Does Prosecco Go Bad? - What You Should Know

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Prosecco, the widely popular sparkling wine from Italy is many people’s first choice when choosing an aperitif or a post-dinner drink. If you are one of these people, you will certainly have a lot of questions about prosecco.

Does prosecco go bad? An unopened bottle of prosecco doesn’t really go bad. However, it is recommended to consume prosecco within 2 years after it has been bottled. Opened prosecco stored in the fridge stays good for only 3 to 4 days after which it loses its fizziness, aroma, and flavor.

Keep on reading to get the answers to all the prosecco questions you have ever had.

How Long Does Unopened Prosecco Last?

A bottle of prosecco is much more affordable than a bottle of champagne. Sold at half the price as the popular French sparkling wine, some people buy a few bottles of prosecco at a time when their local supermarket has them on sale.

But how long does an unopened bottle of prosecco last? Prosecco doesn’t technically “go bad,” but its flavor will deteriorate with time. It may also lose its fizziness and flatten.

Experts recommend drinking prosecco within 2 years after it has been bottled. This is when the fizziness and the flavor of the dink are at their best. The sooner you open and drink the prosecco the more you will feel the fruity notes in it.

Does Prosecco Get Better With Age?

If some vintage wines benefit from sitting long in the cellar, prosecco doesn’t. As we have already mentioned, it is best to drink prosecco soon after it has been bottled.

The reason why prosecco doesn’t get better with age is that it has a higher sugar to acid ratio. In fact, this wine will simply go stale if you try to age it. It will become flat and lose its crispiness.

How To Store An Unopened Bottle of Prosecco?

There are a few rules when it comes to storing an unopened bottle of prosecco.

First off, you should store it in an upright position. This prevents the contact of the wine with the cork. If the liquid gets to the cork and makes it all moist, it will allow the air to get in. As a result, your prosecco will go stale sooner than expected.

Secondly, prosecco is best stored in a dark environment away from any sources of light. The bottle of prosecco is in most cases dark-colored. While this protects the drink from light to a certain extent, it can’t provide full protection.

Lastly, keep prosecco away from heat. Make sure the temperature of the room where you store it is not high. You don’t need to store an unopened bottle of prosecco in the fridge. You can let it chill there before serving as most people don’t enjoy drinking room temperature prosecco.

If you follow the professional advice, the temperature of the sparkly wine should be between 6 to 8 °C at the time of serving.

Is There A “Best Before” Date On Prosecco?

Prosecco does come with a “best before” date. If in the case of many products this date can be ignored, when it comes to prosecco it is good to follow the instructions.

The date on the prosecco bottle isn’t simply the manufacturer’s estimation of how long the wine will retain its best qualities but a general truth.

Thus, always keep an eye on the ‘Best Before’ date if this sparkling wine and don’t miss to pop the bottle whenever you get the chance to do it.

Does Prosecco Go Bad After Opening?

Unlike a few other wine varieties, the shelf of an opened bottle of prosecco is quite short. It should be consumed within 3 to 4 days.

Does Prosecco Go Bad in the Fridge?

First off, unopened prosecco shouldn’t be stored in the fridge unless you are expecting guests and are about to serve them the drinks. You can leave prosecco in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days.

If you leave it in the fridge for a week or longer, the cork will dry out. And here is when the trouble starts. As the cork dries out, it loosens up causing oxidation and changes in the flavor and overall aroma of the wine. In addition to this, the drink will also lose some of its bubbles.

As for an opened bottle of prosecco, you can keep it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. After that, discard the prosecco as it will no longer be suitable for consumption.

Do You Have to Refrigerate Prosecco After Opening?

When it comes to storing a half-full bottle of prosecco, there can be no other option other than the refrigerator.

By no means should you leave an opened bottle of prosecco at room temperature even if you feel like you have successfully put the cork back into the bottle.

How Can You Tell If Prosecco Is Bad?

A properly stored bottle of prosecco is very unlikely to go bad. The chances of prosecco going bad are high if you have been keeping an opened bottle in the fridge for a few days.

The sings of spoilage in the case of prosecco may be discoloration (darker yellow to brown), staleness, flatness, loss of aroma, bitterness.

What Happens If You Drink Old Prosecco?

As with old champagne, old prosecco won’t cause any health issues if you drink it.

In reality, you probably won’t drink it past a sip as old prosecco is certainly not the fruity and bubbly wine as it once was.

5 Ideas For Leftover Prosecco

If you have enjoyed a glass of prosecco with your dinner and are left with a half-full bottle, should you repeat it for the following few days or is there another way of using leftover prosecco?

Instead of letting the prosecco flatten and go bad in the fridge, experiment with it. There is more you can do with prosecco than you think. If you know you won’t be drinking this sparkling wine within 2 to 3 days, you can at least have some fun using it in other ways.

Here are a few fun ways of using prosecco aside from the traditional way of drinking it.

1. Prosecco Syrup for Pancakes

If you have had a glass of prosecco with your meal and don’t want to store the rest in the fridge, make a prosecco syrup and some pancakes. And the next morning you will have a kind of breakfast you have never had before.

Simmer 200 ml of the sparkling wine with 200 grams of sugar until it thickens. Make some pancakes with your favorite recipe.

Top the pancakes with the prosecco syrup. Have you ever had pancakes with such a twist?

2. Prosecco Pears

While this method won’t help you get rid of a large amount of prosecco it will certainly inspire you to discover other uses for this widely popular drink.

Peel a few pears. Brush them with some lemon water to prevent browning and follow by a few layers of prosecco. Put the pears in a pan. Simmer for 25 minutes in a closed pan.

These prosecco-infused pears will taste heavenly with ice cream and a pinch of cinnamon.

3. Prosecco Sauce for Scallops

This prosecco seafood sauce is for the bold. If sauces are what make the dish for you, then you should certainly give a try to this one.

Chop some shallots and garlic and cook them in butter for a couple of minutes. Add 150 ml of the leftover sparkling wine along with a splash of lemon juice. Simmer on low heat until the sauce thickens.

Enjoy with scallops or pan-fried sea bass.

4. Prosecco-Berry Sorbet

If you are looking for a fancier way to use up your prosecco leftovers, this recipe may work well for you.

Make berry sorbet by combining simple sugar syrup with berries blended with lemon juice. Freeze to reach the perfect sorbet consistency.

Once the sorbet is ready, scoop some of it into a suitable glass and pour prosecco over it.

5. Prosecco Ice Cubes

If you are not in the mood for cooking and simply need the half-full bottle of prosecco out of the way, then this is the best option for you.

Pour the drink into ice cube trays. Next time you have a gathering your guests will certainly be surprised with your innovative ice cubes.

For even more tasty leftover prosecco ideas, check out this video by WOOLWORTHS SA. Enjoy!

Does Prosecco Go Bad? – What You Should Know