How long an opened bottle lasts

Once opened, wine oxidises. How fast depends on the style, and the differences are large.

Sparkling: one to three days with a proper stopper, less without. Light whites and rosés: three to five days in the fridge. Fuller whites: three to five days. Light reds: three to five days. Full-bodied reds: three to five days, occasionally longer.

Fortified wine is the outlier. Fino and Manzanilla behave like white wine and should be finished within a few days. Oloroso, Tawny Port and Madeira keep for weeks or months, because they are already oxidised.

What helps: re-cork immediately, refrigerate everything including red wine, and transfer to a smaller bottle if you have one — reducing the air is the whole point.

Vacuum pumps help modestly. Inert gas sprays work better. Neither performs miracles.

These are ranges rather than deadlines. A wine at day six is not dangerous, just tired.