How to Drink Champagne for Maximum Enjoyment

Drinking champagne is more than a matter of popping open the bottle and downing the contents. Champagne should be served and savored the right way if you want to enjoy it fully.

To make the most of your bubbly beverage, you need to store the bottle properly, serve the champagne at the optimal temperature, and drink it from the right glass.

This guide will take you through the champagne-drinking process, from initial storage to the last, satisfying swallow. Get ready to drink champagne like you’ve never done before!

The Right Storage Conditions

There are two ways to store champagne, depending on your situation. If you have a vintage bottle that you plan to store for a while before drinking, you should follow long-term storage guidelines. If you buy a bottle and plan to serve it within 24 hours, short-term storage guidelines will work.

Long Term Storage – Vintage champagnes can be stored for 3 to 5 years, but should never be stored more than 10. (Lower-cost classic champagnes are typically sold at their optimal age, so they should not be put into storage for more than a year or so.)

Champagne should be kept away from strong light and should be protected from jostling or vibration. A dark cellar, wine cabinet, or even a well-insulated closet works just fine. Try to keep the champagne between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. A wine refrigerator makes a great place to keep champagne, but don’t keep it in your regular refrigerator for more than a few hours.

Short Term Storage – Of course, you might be purchasing your bottle immediately before your big event. If that’s the case, your normal refrigerator will suffice. Just try to protect the bottle from movement, and don’t let it freeze or become too warm. Drink the champagne within 24 hours of purchase.

The Right Serving Temperature

Champagne should always be served chilled. The taste of warm champagne is nothing at all like the effervescent flavor of chilled champagne!

For the best-tasting beverage, keep your champagne at about 45 degrees Fahrenheit before you serve it. You can accomplish this by taking the champagne out of storage 15 – 30 minutes before your event, and placing the bottle in a bucket filled half with ice and half with cold water. Toss in a handful of salt to keep things extra cool.

The Right Glass

People drink champagne from glasses, saucers, and even the coveted Stanley Cup! The best glass for your champagne, though, is a crystal champagne flute.

Yes, it needs to be crystal for the best effect. Crystal is rougher than glass, so it causes the champagne to bubble and fizz more than usual. The extra bubbles look beautiful, and when they pop, they release more of the champagne’s aroma.

The flute shape helps retain the champagne’s carbonation, which contributes even more to the bubbly effect. There’s simply no comparison!

The Right Bottle-Opening Technique

You might be tempted to pop the cork on your bottle of champagne, but don’t do it! The flying cork could hit someone or break something, and you’ll waste quite a lot of the champagne to overflow.

Instead, take a small towel in hand and get a firm grip on the bottle. Wipe away extra condensation. Gently unwrap the foil from the neck of the bottle and loosen the wire cage beneath. Some people remove it entirely, but that’s not necessary.

To open, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle with the cork pointing away from your body. Drape the towel over the end of the bottle. Get a grip on the bottle with one hand, and the cork with the other. Turn your hands in opposite directions and gently pull the cork. It should pop off softly, and the towel will prevent it from falling.

The Right Way to Pour

A recent scientific study has proven what champagne drinkers have known for years. In order to get the best flavor and carbonation, you need to pour the champagne into a tilted flute.

Place the bottle opening on the edge of the champagne flute and pour an inch or two of champagne along the inside of the glass. It will fizz and bubble up. After the bubbles have subsided, pour in enough champagne to fill the flute two-thirds of the way.

The Right Way to Drink

Bring the glass of champagne up to your nose. Smell the aroma, and feel the bubbles against your lips. Take a sip and hold it in your mouth to feel the effervescence. Then swirl it around a bit to taste the complex flavor. Swallow the champagne and exhale through your nose to savor the aftertaste.

Now you’ve had a total champagne-tasting experience. Cheers!