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

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