How long does Pinot Noir last opened?

[TBierly]

How long does Pinot Noir last opened? Stupid question I know. How do I store it once it's opened?

[This message has been edited by TBierly (edited 08-26-2003).]

[Innkeeper]

Hi TB, and welcome to Wine Board. Keeping capabilities of wines vary more by producer than by grape variety. As a general rule of thumb, table wines (as opposed to sparkling or dessert [fortified or late harvest]wines) will last overnight if you just stick the cork back into the bottle, and put it in the fridge. They will last longer if you somehow more or less permanently remove all the air from the bottle. Air (oxygen) is what destroys wine. My preferred method is to have a half bottle standing by. When you open the full size bottle (750 ml) fill the half bottle up to the top. Set the half bottle on the floor and drive the cork from the full bottle into it with a rubber mallet. Then clean up the mess and enjoy the other half of the full bottle. Store the half bottle in the refrigerator for five days to a week.

In her book "Wine Buying Guide for Everyone", Andrea Immer not only evaluates more than 400 best selling, widely available wine; but also gives a "Fridge Survivor" rating for all whites, and "Kitchen Countertop Survivor" for all the reds in her book. If nothing else you can see how a wine will vary by producer. For example she gives Indigo Hills, California, Pinot Noir a rating of "average." She gives Kendall Jackson, Vinter's Reserve, California, Pinot Noir in the same price range, a rating of "A." "Average" means it is a "one day wine." "A" means that it has "a 3-4 day 'freshness window'." There are other pinot noirs in her book with ratings of average, B, B+, and A. So, you can see that not all wines of the same type have the same keeping ability.

[Kcwhippet]

In our house? About an hour or three. Just had a 2000 Willakenzie Clone 113 with dinner - luscious!

[joeyz6]

I've come to realize that sometimes it's best to just enjoy a glass or two of wine and either (a) store the other half of the bottle as Innkeeper described above or (b) just pour the rest out, if you really can't finish it off. Even after a day, wine has changed character. If it hasn't changed, you've gotta wonder why. In any case, there are plenty of wines out there to taste, which is why I don't mind popping a bottle for a taste and not finishing it.