Champagne is a sparkling wine particularly suitable for celebrations, made in the Champagne region of France. Most people buy it for holidays or weddings; others, however, have the habit of always keeping a bottle of champagne at home, ready to be uncorked to celebrate unexpected good news, or simply because it is an inevitable element in all complete wine collections. To keep a bottle of champagne at its best, it is important to make sure that the characteristics of the product do not change over time and that its taste is exceptional when the time comes to drink it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparation
Step 1. Choose a suitable room to store the champagne
In some houses there are cellars, designed specifically for storing wines. If you don't have one available, use a cool, dark and dry area as a cellar. A storage room or a basement with a lot of free space can be fine.
- Try to clear the storage area of any items you can trip over, such as small toys. Don't take the risk of falling and breaking your precious bottles.
- Also keep clothes and items you use every day away from the bottles. Your cellar shouldn't be an area where you pass frequently or where you often have to move bottles because you can't find something.
- Also remember to choose a room that experiences very little vibration. If your cellar is located close to the nursery, the vibrations caused by their runs could shake the bottles, changing the taste of the champagne or even leading to the breaking of the glass.
Step 2. Isolate the cellar
The room or closet should be well insulated to protect the wine from extreme temperatures and humidity. Ask an insulation professional for advice before setting up a champagne storage area. He will be able to tell you what type of insulation to use and to explain to you which is the most suitable environment for a cellar.
- Make sure the insulation is strong, at least 4cm thick.
- The insulation should have a vapor barrier on both sides. This will prevent excess moisture from damaging the champagne.
- The floor should also be firm, such as wood or concrete (avoid rugs and carpets). Carpets hold too much moisture. Also, in the event that a bottle breaks, it would be much easier to clean a hard surface.
Step 3. Manage the lights in your basement
Open windows that let in light can raise the temperature of the room and, consequently, alter the chemical composition of the champagne. Always cover windows with heavy curtains that can be tied together. If your windows have shutters, close those too. You could also purchase double glazing with thermal insulation, which helps keep moisture and light away from the bottles.
- You can use bobby pins or pins to hold the curtains together, applying one every 5 cm. Either way, you need to find a solution to keep light from entering the cellar.
- Tinting your windows is also another great option. For more information on this procedure, you can visit https://www.tintworld.com/residential-services/ (in English).
- When buying shutters, choose wooden, beehive or roller shutters; they are the most suitable types to block the entry of light.
Step 4. Install a humidifier in the cellar
You need to store the champagne at a humidity of between 50 and 75%. With the passing of the seasons, humidity levels can vary greatly. It is extremely important that the environment where you store the bottles always remains at the ideal level. You can purchase a humidifier at a hypermarket or home improvement store.
- You need to connect the humidifier to your water system for the device to consistently produce humidity. Consider this factor, because your water bill will go up if you use this system.
- Since the humidifier must be connected to your water system, it is best to have it installed by your trusted plumber. This professional will be able to advise you on what is the best location for the device according to the configuration of the pipes in a particular room.
Step 5. Check the temperature of your cellar
The ideal temperature for storing champagne is between 10 and 15 ° C. Install a wall thermometer near the bottles so you can check and regulate the cellar temperature on a regular basis. Try to check as often as possible, but remember to do it at least once a week.
- To keep the temperature constant in your cellar you need to install an air conditioner. You can find wall-mounted, plumbing, or plumbing fixtures at home improvement stores. For more information on the best air conditioner to buy, visit this link (in English):
- The air conditioner must necessarily be connected to your plumbing and electrical system. For this reason you should have it installed by a plumber and an electrician. These professionals will be able to advise you on the best place to install the device.
Part 2 of 3: Choosing the Right Container
Step 1. Use a bottle holder
You can buy wooden, metal, or plastic wine racks in wine shops, hypermarkets, or home improvement stores. You don't need beautiful or luxurious furniture, just a little space to store the bottles. As a general rule, a bottle holder 3 meters long, 2.5 meters high and 50 cm deep can hold approximately 125 bottles.
- To store champagne bottles in separate cubicles, you need spaces of 10cm (slightly larger than the standard bottle size).
- Place the bottle holder in the space you used as a cellar. Place it on the floor or near it, as the temperature in that area is often lower. Redwood is a particularly suitable material because it is resistant to mold, fungus and humidity.
- You can buy bottle holders on the internet and have them shipped unassembled to reduce shipping costs. If you want to make your own, read How to Build a Wine Rack.
Step 2. Purchase a shelf unit
It is a bottle holder different from the traditional rack. A normal shelf unit is a more durable and solid solution. This is especially useful if you need to store cases of champagne and not individual bottles.
- Make sure the shelves are at least 5cm thick. In home improvement stores, you may find specific shelves for storing wine or champagne. You can buy an entire piece of furniture, or a disassembled one.
- The most suitable materials for this furniture are metal and redwood. Redwood has the added benefit of being resistant to mold, moisture and fungus.
- Make sure the furniture is fixed to a wall, with screws or nails.
Step 3. Add your personal touches to the cellar
To follow this advice, rely solely on your creativity. You can purchase sloped champagne racks; they are useful for displaying the particularly rare bottles you are proud of. You can use a knife to carve wood and make designs in your rack.
- You could paint a mural or post pictures to make the room look more lived in when you show it to friends.
- The designs on the glass doors at the entrance to the cellar or special designs on the shop windows are also very common. You can find many useful tips in this article.
Step 4. Store open bottles in the refrigerator
Invest in a high-quality metal cap to prevent air from reaching the liquid inside the bottle. Arrange the bottle horizontally in the fridge, to maintain uniformity of tone and flavor. Try to put it in a place where it doesn't need to be moved frequently.
- If you put the bottle on an always used shelf, or in a drawer that needs to be opened often, the champagne could move too much and lose much of its flavor.
- Don't just put the old cork back in the bottle. You cannot bring it back to its original isolation point and there is a good chance that the passage of air will negatively affect the quality of the champagne.
Part 3 of 3: Managing the Bottles You Have in the Cellar
Step 1. Store the bottles in the correct position
According to the duration of storage you have to choose a different location. If you are going to keep the bottle for just one month, you should keep it upright in a cool, dark place. If, on the other hand, you want to keep it longer, perhaps for a few years, you should keep the bottle lying down.
- If you have bottles that you need to store for the long term, you can arrange them one on top of the other, lying down, to save space. Those that you intend to uncork after a few days must stand next to each other (never one on top of the other).
- It is better to keep larger bottles longer. The passing of time allows for slower and more uniform maturation, which can improve the flavor and quality of the champagne.
Step 2. Write an inventory
It is important to know how many bottles of champagne you have in your cellar and how long you have kept them. Make a list of all the bottles you have and keep it handy. You can print pre-printed labels with standard champagne terms on them, or print blank labels to write on by hand. Apply the labels near, below or above each section of your cellar.
Keep an inventory list close to the champagne and another in an easier-to-access location, such as the kitchen or living room. This way you will have one available in the cellar and one at hand when you want to open a bottle for dinner or a party
Step 3. Put the champagne in the refrigerator before serving
First, decide which bottle to serve for dinner. Take it and put it in the fridge, at least a couple of hours before uncorking it for your diners. The goal is to bring the temperature of the champagne down to 5-7 ° C.
- If you forget to put the bottle in the fridge in time, just keep it in the freezer for 15 minutes to let it cool. Do not wait any longer, otherwise it may burst due to icing.
- Vintage champagnes should be served at slightly higher temperatures of 12-14 ° C. Store them in the fridge for 30 minutes less or in the freezer for 5 minutes less. If the vintage wine was too cold, the temperature would numb the taste buds and you wouldn't be able to smell the aromas and flavors you paid dearly for.
Step 4. Serve the champagne correctly
Open the bottle with a corkscrew or by hand. Put a clean glass on the table. Grab the bottom of the bottle with your dominant hand and put your thumb in the hollow of the glass. Rest the neck of the bottle on the edge of the glass that you should be holding with the other hand.
- Tilt the glass with your non-dominant hand. Let the champagne gently come out of the bottle and pour onto the inside of the glass.
- Wait for the foam to stop rising before continuing to pour. It can take 4-5 attempts to fill a glass of champagne.
- Rotate the bottle as you move it away from the glass. Each bottle should hold 5-6 glasses.
Advice
- Put the champagne in the fridge for two to three hours before drinking or serving it. The taste of this wine is even better when it is cold.
- Do not store champagne for more than four years, unless it is an aging bottle.
