Champagne – just saying the word conjures images of celebrations, special occasions, and memorable toasts. But how long can you store champagne and sparkling wine before it loses its fizz or develops an unpleasant taste?
In this guide, we'll answer these pressing questions and give you tips to ensure your bubbly stays vibrant and enjoyably close to fresh champagne with every pour.
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Understanding Champagne Shelf Life
Let's start with the question on everyone's mind: does champagne expire?
The answer is yes – but how quickly it happens depends on whether the champagne is opened or unopened, vintage or non vintage, and how it’s stored.
Understanding Champagne Shelf Life
Non Vintage Champagne is a blend of grapes harvested in multiple years. Typically, a non vintage bottle is designed to be enjoyed fresh, ideally within a few years of purchase. Stored properly—in a cool, dark place away from artificial light and direct sunlight—it usually stays vibrant and bubbly for about three to four years. After this time, you might notice the bubbly losing freshness and developing a darker color or sour taste.
On the other hand, Vintage Champagne is crafted from grapes harvested in a single exceptional harvest year. The harvest year (clearly stated on the bottle's label) signals higher quality grapes and careful aging, making these bottles more age worthy. Properly stored vintage champagne can age gracefully, developing rich, nuanced champagne's flavor with hints of nuts and dried fruits over five to ten years, and sometimes even longer.
How Long Does Champagne Last? (Opened vs. Unopened)
When it comes to storage and preservation, how your champagne is stored matters significantly.
Unopened Champagne
Stored properly—cool, dark, and away from direct sunlight—an unopened bottle of champagne retains its quality for several years. Keep your champagne bottle upright and away from direct sunlight or artificial light, ideally in a cool cellar or fridge. Non vintage champagne generally remains fresh for three to four years, while vintage bottles can maintain their quality for ten years or more.
Opened Champagne
An open bottle of champagne, unfortunately, won’t last nearly as long. Once exposed to air, the fizz and freshness start diminishing immediately. Refrigerating opened champagne helps slow the loss of carbonation and maintains quality temporarily, but even then, it's best to consume it within a few days.
How to Tell if Champagne Has Gone Bad
To avoid accidentally serving spoiled champagne, look out for these indicators:
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Flat champagne: Champagne loses its distinctive bubbles quickly when opened. If it’s completely flat, it's likely past its best.
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Darker color: Old champagne or spoiled bottles often darken or take on a brownish hue.
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Sour taste: Spoiled champagne will have a distinctly sour taste or smell vinegary.
Drinking spoiled champagne typically won’t harm your health, but the sour taste can certainly ruin the celebration.
Champagne Preservation Best Practices
Preserving opened champagne requires immediate action to maintain its fizz, flavor, and freshness.
Here’s how to do it right:
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Do NOT use a silver spoon – that’s a myth, not a method.
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Refrigerate immediately
As soon as you've poured your glass, return the bottle to the fridge. Chilling slows down oxidation and helps preserve carbonation—two essentials for keeping your champagne tasting as close to freshly opened as possible. -
Use a champagne stopper for short-term freshness
Traditional corks won’t reseal properly and allow air to seep in, flattening your bubbles fast. A good champagne stopper creates a basic seal to hold in carbonation for a day or two—but it's not a long-term solution. -
Choose Coravin Sparkling® for lasting bubbles
For wine lovers who want to enjoy sparkling wine on their schedule, Coravin Sparkling® is the only wine by-the-glass system designed specifically for sparkling wines. It locks securely onto any standard or magnum bottle and injects pure CO₂ to maintain the perfect pressure—keeping the wine's freshness and bubbles intact for up to 4 weeks. -
Storing upright vs. laying flat: Always store champagne upright after opening to reduce the surface area exposed to air.
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Exposure to heat and sunlight: Avoid storing bottles in warm environments or near windows, as heat and direct sunlight speed up champagne spoilage.
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Use it in cooking: Flat or slightly oxidized champagne works beautifully in sauces, risottos, and reductions. Its acidity can brighten dishes the same way a splash of white wine would. Think: Champagne vinaigrettes, creamy seafood pastas, or even a twist on coq au vin.
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Upgrade your cocktails: Even if the fizz has faded, champagne still adds nuanced flavor. Try it in a Champagne Sangria, French 75 riff, or with a splash of elderflower and citrus for a refreshing spritz.
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Make it into sorbet or granita: Freeze the champagne with fruit purée and a touch of sugar for a sophisticated dessert that turns waste into a wow.
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Infuse it into syrups: Reduce it down with sugar for a rich, elegant syrup—perfect for drizzling over desserts, fresh fruit, or pancakes.
Common Champagne Storage Mistakes to Avoid
What to Do With Bad Champagne
If you find your champagne has gone bad, and developed an off-putting sour taste, don't discard it immediately. While it may no longer be ideal for sipping, there’s still life left in that bottle.
Champagne that’s lost its bubbles or brightness can be repurposed in a variety of clever and delicious ways. Whether you're embracing your inner chef or mixing up something creative, here’s how to make the most of it:
Of course, the best way to avoid this situation altogether is with Coravin Sparkling®—designed to keep your favorite bottles tasting like they were just popped, even weeks later. But if you find yourself without it, these ideas help make the most of what’s left.
Ready to Savor Every Bubble?
By understanding how champagne expires and how proper storage impacts its shelf life, you can enjoy every bottle at its best. Remember, non vintage bottles shine when enjoyed fresh, while vintage champagne can mature beautifully with proper long term storage.
Whether it’s for a toast or a Tuesday, no one wants to waste leftover champagne, proper champagne preservation ensures that every glass stays delightfully fresh and bubbly.
Pop, Pour and Preserve
Don’t let the fizz fade. Coravin Sparkling® keeps your sparkling wine fresh for up to 4 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does champagne last once opened?
Opened champagne typically stays fresh for 1–3 days in the fridge if sealed properly. For best taste and fizz, enjoy within a few days.
Can you drink flat champagne?
Yes, flat champagne is safe to drink, though it won't offer the optimal taste or bubbly experience.
Why does champagne get darker as it ages?
As champagne ages, it naturally oxidizes, causing chemical reactions that darken its color, similar to the aging process of other wines.
Is old champagne valuable or collectible?
Certain vintage champagnes from renowned producers or exceptional harvest years can become highly valuable and collectible.