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How to Store Leftover Champagne

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Four ways to store your leftover champagne to keep it from going flat, the proper methods for storing your unopened bottles of champagne, plus some ideas for using up that leftover bubbly!

Champagne being poured into glasses on a gold tray
Photo by Alexander Naglestad on Unsplash

First things first: This post is called “how to store leftover champagne”, but this also refers to prosecco.

Yes, it is true that wine can only be called champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France, and Prosecco is mostly made in the Veneto region of Italy.

But for the sake of the topic of how to save leftover champagne from going flat, the principles apply to both! For the purpose of learning how to keep sparkling wine after opening… bubbles are bubbles.


I've found myself with leftover champagne for lots of reasons:

  • We were gifted a bottle of champagne on our honeymoon in Maui, but it was just the two of us and… well, we don't exactly party hard
  • I wanted to make myself a French 75, but it was just me and a single cocktail, so there was a ton of bubbly leftover
  • A New Year's Eve champagne toast is a lovely way to ring in the new year, but… if it's just a couple of people, you're also starting the new year with 3/4 a bottle of leftover bubbles

Why does champagne go flat?

Quick science lesson:

The bubbles in champagne and prosecco are made of carbon dioxide gas. In an unopened bottle of champagne, the carbon dioxide is in balance with the gas that is stored in between the liquid and the cork. When you pop open the bottle, it releases that gas and throws off the equilibrium.

Additionally, the carbon dioxide is more soluble at colder temperatures, so the longer it is chilled, the longer is will hold onto the dissolved gas. The bubbles peace out once the temperatures start to warm up.

This all applies to high-quality champagne, good champagne, and bargain champagne.

Alright, now that that's out of the way – let's talk about how to keep champagne fresh after opening, because friends don't let friends drink flat champagne.

Wine cellar with wooden shelves
Photo by Matt Twyman on Unsplash

How to store unopened champagne bottles

Actually, I lied. First, let's talk about how to store your champagne before you've opened it. You want to make sure you're setting yourself up for success on the big day you pop that sucker open!

Should champagne be stored vertically or horizontally?

Unlike most wines that should be stored on their sides to keep the liquid against the cork, champagne can be stored upright or on its side.

The bubbles in champagne keep the bottle nice and humid inside, so there really isn't a risk of the cork drying out and allowing air to seep inside like wine bottles.

At what temperature should champagne be stored?

Ideally, you'll store your champagne between 45°F and 65°F. If the temperature is too warm or too cold, it could dry out the cork and allow oxygen inside the bottle.

You've probably seen people in movies TV shows opening their fridge to show that all they have on hand is leftover takeout with a couple bottles of beer and champagne (and vodka in the fridge, of course) – this is actually not a great place to keep it!

Refrigerators are meant to be kept below 40°F for food safety reasons, and that's lower than you'd want for your bottle of bubbly.

In the end, it's less about the temperature and more about keeping the temperature consistent. If your cherished bottle of celebratory champagne is subject to big swings in temperatures, the liquid can expand and contract and… well, things could end poorly.

Since most of us don't have a wine cellar (but ohmygod, could you imagine?)… I adore our wine fridge and highly recommend it for anyone who tends to keep a collection of wines and bubbles on hand.

Champagne bottle in an ice bucket next to a wooden table
Photo by Monique Carrati on Unsplash

How to keep champagne fresh after opening the bottle

1. Keep it chilled

Whatever you did to store it before you opened it, keep it even cooler now that it's opened. I mentioned above that you don't really want to keep your unopened champagne in the fridge, but your opened champagne? Stick it in the fridge.

The colder temperature slows down the release of the CO2 bubbles, so the fridge or an ice bucket with plentiful little icebergs (this is how we imagine our cat sees them) is the way to go.

But for the love of all that is holy, do NOT put champagne in the freezer. No, it won't explode in the freezer – but it will kill all those fancy bubbles.

However, it could explode if you opened it right after you took it out of the freezer, so… don't do that, k?

Also, don't forget your prosecco in the car on a cold winter's day! The same freezing principles apply.

2. Use a hermetic cork or champagne sealer

This is hands down the best method for how to store leftover champagne to keep it bubbly: reseal your leftover champagne with a reusable, airtight hermetic cork. I find this to be the best way because it's reliable and there's not much room for error.

There are lots of different kinds out there, but I personally recommend this champagne stopper. Not only does it work well, it looks nice, too!

3. Plastic wrap and a rubber band

If you don't have any champagne sealers, grab some plastic wrap and wrap it around the mouth and neck of the bottle. Tightly wrap the rubber band around the neck of the bottle.

4. Stick a fork in it (or a spoon)

I've heard rumors for years that if you stick the handle of a metal silver spoon or fork in the neck of the bottle of opened champagne, it keeps it from going flat.

The idea behind this method is that the cold spoon keeps the neck of the champagne bottle cool, and when it comes in contact with room-temperature champagne, it creates an air plug that prevents the gas (bubbles) in the bottle from escaping.

Does the metal spoon hack really work?

I'm not going to lie to you… yes and no. Some folks absolutely swear by this method, and others think it's an absolute no-go.

I've personally had mixed success, and I haven't tested it enough to say if it was affected by the quality of the champagne, the particular temperature of the fridge it was stored in, or other factors.

All that to say – give it a shot and let me know in the comments how it works for you!

5. Or… use it in a dessert recipe!

I love adding champagne to desserts, and I've got some options for you at the ready:

Stock up on mini bottles of champagne

Don't want to deal with leftover champagne, in general? I hear that.

A full bottle of champagne is 750mL, and a half bottle is 375mL – and I don't think my husband and I have ever finished either one in a single sitting.

So if you're not throwing a party for a big crowd, this is where the mini bottles come in super handy! Grab a few of the little 187mL bottles of champagne or prosecco to keep on hand for a special occasion, and never worry about leftovers when the mood for some bubbly strikes.

Now that you've got all the knowledge I can throw at you about storing your leftover champagne – cheers to you and your next bottle!

Woman in gold dress holding glass of champagne
Photo by Kateryna Hliznitsova on Unsplash
Leslie leaning on a counter

I hope this information helps!

Do you have any questions about this topic that I didn't answer? Let me know in the comments below!



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