Prosecco is the go-to sparkling wine for millions of wine lovers worldwide, and it’s easy to see why. The wine is straightforward and uncomplicated — at the same time, it’s refreshing and pretty!
Prosecco is a synonym for Italian sophistication. With increasing popularity, people want to know how long their Prosecco will last.
However, the thing with sparkling wine is that it has unique needs. You can’t just treat it like regular red or white wine, which also goes for the wine’s storing conditions.
How long does Prosecco last? Let’s find out, but first, let’s get to know this Italian beauty a little better. Pour yourself a glass of fizz and let’s get started!
What’s the Deal With Prosecco, Anyway?
Prosecco is a sparkling wine produced in a limited area in Northern Italy, following strict rules recorded in the wine style’s AOP documents. To make this fizzy wine, producers can only use the crisp and peachy Glera grape grown in some areas of Veneto and Friuli.
Like most sparkling wines, Prosecco comes in several sweetness levels, and although the sweet ones are attractive, the highest-quality wines are almost always dry.
Also, the finest Prosecco comes from selected sub-regions where the grapes ripen better. Other than the grape and sweetness level, what makes Prosecco unique is the Charmat method used to make it. Also called the Italian method, this procedure consists of re-fermenting white wine in a huge, pressurized tank to bless it with bubbles.
This process is much more efficient and cheaper than the method used for Champagne, and it preserves the wine’s fruit flavors better. Now, for today’s topic, how long does Prosecco last?
How Long Does Prosecco Last Unopened?
Like every other sparkling wine, Prosecco has an extraordinarily long shelf-life, and it’s because the wine is very acidic and bubbly. Acid is a natural preservative that makes any wine last longer while closed.
The enormous pressure inside a bottle of Prosecco also protects the wine from its greatest enemy, oxygen. It’s tough for oxygen to find its way into a bottle of fizz with 3.5 atmospheres of pressure.
If stored upright, undisturbed at the right temperature, close to 50°F (10°C), away from direct light, heat sources and with the proper humidity, a bottle of Prosecco will still be delicious after 3-5 years.
If stored in poor conditions, you’re better off enjoying it within the first two years. Higher quality Prosecco is more concentrated; therefore, it can withstand the test of time — Don’t be surprised to see a bottle of Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene or Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze still delightful after a decade.
How long can Prosecco last in the fridge unopened?
Things change once you put this delicious drop in the fridge. I only recommend leaving unopened Prosecco in the fridge for a maximum of one month!
The refrigerator alters the ageing process of the wine.
- It is very dry in the fridge, the cork will shrink in such a low humidity place and oxygen will get into your precious bottle.
- If there is an oxygen transfer then there will be a transfer of the other food smells in there as well, and you really do not want that.
How Long Does Prosecco Last Opened?
Now, this is another story. Sparkling wine might last a long time unopened, but not that much once you pop that cork.
Most red, pink and white wines are still drinkable after 3-4 days after opening, especially if you seal them with an air-tight bottle stopper in the fridge. Interestingly, sparkling wine has a similar life expectancy.
To store opened sparkling wine, not any bottle stopper will do. You need a special seal, often called Champagne stopper, which will not give in to the pressure building inside the bottle. The remaining CO2 in the bottle actually protects the wine from oxidation, and your Prosecco will still be fizzy after a few days.
In the fridge and with the right stopper, we could safely say sparkling wine lasts even a bit longer than table wine after opening, notably if you only poured yourself a glass or two.
And you thought Prosecco was delicate? Now you know the famous bubbly has your back. Stock your cellar with a few bottles of Italian fizz and enjoy!