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Champagne is the drink of choice for any type of achievement worth celebrating, big or small. From weddings and anniversaries to promotions and celebrations, having a bottle of champagne on hand is a requirement if you want to be prepared for any event. However, the last thing you want is for a bad-tasting glass of bubbly to mar your celebration. The following suggestions will help you store your champagne properly, whether you'll be drinking it in five days or five years.
What exactly is champagne?
Champagne is a sparkling wine that is white or rosé in colour and is manufactured mostly from the grapes chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier. It gets its name from the Champagne area of France. Because champagne is more expensive than other sparkling wines, it has come to represent luxury and festivity.
Champagne is not simply any sparkling wine. Producers must make this wine in the Champagne region of France using a certain winemaking technique known as the méthode champenoise, according to EU laws. Champagne winemakers are so proud of this process that they have taken the name to court to protect it; as a result, no wine made outside the region may use the word Champagne on its label.
How to store champagne?
• Both opened and unopened champagne should be stored in a dark, out-of-the-way location away from direct sunlight. This is because sunlight changes the internal temperature of the champagne, which can modify the chemical makeup of the champagne and impair its taste quality. Place your champagne bottles in a completely enclosed, light-free storage space. Most of us do not have a wine cellar, so if you do not have access to one, a dark closet or cupboard can suffice. Another option is to wrap the bottles with a thin, dark-coloured fabric.
• To keep your champagne, a simple shelving unit or storage rack would suffice. Your storage solution does not need to be beautiful or elegant; it simply needs to be strong enough to support the weight of your bottles. Avoid storing champagne in the refrigerator, both short-term and long-term (unless you are chilling it for serving), because the light from the refrigerator, combined with the refrigerator motor and temperature changes caused by repeatedly opening and closing the door, will spoil the champagne.
• When keeping champagne for a short period of time (less than a month), it can be stored upright. If you intend to keep champagne for more than a month, it should be stored on its side in a wine rack or piled in the same manner in a cellar; otherwise, the cork may dry up and make it impossible to open the bottle. Now consider the temperature.
• When keeping champagne, the temperature is critical since it affects the taste and texture. If you're storing champagne for a short period of time, keep it above freezing but just below room temperature. Champagne should be stored at a steady temperature of 50-59 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 70-85%.
