How to Store Champagne Properly! 4 Things to Keep in Mind
Champagne is the most prestigious sparkling wine in the world, who doesn’t like it? Tons of people everyday pop open a Champagne bottle. However, to best enjoy Champagne, you need to know how to set the temperature on your wine cooling system and store it properly.
Table of Contents
What is the Ideal Temperature for Storing Champagne
When it comes to storing sparkling wines like Champagne, make sure to store your bottle in a place that’s not too hot and not too cold. For a long term storage, you want to aim for a consistent temperature that is between 50-55°F (10-13°C).
For short term storage of Champagne bottles, an ideal temperature range is 47-50°F (8-10°C).
Make sure not to keep Champagne bottles in any warm places like in the kitchen near the oven. Avoid putting your Champagne bottle in the freezer. The extremely cold temperature can dry out the cork and let air into the unopened bottle, making the Champagne go bad.
Where to Store Champagne
Consider investing in a wine cooler or a wine cellar if you’re an avid Champagne drinker. Wine coolers and wine cellars are designed to preserve wine so that you don’t have to worry about it yourself and could make a big difference for you if you’re someone who likes to drink Champagne daily.
Why?
- Wine fridges and cellars allow you to control the temperature and humidity levels which can both affect the wine and they essentially does all the work for you. For long term storage of Champagne you should especially consider investing in a wine cooler, as it keeps the wine at a constant temperature.
- Most wine cellars use a wine rack to lie Champagne bottles on their side, however the way in which you lay Champagne bottles depends on how long you want to store Champagne for. For short-term storage, you should leave the bottle upright, and for long-term storage, you should lay it on its side.
- Champagne is extremely sensitive to light which is why it usually comes in a dark green or amber colored bottle.
Should Champagne be Chilled?
Yes, the best way to serve Champagne is by chilling it first. Just like most sparkling wines, when Champagne is chilled to a temperature range of 47-50°F (8-10°C), its flavors and aromas are greatly enhanced. Chilling the Champagne bottle can mellow out the acidity of the wine and bring out the fruity and floral profiles. Chilled Champagne is also much more refreshing than warm Champagne.
In order to get the best taste out of your Champagne, it’s generally recommended to chill it, but be careful not to chill it for too long, or else it can degrade in quality.(1)
How Long Does Champagne Last Unopened?
If your intent is to store Champagne for a longer period, there are some essential considerations:
Non-Vintage Champagne bottles should be enjoyed within a relatively short timeframe, typically reaching their peak within 3-4 years of production. The youthful exuberance and freshness of non-vintage expressions are key attributes that make them delightful in their early years.
Vintage Champagne presents a different narrative. These bottles, showcasing the unique character of a specific harvest, often possess greater aging potential. In fact, well-crafted Vintage Champagnes can gracefully mature over extended periods, between 5 and 10 years. The complexity and depth of flavors evolve with time, offering a nuanced tasting experience..
How Long is an Opened Bottle of Champagne Good for?
An open bottle can last for about 3-5 days if you preserve the Champagne correctly.
To prevent the bubbles from going flat you should invest in a good bottle stopper or preservation recorker to keep as much carbon dioxide in the bottle as possible, which is what makes the Champagne bubble in the first place.
You can keep the Champagne in the fridge sitting upright for a few days and it’ll be preserved. Follow the same rules above for a closed bottle of Champagne and it’ll last up to a week.
Final Advice
You’ve learned everything you need to know about storing Champagne properly. Make sure to follow all the tips for storing your Champagne in a cool dark place away from light and heat fluctuations.
Consider getting a wine cooler, because it does all the work of preserving the wine so that you don’t have to do anything!
Now that you know how to correctly store Champagne, you can buy all the bottles you want from the Champagne region and enjoy them even more!
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