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Chris M Chris M is offline
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Default Newbie: Storing champagne at room temperature

That's interesting that you've stored champagne in the fridge that
long. I was wary of storing it there because I read this. Now that I
think about this, though, it doesn't make sense that food smells would
permeate the champagne. Even if I filled my fridge with just one kind
of food and never emptied it or cleaned it, I doubt that would happen.

http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/specials/199...hat/index.html

Question from ron_s: How long can you store Champagne in a
refrigerator?

Ed McCarthy: That's another good question. And I'm glad someone asked
that question because this is one of the common abuses I find in
Champagne storage. Champagne should not be stored indefinitely in a
refrigerator. The excessive cold sort of numbs and flattens the
Champagne. It loses its character and flavor, and there are other
things about refrigerators. Food smells can eventually permeate the
Champagne. You can imagine a strong cheese or something like that. The
refrigerator motor going on and off is not good for the Champagne
either.

I would say it's fine to store a fine Champagne in a refrigerator for
a few days, maybe even up to a week, but you should not store it for a
few months or more. I know people that have had Champagne in their
refrigerator for years, and I wonder what that Champagne is going to
taste like when they open it.

-Chris



On Oct 21, 11:28 pm, Shaun Eli >
wrote:
> I think that if it hasn't spent a lot of time over 80 degrees you have
> nothing to worry about.
>
> I've stored bottles of Champagne in the fridge for more than two years
> and they've been just fine (and I drink enough Champagne that I think
> I'd notice if it's off). The idea that corks will dry out in a dry
> fridge is a bit exaggerated-- after all, the humidity INSIDE the
> bottle is 100% so the inside part of the cork is going to stay wet
> enough.
>
> To be clear, though, I think you are much better off storing wine
> inside a refrigerator for even quite a long time rather than letting
> it sit in a house that gets way too warm.
>
> You're going to want to drink it cold anyway so why not store it in
> the fridge?
>
> Shaun Eliwww.BrainChampagne.com
> Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)
> A new, redesigned website with a new comedy video (10 minutes long and
> free from profanity)