? ›

Young Vintage Ports (less than 5 years old) can often last 4 - 5 days once opened. However, older VP's (more than 15 years old) are not meant to be left open for more than 2 - 3 days.

Beyond 40 or 50 years, again the comparison can be made with people – the best will age gracefully. Ports will gain complexity, elegance and delicacy. The flavours will not change or concentrate so much as lengthen – very often the finish on a really fine old port is just incredibly persistent.

Rosé ports are made for immediate drinking, and so are the less complex White ports. Tawny ports, having been in permanent contact with wood when ageing, can be drunk up to six months after the bottle is opened without jeopardising the wine's essential traits.

Vintage Port represents the very best produce of a single outstanding year. It remains in vat for only about two years and then ages in bottle. Although Vintage Ports can be enjoyed when young, they will improve for many decades in the cellar and are among the most long-lasting of all wines.

The truth is, Vintage Port is one of the easiest and most straightforward of wines to decant. Charles Symington, SFE's head winemaker, recommends a simple guideline: open and decant vintages less than 40 years old two to three hours before drinking.

To tell if port has gone bad, give it a good look and smell. If the color is noticeably faded or brown, or if it's developed a cloudy appearance, this may be a sign that it has oxidized and turned bad.

Ruby and basic Tawny Ports typically *(when stored in cool-dark conditions) will last 4 - 6 weeks after being open, without any obvious deterioration. Though ideally finish a Ruby Port within 1 month - and finish a Tawny Port within 2 months after being opened.

After the cork is removed, we can start decanting. Here you pour the port from the bottle into a decanter, so that it can “breathe”. During this breathing, the port becomes softer and more open. This makes the port better to drink and the port will come out better.

Like all great wines, Vintage Port should ideally be enjoyed within a day or two of opening. Use of a Vacuvin™ wine stopper may extend its life a little further.

Reserve tawny Ports are kept in barrels for a minimum of 6 years. Tawny Ports can be given an age statement, denoting the average time in wood – 10 years, 20 years etc. You can also get colheitas Ports, which are tawny Ports made from grapes from one exceptional year, the bottle label will tell you which year that is.

Can you drink too much Port? ›

However, like any alcoholic beverage, it should be consumed responsibly, as excessive intake can lead to health issues, including addiction and liver disease.

Port wine is very versatile and can be paired with many different kinds of food. It is most commonly served at the end of the meal with a selection of fine cheeses, dried fruits and walnuts. It can, however, be served chilled as a delicious aperitif such as Taylor's Chip Dry and Tonic.

Legally, all Port wines must be aged for a minimum of 2 years before release. Even then, it's illegal for a Port producer to sell more than 30% of their vintage. This means that Port wine producers are legally “encouraged” to age their wines for extended periods of time.

Unopened liquor has an indefinite shelf life. Opened liquor lasts about a year or two before it goes bad, meaning it starts losing its color and flavor. Don't use a liquor for well drinks if you won't use the whole bottle within two years. It does not generally become toxic, though.

The best wines can be stored for more than 100 years, but most great wines will reach their peak before they turn 50 years old. Find out if your wine is ready to drink now...

The 40 years of ageing in wood have concentrated this wine almost to an essence, producing intense and complex nutty and spicy aromas and a dense and concentrated palate full of rich mellow flavour. A sublime Port of very great age which shows the old olive-gold hue of its many years in cask.

How Long Does Port Wine Last Unopened? A well-sealed bottle of port wine will have a long shelf life thanks to its fortified alcohol content and a slower oxidisation process. Generally, unopened port wine should last for many years, even decades, if stored in a cool, dark place.