Hello All,
I don't have a cool place to store champagne except the refrigerator
which is too cold. So given that the temperature in the house varies
from 72 to 80 Fahrenheit, how long is a bottle of champagne likely to
last here? It's stored in a dark and humid place.
Thanks,
Chris

Chris M wrote in news:1192833815.877880.54140
@q3g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

Hello All,
I don't have a cool place to store champagne except the refrigerator
which is too cold. So given that the temperature in the house varies
from 72 to 80 Fahrenheit, how long is a bottle of champagne likely to
last here? It's stored in a dark and humid place.
Thanks,
Chris



I would opt for the fridge under those circumstances, esp if the storage
isn't forever. Biggest problem with fridge is thatthe cork will dry out
and the wine won't age, this is hardly as big an issue as wine getting
to warm and prematurely dying.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

On Oct 19, 7:09 pm, Joseph Coulter wrote:
Chris M wrote in news:1192833815.877880.54140
@q3g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

Hello All,
I don't have a cool place to store champagne except the refrigerator
which is too cold. So given that the temperature in the house varies
from 72 to 80 Fahrenheit, how long is a bottle of champagne likely to
last here? It's stored in a dark and humid place.
Thanks,
Chris

I would opt for the fridge under those circumstances, esp if the storage
isn't forever. Biggest problem with fridge is thatthe cork will dry out
and the wine won't age, this is hardly as big an issue as wine getting
to warm and prematurely dying.

--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacationswww.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

Thanks. Out of curiosity, how long would it last outside the fridge?
It's been outside the fridge for about 4 weeks now, so I'm wondering
if it has started to die already.
Chris

Chris M wrote:

Thanks. Out of curiosity, how long would it last outside the fridge?
It's been outside the fridge for about 4 weeks now, so I'm wondering
if it has started to die already.

Heat damage is a subtle thing, Chris, and Champagne unfortunately is
particularly susceptible to heat-related damage in my experience. What
you're likely to find is that the wine is still very nice, but might
seem a bit less fruity than one that's been stored under cooler
conditions. Leave it at 75-80° for another month, and it might start
tasting oxidized (think of the flavor of browned apples) and lose its
fruit altogether (at which point folks could call it "maderized").
That's pretty easy to spot.

HTH
Mark Lipton

--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Oct 19, 9:02 pm, Mark Lipton wrote:
Chris M wrote:
Thanks. Out of curiosity, how long would it last outside the fridge?
It's been outside the fridge for about 4 weeks now, so I'm wondering
if it has started to die already.

Heat damage is a subtle thing, Chris, and Champagne unfortunately is
particularly susceptible to heat-related damage in my experience. What
you're likely to find is that the wine is still very nice, but might
seem a bit less fruity than one that's been stored under cooler
conditions. Leave it at 75-80° for another month, and it might start
tasting oxidized (think of the flavor of browned apples) and lose its
fruit altogether (at which point folks could call it "maderized").
That's pretty easy to spot.

HTH
Mark Lipton

--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

One other thing to consider is that the Champagne may have been
sitting in a warm store, or even a hot warehouse, for up to many
months before you buy it. This was enough of a problem several years
ago in some parts of the US that one Champagne house, it may have been
Bollinger, started shipping their very expensive RD Champagne only on
special order. If you ever buy several bottles of Champagne at once,
first buy a single bottle and open it unless someone at the store that
you trust can give you a history of how the wine has been stored. One
retailer I knew many years ago said she would not buy high quality
wine from a certain distributor, because they stored the wine in a
warm warehouse.

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 Eli
www.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)

It looks to me like there is a lot of 98 and 99 Dom perigon out there.
when was it disgourgee?
where is it stored?


On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 20:28:24 -0700, 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 Eli
www.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)

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)

I was just at Schramsberg in Napa and they urged similar NOT to store in
refrig.

I do store mine in a garage frige for month at a time. I do NOT have food
in there just wine.

I have NEVER had a problem with the wine being numbed.

I have no idea why this rumor exists.

Surely over time the cork could dry out but I have never had this issue. I
have Dom, Cristal, Schramsberg and a few others out there. Never been an
issue.

Any thoughts?
"Chris M" wrote in message
ups.com...
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)

"Richard Neidich" wrote in
:

I was just at Schramsberg in Napa and they urged similar NOT to store
in refrig.


Of course what they would rather have you do is cool it down and drink
it. When the question becomes long term hot room or cold there really
can't be any question. cold. Might be numb beats cooked every day.
--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

I have never noticed my Champaigne being numb and it is stored in refrig.

That was my point.


"Joseph Coulter" wrote in message
. 97.136...
"Richard Neidich" wrote in
:

I was just at Schramsberg in Napa and they urged similar NOT to store
in refrig.


Of course what they would rather have you do is cool it down and drink
it. When the question becomes long term hot room or cold there really
can't be any question. cold. Might be numb beats cooked every day.
--
Joseph Coulter, cruises and vacations
www.josephcoulter.com

877 832 2021
904 631 8863 cell

If the cork prevents the liquid from getting out (and the liquid is
small molecules, mostly water) I'm pretty sure that my garlic isn't
going to get in. The seal on the bottle is MUCH more secure than the
seal on my fridge door and my kitchen doesn't smell like what I put in
the fridge unless I take it out and start chopping.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

totally agreed!!!
"Shaun Eli" wrote in message
ups.com...
If the cork prevents the liquid from getting out (and the liquid is
small molecules, mostly water) I'm pretty sure that my garlic isn't
going to get in. The seal on the bottle is MUCH more secure than the
seal on my fridge door and my kitchen doesn't smell like what I put in
the fridge unless I take it out and start chopping.

Shaun Eli
www.BrainChampagne.com
Brain Champagne: Clever Comedy for Smart Minds (sm)

On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:34:28 -0700
Shaun Eli wrote:

If the cork prevents the liquid from getting out (and the liquid is
small molecules, mostly water) I'm pretty sure that my garlic isn't
going to get in. The seal on the bottle is MUCH more secure than the
seal on my fridge door and my kitchen doesn't smell like what I put in
the fridge unless I take it out and start chopping.

And yet, your argument is contrary to conventional cellar wisdom, unless
you consider the seal on champagne tighter than other bottles.

Typically we try to cellar wine away from "strong" smells, like petroleum
from a furnace. Are you saying that you think it's fine to cellar wine in
any malodorous environment so long as the temperature is OK?

Putting aside the "size of molecules" argument, surely we expect some
gaseous exchange by way of the cork. That's why screw tops age
very differently than cork (is my guess anyway). Certainly it is reasonable
to posit that some foody smells might also penetrate.

The question of vibration is separate, personally -- although I'm a strong
believer in travel shock -- I think vibration from a refrigerator would not
have much effect.

All this said, my cellar is cold enough that champagne needs little chilling!

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

Where we live in NC I have a Crawl spalce under house not a true cellar. So
I use mostly Eurocave.

I was in a friends house with a cellar on a 100 degree day here in NC and
can tell you that they are NOT cool enough here. It temps were about 75
degrees and varyed tremendously. He had to use air cooling unit to get
temps for wine storage.

I enjoy my eurocave system but due to space capacity, I store my champagne
in a true refrigerator but no food is there...only wine in my garage.

Never had a problem.
"Emery Davis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:34:28 -0700
Shaun Eli wrote:

If the cork prevents the liquid from getting out (and the liquid is
small molecules, mostly water) I'm pretty sure that my garlic isn't
going to get in. The seal on the bottle is MUCH more secure than the
seal on my fridge door and my kitchen doesn't smell like what I put in
the fridge unless I take it out and start chopping.

And yet, your argument is contrary to conventional cellar wisdom, unless
you consider the seal on champagne tighter than other bottles.

Typically we try to cellar wine away from "strong" smells, like petroleum
from a furnace. Are you saying that you think it's fine to cellar wine in
any malodorous environment so long as the temperature is OK?

Putting aside the "size of molecules" argument, surely we expect some
gaseous exchange by way of the cork. That's why screw tops age
very differently than cork (is my guess anyway). Certainly it is
reasonable
to posit that some foody smells might also penetrate.

The question of vibration is separate, personally -- although I'm a strong
believer in travel shock -- I think vibration from a refrigerator would
not
have much effect.

All this said, my cellar is cold enough that champagne needs little
chilling!

-E

--
Emery Davis
You can reply to ecom
by removing the well known companies
Questions about wine? Visit http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com