How long can you keep opened champagne?

Served as an aperitif or with dessert, champagne is one of the most festive drinks generally found at Christmas or New Year. Problem: once opened, the bottles cannot be kept for very long. In fact, the bubbles present in the drink tend to escape as soon as the cork is no longer…

In order to know how long you can enjoy champagne after opening, the magazine Food And Wine asked experts on the subject. According to them, they provided the maximum time that can allow this drink to be consumed once opened but also shared their tips for extending this lifespan. Discover the best tips to avoid wasting leftover champagne!

It is considered that a bottle of champagne can be enjoyed between 2 and 5 days after opening. Of course, this period is only valid provided that the bottle is well preserved. For Akio Matsumoto, sommelier and general manager of Yuu restaurant “an opened bottle of champagne can last for three to five days if properly stored in the refrigerator”, he explains to the magazine. But the longer you wait, the more the champagne loses flavor and sparkle. As Marek Trocha, bartender at the Peruvian restaurant Artesano in New York, explains: “As soon as you open a bottle of champagne, time is running out to make the most of its effervescence and aromatic profile.”.

To keep this sparkling wine as long as possible, the expert therefore recommends using a special champagne cork to close the bottle after use. At the same time, he specifies that it must be placed in a very cold refrigerator.

For John Georges, general director and sommelier of Caviar Russe, the priority is to think about preserving the champagne from oxidation. As he explains: “Champagne slowly begins to oxidize and lose its characteristics in contact with air”. To extend its lifespan, you can, for example, cover the opening of the bottle with aluminum foil or plastic film, but be careful not to try to place a cork: the pressure will cause it to explode in no time. time!

If you have the bottom of a bottle of champagne left, know that it is not obligatory to throw it away, quite the contrary. Indeed, if you do not want to drink it as is because there are few bubbles, you can always use this precious liquid in different gourmet preparations. For example, you can use these leftovers to deglaze a sauce to accompany a piece of meat or prepare a festive risotto. It is even possible to incorporate it into a dessert preparation like a sabayon! Even simpler, you can simply pour the champagne base into ice cube trays. Once frozen, these can be used in your future cocktails!