Wine, Explained
Updated September 2026
Wine is the broadest category on this site and the one where most questions are practical rather than aesthetic — how many bottles, how long it keeps, what to do with what is open.
Start here
How many bottles are in a case of wine? — twelve 750 mL bottles, nine litres.
Sherry vs vermouth — two fortified wines that are not interchangeable.
How to open a bottle of wine with a lighter
Two definitions worth having
Vermouth is a wine, not a spirit. Under US labelling it is an aperitif wine bottled at 15% ABV or higher, flavoured with herbs and botanicals. That is why it oxidises and why an open bottle belongs in the refrigerator — the single most common cause of a disappointing home Manhattan.
“Non-alcoholic” means under 0.5% ABV. Per TTB guidance, beverages below that threshold are not treated as alcoholic beverages at all. It does not mean zero.
The storage rules that actually matter
Unopened: on its side, cool, dark, stable temperature. Heat cycling does more damage than heat.
Opened still wine: recork, refrigerate, three to five days. Oxidation is the clock.
Opened sparkling: a proper stopper, refrigerated, one to three days.
Opened fortified wine — vermouth, sherry, port: refrigerate, and about a month. Longer than table wine, far shorter than a spirit.
Everything we’ve published on wine
Buying guides
- best buttery chardonnay
- best cabernet sauvignon under $25
- best cheap cabernet sauvignon
- best cheap champagne for mimosas
- best cheap wine under $5
- best pinot noir under $20
- best pinot noir under $50
- best red wine blends under $20
- best sauvignon blanc under $30
- hard seltzer vs beer
- best white wine under $20
- best wine cooler brands
- best wine for no hangover
- best non alcoholic sparkling wine
- 15 Best Pinot Noirs to Drink in 2023
- best brandy for sangria
- best chardonnay wine
- best chocolate wine
- best grocery store wine
- best white wine brands
- best moet champagne
- best napa wine club
- best liquor store in nashville
- best pink moscato
- best prosecco for aperol spritz
- best prosecco for mimosa
- best red wine for casual drinking
- best red wine for cooking
- best red wine for pasta
- best red wine to gift
- best rosé wine for beginners
- best semi sweet red wine
- best shiraz wine
- best stella rosa wine
- best sweet moscato
- best sweet riesling
- best type of wine for mulled wine
- best wine at whole foods
- best wine for beginners
- best wine for charcuterie
- best wine for christmas gift
- best wine in new zealand
- best wine with pork chops
- what is the driest white wine
- what is the best hard seltzer
Brands & bottles
- how many wine coolers to get drunk
- Eco-Friendly Silver Oak Winery
- healthiest wine to drink
- dry red wine brands
- substitute for brandy in mulled wine
- substitute for brandy in sangria
- who makes kirkland chardonnay
- wine hangover cure
- cheapest wine with highest alcohol content
- le portier cognac review
- mixed drinks with white wine
- red wine alternatives
- riesling sweetness levels
- sweet white wine brands
- sweet wine with high alcohol content
- where is the expiration date on wine
- who makes kirkland champagne
- who makes kirkland prosecco
- who makes kirkland wine
- wine for people who dont like wine
Comparisons
- campari vs vermouth
- wine connoisseur vs sommelier
- alcohol content in beer vs wine
- cabernet vs pinot noir
- merlot vs malbec
- mulled wine vs gluhwein
- pinot noir vs pinot grigio
- prosecco vs moscato
- sangria vs mulled wine
- sherry vs brandy
- do celsius drinks have alcohol
- sweet vs dry vermouth
- tawny vs ruby port
Questions answered
- can you mix red and white wine
- Do Americans drink more wine or beer?
- does wine make you horny
- how long to chill wine in freezer
- how many bottles of wine in a barrel
- how to cork wine bottles
- how to open a bottle of wine with a lighter
- how to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew
- how to remove labels from wine bottles
- what does mulled wine taste like
- What Is A Wine Flight
- why does wine make me sleepy
- does champagne freeze
- how long does black box wine last
- how long does mulled wine last
- how long does pinot grigio last
- how long does wine last unopened
- how many bottles in a case of wine
- how many calories in a bottle of wine
- how much alcohol is in champagne
- How Much Champagne To Get Drunk
- how much is firstleaf wine club
- how much wine to get drunk
- how to choose a good wine
- how to start a wine business
- how to tell if wine is corked
- what does port wine taste like
- what does sweet vermouth taste like
- what does taylor port taste like
- what does wine taste like
- what is a sweet wine
- what is pink moscato
- what to mix with red wine
- what type of wine for sangria
Recipes & cocktails
Prices & value
Also explore: Rum Guide · Liqueurs Guide · Bourbon Guide · Gin Guide · Beer Guide · Brandy Guide · Vodka Guide