What is a celebration without some bubbling champagne? Imagine: the perfect occasion arises, and all that’s missing is some champagne. So you get your champagne glasses ready, and you take out the champagne you were gifted a few months ago.
You’re just about to open it up, but then a thought crosses your mind: Has my champagne gone bad? How long does it last?
When it comes to how long your champagne will last, here is what you should know:
You may think that alcohol content means it can last indefinitely. Unfortunately, champagne will go bad or at least taste flat eventually. However, there is still plenty of time to consume it before that happens. Regular, non-vintage champagne can last unopened for up to 3-4 years.
How To Tell If Your Champagne Has Gone Bad
Champagne does not generally go bad in the usual sense. Instead, it loses its quality over time. Most people choose to discard it when this happens.
So how do you tell when champagne has lost its quality? Simply pour some champagne into a glass. If there aren’t any bubbles present, it has deteriorated. It will also have a flat taste that may even turn sour over time.
Another pro tip: check the bottle for any signs of spoilage or leaks, which could influence the quality of your champagne.
How To Store Champagne
The best place to store your unopened bottle of champagne is a cool, dark area. It should be kept away from any light and sources of heat.
You may be tempted to store it on display in the liquor cabinet. The issue with this is that your champagne may be exposed to light, which you want to avoid.
Room temperature is great for your bottle of champagne as long as it is unopened. A pantry is most probably the perfect spot.
A neat trick to help your vintage champagne last longer is laying it on its side. This allows the cork to stay moist. So it will not dry out and degrade in quality as quickly.
On the other hand, when you open up your bottle of champagne, store it in the fridge. Whatever is leftover should be sealed tightly in the fridge. This will retain its fizziness.
Sometimes the cork can’t be reused, and that’s okay. Using a wine stopper or champagne sealer is ideal to seal your champagne tightly.
The Shelf-Life Of Champagne
If you properly store your champagne, it can retain its fizz and taste for up to 3-4 years unopened. This is only for non-vintage champagne. Vintage champagne, however, can last up to 5- 10 years unopened.
As soon as you open your bottle, it may only be worth keeping it refrigerated for 4-5 days. The champagne will probably lose its fizz, taste flat, and be unsatisfactory overall.
In Summary
What is the difference between non-vintage and vintage champagne? A simplified answer can tell you this. Non-vintage champagne is aged for a minimum of 15 months. Vintage champagne must speed at least 36 months of aging. There’s so much more information on this topic to delve into.
When it comes to the shelf-life and storing of your champagne bottles, it’s an even longer timeframe.
Remember: store your champagne correctly to maximize its shelf-life. Although luckily, champagne can last up to 10 years if it’s vintage. Non-vintage champagne lasts 3-4 years. That’s a pretty long time for you to enjoy your champagne for any upcoming occasion. However, as soon as you open the bottle, it will only last a few days, then you should probably toss it out due to a loss in quality.
