NICOLE YI: How long can an opened bottle of wine really last? To answer this question, I spoke with wine educator Collin Lilly during a recent trip to Andretti Winery in Napa Valley, California. Although he claims that his response is completely subjective, here are his thoughts on a wine’s life span. “I believe that when you are grabbing a bottle of wine, you’re making a personal investment and you need to drink that entire bottle that night,” said Collin. “Because one thing that is happening with wine when you’ve consumed half the bottle or more, there’s now a gap of air that’s filling the bottle. Over time, when it’s exposed to too much air, the phenols (or components that affect the wine’s taste) will dissipate and become negative flavours.”
