Does Prosecco go bad? - What you should know

Prosecco, Italy’s wildly popular sparkling wine, is many people’s first choice when choosing an aperitif or after-dinner drink. If you are one of these people, surely you have many questions about prosecco.

Does the prosecco go bad? An unopened bottle of prosecco doesn’t really go bad. However, it is recommended to consume prosecco within 2 years of bottling. The prosecco opened and kept in the refrigerator is only kept for 3 or 4 days, after which it loses its effervescence, aroma and flavor.

Read on for answers to all the prosecco questions you’ve ever had.

How long does prosecco keep unopened?

A bottle of prosecco is much more affordable than a bottle of champagne. It sells for half the price of the popular French sparkling wine, and some people buy a few bottles of prosecco when the local supermarket has it on sale.

But how long does an unopened bottle of prosecco last? Technically, prosecco doesn’t “go bad,” but it does deteriorate in flavor over time. It can also lose its fizz and become flat.

Experts recommend drinking prosecco within 2 years of bottling . This is when the fizz and flavor of the dink is at its best. The sooner you open and drink the prosecco, the more you will feel its fruity notes.

Does prosecco get better over time?

If some vintage wines benefit from being in the cellar for a long time, prosecco does not. As we have already said, it is best to drink prosecco shortly after it has been bottled. 

The reason prosecco doesn’t get better over time is that it has a higher ratio of sugars and acids. In fact, this wine will go rancid if you try to age it. It will become flat and lose its freshness.

How to store an unopened bottle of Prosecco?

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

First of all, you must store it in an upright position. This avoids contact of the wine with the cork. If the liquid gets on the cork and makes it wet, it will allow air to enter. As a result, your prosecco will go stale sooner than expected.

Second, prosecco is best stored in a dark environment, away from any light source. In most cases, the prosecco bottle is dark in color. Although this protects the beverage from light to some extent, it cannot provide full protection.

Lastly, keep the prosecco away from the heat. Make sure that the temperature of the room where you keep it is not high. You don’t need to keep an unopened bottle of prosecco in the fridge. You can let it cool down there before serving it, as most people don’t like to drink prosecco at room temperature.

If you follow the advice of the professionals, the temperature of the sparkling wine should be between 6 and 8 °C at the time of serving it.

Is there a best before date for prosecco?

Prosecco has 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 bottle of prosecco is not simply the manufacturer’s estimate of how long the wine will retain its best qualities, but rather a general truth.

Therefore, always keep an eye on the best before date for this sparkling wine and be sure to uncork the bottle when you have the opportunity to do so.

Does Prosecco go bad after opening it?

Unlike other varieties of wine, the shelf life 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 of all, unopened prosecco should not be kept in the fridge, unless you are expecting guests and going to serve them their drinks. You can leave the prosecco in the fridge for a maximum of 4 days. 

If you leave it in the fridge for a week or more, the cork will dry out. And this is where the problems begin. As the cork dries, it loosens causing oxidation and changes in the overall flavor and aroma of the wine. In addition, the drink will also lose part of its bubbles.

As for an open bottle of prosecco, you can keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. Then discard the prosecco as it will no longer be suitable for consumption.

Does prosecco have to be refrigerated after opening it?

When it comes to preserving a half-full bottle of prosecco, there is no other option than the fridge.

You should by no means leave an open bottle of prosecco at room temperature, even if you feel like you’ve successfully re-corked the bottle.

How can you tell if prosecco is bad?

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

Signs of deterioration in the case of prosecco can be discoloration (from darker yellow to brown), aging, flattening, loss of aroma, and bitterness.

What happens if you drink old prosecco?

Like old champagne, old prosecco won’t cause any health problems if you drink it.

In reality, you probably won’t drink more than one sip, as old prosecco is no longer the sparkling, fruity wine it once was.

5 ideas for leftover prosecco

If you’ve enjoyed a glass of prosecco with dinner and have been left with a half-full bottle, should you repeat for the following days or is there another way to use up the leftover prosecco?

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

Here are a few fun ways to use prosecco apart from the traditional way of drinking it.

1. Prosecco syrup for pancakes

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

Simmer 200 ml of the sparkling wine with 200 grams of sugar until thick. Prepare some pancakes with your favorite recipe.

Cover the pancakes with the prosecco syrup. Have you ever eaten pancakes with this touch?

2. Pears in prosecco

Although 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 very popular drink.

Peel a few pears. Brush them with a little lemon water to prevent browning and follow with a few layers of prosecco. Put the pears in a saucepan. Cook over low heat for 25 minutes in a closed saucepan.

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

3. Prosecco sauce for scallops

This seafood prosecco sauce is for the most daring. If sauces are what make the dish for you, then you should try this one.

Chop some shallots and garlic and cook them in butter for a couple of minutes. Add 150ml of the remaining sparkling wine along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook over low heat until the sauce thickens.

Enjoy it with scallops or fried sea bass.

4. Prosecco and berry sorbet

If you’re looking for a fancier way to use up leftover prosecco, this recipe might come in handy.

Make a berry sorbet by combining a simple sugar syrup with berries mixed with lemon juice. Freeze until you reach the perfect sorbet consistency.

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

5. Prosecco ice cubes

If you don’t feel like cooking and just need to get rid of the half full bottle of prosecco, this is the best option for you.

Pour the drink into ice cube trays. The next time you have a gathering, your guests will surely be amazed by your innovative ice cubes.

For more tasty ideas on leftover prosecco, check out this video from WOOLWORTHS SA. Enjoy it!

Related questions

Does prosecco last longer than champagne?

As we mentioned earlier in the article, prosecco does not go bad like most products. The same goes for champagne. There are simply specific periods in which it is recommended to take these drinks.

If you wait too long, both the prosecco and the champagne will become less sparkling. Also, the flavor will start to deteriorate.

An unopened bottle of champagne is best consumed within 4 years. Its taste is the best in this period of time.

As for prosecco, it is estimated that it has the best flavor in the first two years after bottling.

So technically, champagne lasts longer than prosecco.