How to Store Champagne: 3 Tips for an Open Champagne Bottle

Champagne is a white or rosé sparkling wine made primarily from the grapes chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It’s named comes from the Champagne region of France. Champagne tends to be more expensive than other sparkling wines, so it has become a symbol of luxury and celebration.

Not just any sparkling wine qualifies as Champagne. According to EU regulations, producers must make this wine in the Champagne region of France using a specific winemaking technique called the méthode champenoise. Champagne winemakers are so proud of this method that they have gone to court to protect the name; therefore, no wine made outside the region can use Champagne in its label.

Unopened Champagne will last for three to four years if you store it properly. Here are a few tips for preserving your Champagne’s flavor:

• Avoid direct sunlight. Most Champagne bottles are dark glass because light exposure causes temperature fluctuation, which affects the taste and overall quality of the Champagne. Store Champagne in a cool, dark place like a wine cellar or other wine storage facility for long-term storage.
• Maintain a cool temperature. Optimal Champagne storage conditions are an underground garage, a dry basement, or a temperature-controlled room where you can chill Champagne. This consistency is important for the maturation of vintage Champagne and for non-vintage Champagne. Remove any sources of heat, as they will alter the quality of a bottle of Champagne. Avoid heating vents, windows, or other warm places, such as utility closets or laundry rooms.
• Store bottles vertically or on their sides. You can store Champagne bottles in any configuration. The bubbles create a humid environment that naturally prevents the corks from drying out.

If you store opened Champagne properly, it should have a shelf life of three to five days.

• Change out the cork. It is all but impossible to return an original Champagne cork to its bottle. Instead, use a hermetic cork or a Champagne stopper for short-term storage. Hermetic corks are airtight and will prevent oxidation.
• Keep the Champagne cold. The ideal place to store an opened bottle of Champagne is an ice bucket—but this only applies if you are actively enjoying or serving the Champagne. After re-corking Champagne, maintain it at a constant temperature between forty-five degrees and sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. This preserves the fizz and bubbly characteristics of Champagne. Avoid storing Champagne at room temperature.
• Store Champagne vertically or on its side. You can store an opened bottle of Champagne right side up or on its side in a wine rack without worrying about the position affecting the taste.

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