Does Champagne Go Bad?

Champagne is an alcoholic drink that originated as a French product. It is an alcoholic beverage. The fermentation method is used. Grapes and vinegar are the most abundant ingredients of champagne.

There are mainly two types of champagne; vintage and non-vintage. The timespan of vintage champagne is a little longer than that of non-vintage champagne. Vintage champagnes are considered high-quality champagnes. Thats why they last longer.

There must be some old stored bottles of champagne in your pantry that you want to use but are confused that they are good to drink or not? Well, champagne does go bad, but it depends on how you store them.

How to store champagne?

Unopened champagne has a very long shelf life, so you dont have to worry about them. When it comes to an opened champagne, they need to be stored properly. Otherwise, they may become rotten.

You don’t want your pricey booze to spoil. So, store the champagne properly to extend its life. The methods for storing champagne are as follows.

Away from sunlight

You must keep your champagne bottle away from direct sunshine. Whether the bottle is opened or not, the rays of light are not suitable for it. It is dangerous because the sunlight can make the bottle burst because of different gases present inside.

You will also not experience the champagnes beautiful bubbles and fizz because of severe sunlight and heat. In brief, keep your bottle away from any heat source.

In a cool and dry place

You can store an unopened bottle of champagne in your pantry for years without any worry. The fizz and bubbles will remain the same, and the quality perfect even after years. But the condition is that the bottles of your champagne are kept in a cool and dry place.

The bottles should be placed horizontally at room temperature. As long as your champagne is kept in these conditions, you will enjoy a bubbly and full of fizz drink even after years.

In refrigerator

After opening, champagne should be kept in the refrigerator. Opened champagne can lose its fizz if kept at room temperature. So, refrigerate it to extend the life of its bubbles. Make sure to put the cork properly so that no air goes inside the bottle.

There is no need to refrigerate the unopened bottles of champagne. You can keep them in wine cellars at room temperature instead.

Can you freeze champagne?

Freezing champagne is not a good idea, and fizzy drinks lose their bubbles and freshness in the freezer. As a result, freezing such drinks as champagne is not advised. Sometimes the bottles even explode inside the freezers, so we need to be careful.

Freezing is only recommended when you have to cool your bottle immediately in any emergency case or stuff. You can put your bottle in the freezer in such a situation for 20 to 30 minutes. Otherwise, there is no need to freeze the champagne.

How long does champagne last?

Champagne has a rather lengthy shelf life. The time depends on a champagnes condition, whether it is opened or not or is vintage or non-vintage. An opened champagne, either vintage or non-vintage, will remain good for 2 to 5 days.

Champagne does not go bad, but its bubbles and fizz decrease over time. As a result, we do not enjoy the same taste as fresh ones. The bottles should be kept in the refrigerator with proper sealing to keep them good for 2 to 3 days.

In contrast, there is a difference in the lifespan of unopened vintage and non-vintage champagnes. Vintage champagne lasts for ten to twelve years if kept with all precautions, i.e., away from sunlight, etc., while non-vintage champagne lasts for three to four years. You can store them without a worry in your pantry.

How to tell if champagne is bad?

As already said, champagne seldom goes bad. Those rare cases are if the champagne is used after the limit or due to flatness. Mostly its fizz and bubbles start to lose their potency. We can drink it in this condition too if you feel that the taste is good.

Champagne does not go bad but loses its attractive bubbles. Following are some ways that you can follow to see if your champagne has gone bad:

• If you feel that the cork is broken or slightly loosed, do not use it because your champagne might have gone flat.
• Do not use a bottle of champagne whose fizz decreases because the taste does not remain the same.
• If your champagne smells gross, do not use it because it has gone bad.
• If you feel that your champagne tastes strange, stop using it immediately as it wouldnt be good for your health.

Sources

• Does it go bad?
• How long does champagne last?
• How to tell if your champagne is off?