Keeping Champagne Bubbly: Best Storage Methods For Opened Bottles

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You've just opened a bottle of Champagne . You pour it into your Champagne glass and marvel at how the bubbles nearly overflow. But when you can't finish the entire bottle in one night, you might be worried that all those bubbles will be gone along with the lovely flavors.

Save yourself from this dismay with these helpful methods and tips on storing opened Champagne and keeping it bubbly. The best way to store leftover Champagne is to seal the bottle properly and place it in the right conditions.

You can also try other methods to keep opened Champagne fresh for a time and help retain the carbonation. If you want to enjoy your best Champagne until the last drop, read on!

What You’ll Need

• Champagne Bottle - Any bottle of Champagne with leftovers will do as long as it still has freshness. Don't go for Champagne that has been open for more than 5 days.
• Wine Refrigerator - This equipment can help the Champagne be kept in an appropriate environment with a consistent temperature. Make sure that it has a suitable setting for Champagne or other sparkling wine , like the dual-zone version.
• Wine Cellar - This underground storage space for your prized Champagne also makes a great place to store leftovers as the temperature and humidity here are controlled.
• Champagne stopper / sealer - This small device is specifically designed to keep the bubbles inside the bottle and lock the air out.

• Cork - If you don't have a stopper, you can substitute it with a wine cork. You have to use a still wine cork rather than a Champagne cork since the former is not tapered, making it fit in the bottle's mouth.

  But, keep in mind that using a cork is not as effective as a Champagne stopper since it doesn’t create a very strong seal. You can use this method for short-term storage only.
• Perlage preservation system - This innovative device is used to preserve the bubbles and quality of an opened Champagne. It'll make you spend a few extra bucks, but it'll be worth it if you like your Champagne leftover fresh and fizzy.

How to Store Opened Champagne

• Champagne Stopper Method

1. Place your bottle of Champagne on a flat surface.
2. Take your Champagne stopper and place it on the bottle's mouth.
3. Lock the stopper in place until it fully seals the bottle.
4. Store the bottle in a designated dark and cool area like a wine refrigerator or wine cellar.

Here is a video for a visual demonstration:

• Cork Method

1. Get a regular wine cork or a hermetic cork. Ensure that they don't have any damages and have the appropriate size to fit securely in a Champagne bottle.
2. Take your opened bottle of Champagne and place it on a sturdy surface.
3. Take your cork with one hand and grab the bottle's neck with the other hand.
4. Position the cork where one side is resting on the rim.
5. Twist the cork and push it down until it is inserted about half an inch in the bottle.
6. Use your palm to push the cork down further. Be careful not to overdo it so the cork will not totally enter the bottle.
7. Place the bottle in a dark and cool area.

How To Keep Champagne Bubbly

Perlage Method

1. Get all the parts for your perlage system and a bottle of opened Champagne.
2. Construct the parts to make the enclosure and prepare the carbon dioxide (CO2) cartridge.
3. Place the pressurizer onto the bottle's mouth and press the button for about 2 to 5 seconds before you release it. This is done in order to remove air from the bottle's headspace.
4. Screw the cap on the shell but make sure you don't overtighten it. Place the end of the pressurizer following the indentation.
5. Start the process by pushing the button. Wait for the hissing sound to stop, as this means that the carbon dioxide has stopped flowing.
6. Store the enclosure with the bottle still inside in your fridge. It's important to position it vertically.

You can watch this video to learn the process of using a perlage system better:

Storing Opened Champagne Tips

Storing Horizontally or Vertically?

When storing unopened red wines or white wines , the bottles are commonly placed horizontally or on its side to keep the cork moist.

However, the circumstances are quite different when it comes to Champagne. In storing it for a short period, you can place it horizontally or vertically as it will not really affect the drink.

Some wine experts advise storing your bottle upright. This is one way to prevent cork taint, which produces an odd odor and bad taste.

In this case, there's no need to worry about the cork being dried out and cracked because the Champagne bubbles can help keep the cork humid. Note that this is only applicable for short-term storage.

Keep the Bottle Cold

Nobody likes to drink flat Champagne, so keeping it chilled is the key to ensuring it remains fizzy. Another reason is when Champagne is exposed to heat, it tends to mature faster and alter the taste.

After resealing the bottle, place the bottle in an area with a consistent temperature, like a wine fridge, and make sure the temperature is around 47 to 50°F.

When you're about to pour the Champagne , you can transfer the bottle into an ice bucket filled with ice and cold water. Let it chill for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Keep Away from Light, Vibrations, and Smells

To keep your sparkling wine fresh and safe, it's best if you have an area where there are no strong smells, vibrations, or bright lights.

The smell could attract insects, vibrations could damage the bottle, and the light may greatly affect the fine fruit aromas and other Champagne flavors.

The ideal place to store Champagne properly is in a cool, dark space with just enough humidity. This is best applied with unopened bottles, but you can also implement this tip even for short-term storage with opened bottles.

Invest in a Better Quality Champagne Bottle

Vintage bottles of bubbly from prestigious Champagne houses are often considered high-quality Champagne. Granted, they are more expensive, but they give you better storage opportunities as they don't go bad quickly.

The Champagne grapes as well as the process used to produce high-quality sparkling wine, are among the factors of why it lasts longer. They also tend to keep their bubbles longer than cheap Champagnes .

Try Simpler Methods

If you don't have Champagne stoppers on hand, you can try this simpler method when storing leftover sparkling wines.

To help keep Champagne bubbly overnight, you can try covering the mouth up to the neck of the bottle with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then, take a rubber band and tie the plastic wrap or foil around the neck.

This pretty easy insulation hack creates a cold air plug and avoids flat Champagne.

Does the Spoon Hack Work?

There has been a lot of talk about how letting a metal or silver spoon dangle in a Champagne bottle helps keep the Champagne bubbly.

However, despite this method's popularity, many experts have already performed experiments on it and concluded it to be a myth.

So, it is better to invest in a good Champagne stopper if you intend to drink your Champagne the next few days and expect it to be still bubbly.

Understand the Shelf Life

Champagnes may be sparkling "wine," but it isn't like red wines and white wines that get even more delicious over time. Eventually, they will spoil, which is why you need to know their shelf life.

It is important to note when you've opened a bottle of Champagne, the countdown of its shelf life starts. Generally, Champagnes can last for 2 to 5 days, depending on the type and storage conditions.

But, if you use the Perlage system, the sparkling wine will most likely last for at most 2 weeks.

How to Make the Best of Leftover Champagne?

Though we never plan on having any leftovers, sometimes they happen, and you're left with half bottles of bubbly. But they can be a real treat if you know what to do with them.

You don't have to pour them down the drain and feel guilty for wasting good quality Champagne. Instead, you can repurpose them! Here are some foods and drinks you should absolutely try:

• Champagne ice cubes - Freeze the Champagne in ice cube trays until they're hard. You can use these cubes for your cocktails.
• Sparkling Strawberry Shortcake - This cake shows how the sweet and tart strawberries play well with Champagne's fruity flavors. The sparkling wine also adds a pleasant aroma and helps make the cake fluffy.
• Vinaigrette - If you only have less than a cup of leftover Champagne, you can add lemon juice, salt, pepper, honey, shallot, olive oil, and Dijon mustard to make a delicious vinaigrette for your salads.
• Cocktails - Improve your plain orange juice by adding leftover Champagne to have a refreshing glass of mimosa ! You could also easily make your sangria base by adding berry liquor and fresh berries.
• Sauce - Save leftover Champagne to deglaze a pan after you've sauteed garlic and onions in butter. After letting the alcohol evaporate, you can add cream and other flavorings for a quick pan sauce.
• Champagne-soaked fruits - This is a great way to give your breakfast some extra flair! Simply soak apples, pears, oranges, or berries in leftover Champagne for about 30 minutes to have a flavor-packed fruit dessert.
• Steamed seafood - You could never go wrong with seafood and Champagne. Add a splash of Champagne to the water when you're simmering herbs and garlic for your recipes. Then use this mixture to steam shellfish and other seafood.

Conclusion

The next time you've opened too many bottles and end up with some left, there's no need to go through a headache of figuring out how to save leftover Champagne.

With the proper storage techniques, you can enjoy your bubbly over an extended period and avoid wasting Champagne overall.

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