Store Champagne

Champagne is a bubbly, fizzy celebratory wine made in the Champagne region of France. Most people buy champagne to bring to celebrations such as New Year's, holidays, and weddings. However, some people like to keep bottles of champagne on hand in case of some unexpected good news, or simply because it is an important item in a well-rounded and complete wine collection. Conditions for storing and keeping champagne must be just right to ensure it keeps well in the bottle, and tastes good when it is time to drink.

Steps

Preparing to Store Your Champagne

1. Pick the right room your champagne storage. Some homes are equipped with wine cellars for the specific purpose of storing wine such as champagne. If no wine cellar exists, use a cool, dark and dry space. A closet would work, or a cellar or basement with plenty of storage space.
   • Try to keep the area you choose free of objects like toys. You don't want to trip over something and fall into the champagne bottles.
   • Keep clothes, or items you need to use every day, away from the champagne bottles as well. You don't want the storage area to be high-traffic, one where you are constantly shifting the bottles around, looking for a particular article.
   • Another thing to keep in mind is that you want to pick a room that has very little vibrations. If the storage room is near where children play, the vibrations caused by their running could shake the bottles, thereby changing the champagne's flavor, and possibly causing a bottle to break.
2. Insulate your storage room. The room or closet should be well-insulated to protect it from excessive hot and cold temperatures, and moisture. Check with a local insulation professional before you begin to store champagne. They will be able to tell you what type of insulation a particular room uses, and whether or not it is best suited for the job.
   • You will want to make sure that the insulation is sturdy, and at least 1 1/2 inches thick.
   • The insulation should also have a vapor barrier on either side. This will prevent excess moisture from damaging the champagne.
   • The flooring should also be hard, like wood or concrete (something other than carpet). Carpet lets in and holds onto too much moisture. In the off chance a bottle breaks, it will also be much easier to clean up the champagne off a hard surface.
3. Manage the light in your storage room. Exposed or open windows let in light which can raise the temperature of the room, and change the chemical makeup of your champagne. Windows should be covered at all times with thick curtains that can be pinned together. If you have blinds in your windows they should be closed as well. You should also look into purchasing double-paned thermal glass, which will help to keep out both humidity and light.
   • You can use regular bobby pins or clothes pins. Either way, you will need to use enough of them to keep light out. Have enough so that you can place one every two inches.
   • Tinting your windows is also another great option to choose. For more information on tinting, you can visit http://www.tintworld.com/residential-services/.
   • When purchasing blinds, you should look for either wood, honeycomb, or roller shades. These three types of blinds are the best at blocking out unwanted light.
4. Install a humidifier in the storage room. Champagne needs to be stored between 50-75% humidity. As seasons begin to change, humidity levels rise and fall dramatically. It is critically important that your champagne remains at a constant level. You can purchase a humidifier at any local home improvement store.
   • Your humidifier will have to be hooked up to your water system in order to consistently produce moisture. Be aware of this, as your water bill will rise when this system is hooked up.
   • Because the humidifier needs to be hooked to your water lines, it is best to call your nearest plumber or electrician. They will be able to give you the best advice as to where to position your humidifier in relation to your piping in a particular room.
5. Control the temperature in your storage room. The ideal temperature for champagne storage is between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 15 degrees Celsius). Place a thermometer on the wall, close to the bottles so that the climate in the storage area can be checked and adjusted regularly. The more times you check the better, but you should at least check once a week.
   • For a consistent temperature you will need to install a refrigeration unit for your storage room. You can buy either wall, ductless, or ducted units at your nearest home improvement store. For more information on the proper unit to buy, visit this link: https://www.winecellarinnovations.com/refrigeration.
   • The refrigeration unit will, by necessity, be connected to both your water and electrical lines. It is because of this fact that you should call both an electrician and a plumber to install the unit for you. They will be able to give you advice on where best to place the unit in your room.

Picking the Correct Storage Device

1. Use a storage rack. Redwood, metal and plastic champagne racks can be purchased in wine shops, furniture stores, or home improvement stores. The rack used for storage does not need to be fancy or pretty. It simply needs space cut out to hold bottles of champagne. As a general guide to go off of, a storage rack which is {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. long X 8 ft. high X 2 ft. deep can hold about 125 bottles.
   • For storing champagne bottles in separate cubicles, you will need {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} cubicles (slightly bigger than the standard size of champagne bottles).
   • Place the rack in the space dedicated to storing the champagne. Try to keep it on or near the floor, where temperatures are typically the coolest. Redwood is a particularly excellent selection as it is resistant to mildew, rot, fungi, and humidity.
   • You can buy wine racks online, and get them shipped disassembled in order to reduced shipping costs. If you wish to make your own, visit this link: How to Build Wine Racks
2. Purchase a shelving unit. This is different from a champagne storage rack. Shelving units are similar, if not the same as, regular shelves. They are simply more sturdy and thick as compared to normal shelving units. Shelving storage units are designed for bulk storage, if you were to store cases of champagne at a time.
   • You can purchase regular shelving units, but they need to material used needs to be at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} thick. Your local home improvement store should have shelves designed for wine or champagne storage. They come already made, or disassembled for you to put together.
   • The best materials to use are metal or redwood. Redwood shelving has the added benefit of being resistant to mildew, humidity, fungi, etc.
   • Make sure that the shelves are not freestanding. The should be places on a wall, and secured with either screws or nails.
3. Add personal touches to your champagne storage room. This could mean any number of things, and all depends on how creative you are. You can add-on, or buy, slanted champagne racks. These help you to display particularly rare bottles you want to show off. You can use a wood carver to carve intricate designs in your wooden rack.
   • You might want to add murals or artwork into the room, so that when you show it off it looks "lived in."How to Paint a Mural
   • Glass entry door designs, or specially etched cabinet doors are also very popular.How to Etch Glass with Etching Cream
4. Store an opened bottle in the refrigerator. Invest in a high-quality metal stopper which will prevent air from reaching the contents of the bottle. Lay the bottle horizontally in the fridge which will maintain an evenness in tone and taste. Try to place it somewhere where it will not be bothered much.
   • If you place it on a shelf which is constantly used, or a drawer that needs to be opened, this can stir the champagne and cause it to lose much its flavor.
   • Do not simply place the old cork back in. You cannot get it back to its original high-pressure stoppage point, and there is a high chance the increased air activity will affect your champagne in a negative way.

Managing the Champagne You Have Stored

1. Store your bottle in the correct position. Depending on how long you plan to store your bottle of champagne will change the position you store your bottle in. If you are only storing a champagne bottle for a month, you should keep it upright, in a cool place guarded from light. However, if you plan on storing your bottle for longer, perhaps years, you should store the bottle laying down.
   • If you have a bottle that needs to be stored long-term, and therefore on its side, you can lay bottles on top of one another for more compact storage. On the other hand, short-term stored bottles will need to stand next to each other (never on top of one another).
   • If you have a larger sized bottle, it is best to store this for longer periods of time. The added time allows for a slower, more even maturation when it comes to the taste and quality of the champagne.
2. Keep an inventory. It is important to know how much champagne is stored, and its shelf life. Make a list of what is stored and keep it accessible. You can print pre-made labels with standard champagne terms on them, or print blank labels to write on. Place each label near, underneath, or on top of each section of your storage unit.
   • Keep one inventory list near the champagne, and one in a more convenient location, like the kitchen or your living room. This way you have one that that is always near the champagne, and one where you choose a bottle from for either a dinner or party.
3. Refrigerate champagne before serving it. First, decide on the bottle you plan to serve at a dinner or party. Take the bottle and place it in your refrigerator for at least a couple hours before you plan to serve it. The goal is to get the champagne to drop in temperature, down to 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit.
   • If you forgot to take the bottle out in time, simply place the bottle in your freezer for 15 minutes to cool it down. Do not wait any longer than that, otherwise the wine will freeze, and the bottle could shatter.
   • More vintage champagnes should be served at slightly warmer, at around 54-57 degrees Fahrenheit. Take 30 minutes off the refrigerated time, and 5 minutes off the frozen time. If the vintage wine is too cold, the coldness will overpower your tastebuds, rather than the expensive flavor and aroma you payed for.
4. Serve your champagne properly. Open your bottle with a corkscrew, or your hand. Place a clean glass on the table. Grab the bottom of the bottle with your dominant hand, and place your dominant hand's thumb on the depression (the "punt") of the bottle. Balance the neck of the bottle on the edge of the glass which you should hold with your other hand.How to Open a Champagne Bottle
   • Tilt the glass with your non-dominant hand. Gently let the champagne flow out, hitting the inner side of the glass.
   • Wait until the bubbles subside before you to continue to pour. This may take up to four or five small pours for any one glass of champagne.
   • Twist the bottle as you remove it away from the glass. Any one bottle of champagne should get about 5-6 glasses out of it.

Tips

• Refrigerate the champagne two or three hours before drinking or serving it. Champagne tastes best when it is cold, and refrigerating it on the day it will be consumed will bring up the temperature of the bottle.
• Do not keep champagne for more than four years for best taste, unless it is a vintage bottle.

Things You'll Need

• Storage space
• Champagne
• Champagne rack/shelves
• Thermometer
• Humidifier
• Insulation
• Room refrigeration unit

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Sources and Citations

See also

• Brew Spiced Tea Wine
• Brew Simple Wild Berry Wine
• Make Coconut Cordial
• Open a Wine Bottle Without a Corkscrew
• Serve Cabernet Sauvignon
• Remove a Broken Cork
• Open a Bottle of Wine
• Make Blackberry Wine
• Open a Champagne Bottle with a Sword
• Reuse Screw Top Wine Bottles for Making Wine

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