I have a couple of bottles of sparking wine in my fridge, which has been there
for a couple of years. It's been stored upright, but it's corked with plastic
stoppers. I'm expecting it to still "pop" if I open it but would the contents
still be good or safe to drink? Thanks.

On Saturday, November 8, 2014 1:05:33 AM UTC-5, wrote:
> I have a couple of bottles of sparking wine in my fridge, which has been there
> for a couple of years. It's been stored upright, but it's corked with plastic
> stoppers. I'm expecting it to still "pop" if I open it but would the contents
> still be good or safe to drink? Thanks.

It will definitely be safe to drink. Sparkling wines with plastic corks are generally regarded as "drink as soon as possible" but if seal intact I assume it's not going to have changed that much. But of course who knows how long it had been bottled when you put in fridge? It might be oxidized or have lost its fizz, but it will be safe to drink. Tasty might be an issue, though. Only way to know is to open (and it's definitely not getting better!)

On Sat, 8 Nov 2014 04:46:03 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>On Saturday, November 8, 2014 1:05:33 AM UTC-5, wrote:
>> I have a couple of bottles of sparking wine in my fridge, which has been there
>> for a couple of years. It's been stored upright, but it's corked with plastic
>> stoppers. I'm expecting it to still "pop" if I open it but would the contents
>> still be good or safe to drink? Thanks.
>
>It will definitely be safe to drink. Sparkling wines with plastic corks are generally regarded as "drink as soon as possible" but if seal intact I assume it's not going to have changed that much. But of course who knows how long it had been bottled when you put in fridge? It might be oxidized or have lost its fizz, but it will be safe to drink. Tasty might be an issue, though. Only way to know is to open (and it's definitely not getting better!)

Thanks. As long as it's safe, I'll try it and see if it's palatable.

On 08/11/2014 20:14, wrote:
> On Sat, 8 Nov 2014 04:46:03 -0800 (PST), wrote:
>
>> On Saturday, November 8, 2014 1:05:33 AM UTC-5, wrote:
>>> I have a couple of bottles of sparking wine in my fridge, which has been there
>>> for a couple of years. It's been stored upright, but it's corked with plastic
>>> stoppers. I'm expecting it to still "pop" if I open it but would the contents
>>> still be good or safe to drink? Thanks.
>>
>> It will definitely be safe to drink. Sparkling wines with plastic corks are generally regarded as "drink as soon as possible" but if seal intact I assume it's not going to have changed that much. But of course who knows how long it had been bottled when you put in fridge? It might be oxidized or have lost its fizz, but it will be safe to drink. Tasty might be an issue, though. Only way to know is to open (and it's definitely not getting better!)
>
> Thanks. As long as it's safe, I'll try it and see if it's palatable.

Yup. It will be absolutely safe. AFAIK wine never gets to the state
where it is bad for your health, but 2 years at fridge temperature is
almost as nothing in wine-aging terms.

Steve Slatcher > wrote in
:
>
> Yup. It will be absolutely safe. AFAIK wine never gets to the state
> where it is bad for your health, but 2 years at fridge temperature is
> almost as nothing in wine-aging terms.


Biggest problem with a sparkling wine in a fridge is light. Sparkling wine
is very sensitive to UV radiation and even the smallest light provides
"gout de lumiere" (taste of light).

In most grower cellar in Champagnes you will find either special lamps that
do not radiate UV or very dim lights.

Regards,

s.

On Monday, November 10, 2014 3:48:07 PM UTC-5, santiago wrote:
> Steve Slatcher > wrote in
> :
> >
> > Yup. It will be absolutely safe. AFAIK wine never gets to the state
> > where it is bad for your health, but 2 years at fridge temperature is
> > almost as nothing in wine-aging terms.
>
>
> Biggest problem with a sparkling wine in a fridge is light. Sparkling wine
> is very sensitive to UV radiation and even the smallest light provides
> "gout de lumiere" (taste of light).
>
> In most grower cellar in Champagnes you will find either special lamps that
> do not radiate UV or very dim lights.
>
> Regards,
>
> s.

OK, how much light does something get inside a fridge?
Let assume the average fridge is open 5-10 minutes a day. OK, even on upper end (10 minutes) , and assuming the wine is on top shelf with unobstructed light, I assume the light is no more than the average retail store. So in 2 years you'd get about the same amount of light as say 10 days in a lit retail environment.
Unless I'm missing something (which is possible, I even posted on this thread without realizing I was signed into wife's google account).

DaleW > wrote in
:
>
> OK, how much light does something get inside a fridge?

Way too much, or so they say. Before posting, i did some informal research
and even a few days in a supermarket under fluorescent light is said to
damage Champagne. A bad closed fridge door overnight and...

Some references on the issue:

http://www.scopus.com/scopus/inward/...rel=3.0.0&eid=
2-s2.0-0037473615&md5=e9488e6640ac4569125c1cac89a82045


> Let assume the average fridge is open 5-10 minutes a day. OK, even on
> upper end (10 minutes) , and assuming the wine is on top shelf with
> unobstructed light, I assume the light is no more than the average
> retail store. So in 2 years you'd get about the same amount of light
> as say 10 days in a lit retail environment. Unless I'm missing
> something (which is possible, I even posted on this thread without
> realizing I was signed into wife's google account).


I always keep my Champagne as cold as possible or in closed cases when in
the passive cellar. Just in case

s.

On Monday, November 10, 2014 5:34:17 PM UTC-5, santiago wrote:
> DaleW > wrote in
> :
> >
> > OK, how much light does something get inside a fridge?
>
> Way too much, or so they say. Before posting, i did some informal research
> and even a few days in a supermarket under fluorescent light is said to
> damage Champagne. A bad closed fridge door overnight and...
>
> Some references on the issue:
>
> http://www.scopus.com/scopus/inward/...rel=3.0.0&eid=
> 2-s2.0-0037473615&md5=e9488e6640ac4569125c1cac89a82045
>
>
> > Let assume the average fridge is open 5-10 minutes a day. OK, even on
> > upper end (10 minutes) , and assuming the wine is on top shelf with
> > unobstructed light, I assume the light is no more than the average
> > retail store. So in 2 years you'd get about the same amount of light
> > as say 10 days in a lit retail environment. Unless I'm missing
> > something (which is possible, I even posted on this thread without
> > realizing I was signed into wife's google account).
>
>
> I always keep my Champagne as cold as possible or in closed cases when in
> the passive cellar. Just in case
>
> s.

I don't know about you, but my fridge has a small incandescent (lots less UV than fluorescent). And if I leave my door open, I've got bigger problems than a bottle on inexpensive bubbly.

I have always questioned with "skunking" effects of light why one would bottle Cristal in a clear bottle.

DaleW > wrote in
:
>
> I have always questioned with "skunking" effects of light why one
> would bottle Cristal in a clear bottle.


Cristal is probably bottled in a clear bottle for a mix of two reasons: one
of them is perhaps historical, and the second one is because it is a very
nice point of differentiation with other top cuvées and since Cristal is
more of a luxury product than a wine nowadays, a nice point of difference
is too good of a thing.


Anyway, I think it is protected with some sort of paper tissue too, but I
really lack experience with the wine. I tasted it a couple of times, one of
them from the 2002 vintage and it was a nice wine but not worth the price
tag for my wallet. Maybe it ages greatly, but I am not going ot experiment
at such a price... where I would lean towards Krug NV.

s.