Buyers ask this question most often on the eve of big holidays or special events: weddings, anniversaries, birthdays. And it arises because champagne is a special drink, the festive look of which is given by bubbles of carbon dioxide, they also significantly shorten its suitability.
The expiration date is the first thing to look for when buying the right drink. The thing is that sparkling wines, which include champagne, can deteriorate much faster than other alcoholic beverages.
The shelf life of champagne includes the time during which the taste of the wine, its properties, declared by the manufacturer, remain unchanged. And since the wine material contains carbon dioxide, its qualities deteriorate rather quickly.
You can find out the expiration date by reading the inscription on the label. But this date will be reliable only in one case - if the drink was stored in compliance with all the rules: with the right lighting, humidity and temperature.
How to store champagne
Proper storage of champagne involves placing bottles horizontally in a dark, cool basement at a temperature of 10-12 ° C. Ventilation should be very good and humidity should be at least 75%.
Only under these conditions the shelf life of the drink can be 3 years. But most often the manufacturer is insured, and means a much shorter shelf life - just a year.
Apart from high-end stores, retail outlets cannot provide proper storage of champagne. As a rule, bottles with a drink are in sales areas with unsuitable lighting and temperature. Therefore, the presence of sparkling wine in stores is rapidly reducing its shelf life.
Whether champagne has lost its usefulness can be determined only by uncorking the bottle and tasting it - an unspoiled drink should not taste bitter.
From all of the above, the following conclusions can be drawn:
1. At the time of purchase, priority should be given to champagne, which is released later.
2. If the drink was bought in a retail network, then its shelf life at home should not exceed a month from the date of purchase.
3. By the way, if champagne is already open, then it should be consumed within 24 hours. At the same time, it must be necessarily closed with a cork, otherwise its taste is lost almost instantly.
