Champagne - does it ever go off?

[jodee]

I haven't the first clue about wine/champagne vintages, etc. and have discovered half a dozen bottles in my kitchen while packing to move (I'm sure a couple date back to a couple of Christmases ago). No idea why they haven't been drunk (!) but how do I know if they are worth keeping, as I cannot see any dates on the bottles?

[Hulababy]

Found this via Yahoo:

How long can you store champagne? How should it be stored?


A search on "storing champagne" led us straight to some good advice. When it comes to wine in general, and sparkling wine in particular, temperature matters. All wines keep best in a cool, dark place with consistent temperatures around 55°F. Fluctuations of hot and cold can ruin a nice bottle of bubbly, and chilly extremes are just as harmful as high temperatures.
Don't keep a bottle of champagne chilled in the refrigerator indefinitely, waiting for a reason to celebrate -- by the time you pop the cork, it may not taste very festive. An article on storing wine from About.com recommends refrigerating champagne for no more than a couple of days. Return it to the somewhat warmer conditions of your wine cellar for longer term storage. If, like us, you don't have a wine cellar, the FAQ at Wine.com suggests that 45°F is the optimal temperature for both serving and storage.

The proper treatment of food and wine is part science, part opinion. In the past, we've found the information from Epicurious both helpful and accurate, so we were delighted to find their entry on storing and chilling champagne. Most champagnes store well for 3-4 years, but may deteriorate if kept longer. Vintage champagnes (those dated by year on the label) may keep for somewhat longer, but storing even the finest vintage champagne for over 10 years is not recommended.

Once a bottle of champagne is open, you'll need a special stopper to recork the opened bottle. A regular stopper could easily fly off in the refrigerator. Here's an unproven tip you might want to try: Set a silver spoon, stem side down, into an open bottle of champagne. This should keep the sparkle alive for a day or two in your refrigerator.

And just in case you were wondering: All champagne is sparkling, but not all bubbly wine is technically champagne. Only wine made in France's northern Champagne region according to the age-old Méthode Champenoise may be labelled champagne. Everything else, no matter how delicious, small-bubbled, or expensive, is simply sparkling.

[katierocket]

lol nutcracker - I would definitely have been licking it up.

[AussieSim]

jodee - where was it stored and is that place at a fairly constant temperature or does it go up and down? The temperature changes would definitely affect how long it will be ok for.

[essbee]

Message withdrawn

[SoupDragon]

It doesn't go off in my experience but that's maing because it gets drunk so quickly. Kind of like me.

[essbee]

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[fio2]

drink them!!!!!!!!!!

[Hulababy]

Champagne should ideally be drank straight away and it doesn't keep well. That is because it has no sediment left in it (unlike red wines and port). If you want champagne to save you shuld do it direct with a champagne house who will keep it in their caves, with sediment left in and not bottled - I imagine it'd be very expensive though.

A couple of years should be fine though - open it and try it, only way to tell.

[nutcracker]

Haven't a clue, don't have it long enough, and thats not because it gets drunk.
Someone gave us a bottle and i was saving it for when we move. It was on the floor in the kitchen, and dd2 decided to pick it up to stop ds getting it. She put it on the self, but not quite far enough on. I manged to rsist the urge to get down and suck it up off the floor

[jmg]

Not a chance in this house - never any left over!!

[PCPlum]

Does it ever go off? Send me a bottle or two and I'll let you know.

[bunny2]

Get them down to Bournemouth Jodee!!

[jodee]

Thanks to both of you, now I just need an excuse for a party to try them! (Keeping them flat from now on...)

[Rae1973]

Hiya Jodee,

As MTJ says as long as they are sealed they should be fine, unless they have corked, which if they have, the champagne will tast very very sour.

I got bought a bottle champagne on Dd1's 1st birthday to be opened on her 16th.

One thing about champagne though, I do know that the older it gets the better it is and it is also better laid on its side.

[mummytojames]

as long as the bottles are sealed it should be fine but the only way to tell exactly is by opening and tasteing it if its got like a vinegar taste then its of but would be very surprised as the bottles are sealed