How much champagne can be stored: 3 main conditions and 4 useful tips

Sparkling wine must be stored under certain conditions.

Usually, the champagne is drunk immediately after purchase or stored for a short time. But there are situations when you need to save a bottle of good sparkling wine, and then you need to know how to store champagne, because, as it turned out, this is a whole science. Let's figure it out.

Storage features

Champagne is a wine, but with some carbon dioxide content. This fact directly affects the shelf life of champagne, which is significantly different from the terms of ordinary wines and cognac products.

It is the bubbles that affect the duration of storage of a sparkling drink.

Contrary to popular belief that over the years, alcohol only “picks up” its taste, this does not apply to sparkling wines. Carbon dioxide in the drink reduces its shelf life, and the champagne itself requires special storage conditions.

Keep in mind that the requirements and shelf life of this champagne and sparkling wine drink are significantly different. This sparkling wine should:

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	Condition 1 Contain information on the date of harvest.
	Condition 2 The retention period is specified, for example, 12 months. But the phrase "shelf life is not limited" raises doubts about the quality of the drink.
	Condition 3 Pay attention to the price, quality and brand of the manufacturer. Elite alcohol is produced in accordance with strict standards and is usually stored much longer than budget alcohol.

Instructions on how to determine real champagne

The storage time for champagne is usually 1–3 years, provided that the original packaging has not been opened and all storage recommendations have been followed. Elite champagne can stand for 10 years, if properly stored at home. An open bottle, for obvious reasons, will not last a week.

Storage Requirements: 3 conditions

Good champagne can't be cheap

How long can champagne be stored in a closed bottle? The term depends on the storage conditions:

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	Requirement 1. Temperature It will be a huge mistake if you store the champagne bottles in kitchen cabinets, bar compartments, sideboards. To keep sparkling wine at room temperature means to shorten its shelf life with your own hands. The fact is that at this temperature the fermentation process starts, the wine turns sour, the cork shrinks. In addition, the naturally occurring gases can push the cork out and once the champagne “shoots”. At what temperature to store champagne? The temperature should be between 5–15 ° C, and it can be reached by placing the bottle: in the fridge; in the cellar; to the basement. You can not keep a drink where possible sudden changes in temperature.
	Requirement 2. Shine It’s not for nothing that real wine boutiques are located in basement and semi-basement rooms: for alcohol, sparkling wines, including, sunlight is harmful. The taste of a drink depends directly on how well the place where it was stored was lit. The intensity of light also determines how much sparkling wine can be stored after purchase: The drink should not stand in a well-lit place, especially in direct sunlight. Illumination also negatively affects the quality and shelf life of the drink. If the glass of the bottle is not tinted, then it is better to store the container in a box or a cool dark place.
	Requirement 3. Humidity Humidity is an equally important factor that many people forget. It must be at least 75%, otherwise the cork will dry out. Raw and dark basement - the perfect place for sparkling wine.

If you buy champagne not in a special store, but in a supermarket, where alcohol storage conditions are not meet the requirements, try to choose the freshest batch and drink a drink in the next 3 of the month.

Useful recommendations: 4 tips

For obvious reasons, many of us do not have a special wine cellar, a damp and dark cellar. But how much can you then store a bottle of sparkling, and most importantly, where? The answer is simple - in the fridge, which certainly everyone has at home.

If there is no cellar, store champagne in the refrigerator

Let me give you some more recommendations, they will allow to preserve the taste and freshness of the drink as long as possible:

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	Tip 1 If you buy the drink yourself, then go to a specialty store and avoid shopping in the hypermarket. If you purchased a drink in a wine boutique, be sure that it was stored properly.
	Tip 2 If the price of champagne is low (not elite vintage alcohol), then choose a bottle from the freshest party and try to open it no later than 3 months after the production date.
	Tip 3 If possible, store the bottle in a horizontal position (so the cork will not dry out), at a relative humidity of 75%.
	Tip 4 To prevent the light from penetrating through the glass of the bottle, wrap it with a soft dark cloth and place it in the refrigerator (in the main compartment, where the temperature is about 5–10 ° C).

Sparkling wine bottles should be stored in a horizontal position so that the cork does not crack.

And how to store open champagne? It's all much simpler - it does not need to be stored at all. Gas bubbles, no matter how tightly you close the lid, evaporate very quickly, the drink quickly loses its taste and turns sour. Therefore, regardless of the elitism of alcohol, drink it within a day after opening the container.

After opening the bottle, it is advisable to use champagne during the day, as the gas bubbles quickly evaporate.

Conclusion

The taste and quality of the drink depends not only on the grape variety and the name of the producer, but also on how much champagne is kept closed. By following the simple rules that you learned today, you can extend the shelf life of sparkling wine as much as possible.

The video in this article confirms all voiced requirements for the storage conditions of sparkling wines. If you have questions - I will be happy to answer them in the comments!