Champagne Storage – How to Store Champagne

Short Term, up to a few months, considerations so it tastes its best

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Most Champagne is drunk shortly after it is bought, although there are reasons to Cellar Champagne, meaning to store and age it for a long time. This article however is on short term Champagne storage, say a couple minutes to a couple months, so it tastes its best!

The reason we care about how to store champagne is that wine is rather delicate, some more than others. Big and young reds are pretty robust, and that cheap jug wine your parents might drink is as well, but Champagne is not. In fact it is the most delicate of wines.

Improper storage will dull the flavors and may make it actually be bad. Here are some Champagne storage tips.

Keywords: Cool and Dark!

If you are going to drink your Champagne within a few days do not worry about it too much, but keep it at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) or below. Champagne storage temperature is important: it doesn’t take much heat to damage it. If your place is warm (like my grandmother’s apartment which was about 80 degrees!), keeping it in the refrigerator for a few days is fine.

You also want to keep it dark, and absolutely out of the sunlight!

Over the stove in a cabinet or on the refrigerator or in a window sill is bad! In the basement or a cool closet is fine.

Storing it for a few months is not a problem either. Follow the same guidelines, but do not store it in the fridge for an extended period of time. Many claim the prolonged cold temperatures will dull the flavors, the vibrations from the fridge are not good for it, and food odors may permeate the cork to the wine. A couple weeks is fine, a couple months is not ideal. But all other things being equal, a couple+ months in the fridge will sure beat a couple+ months at 75 or 80 degrees! Don't stress over it.

Also, be very very careful if it is hot about transporting it home. Do not stick it in the trunk (or “boot” in much if the world) or leave it in the car for extended periods. It will potentially overheat. If you need to, a cooler can be used to protect the bottles.

Also should the Champagne be standing up or lying down? Well for a couple months or less is doesn’t matter. Longer term Champagne storage should be with the bottles on their sides. Not everyone agrees on this point, but I store mine on their sides.

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