MetaChat - Who knows about Champagne?

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

18 April 2006

Who knows about Champagne? So my parents just visited and brought me a bottle of Dom Perignon that they don't think they're ever going to drink...→[More:] They got it as a Christmas gift years ago. It's from 1996.

My question -- isn't Champagne more perishable than wine? Is this stuff still good? Shall I save it for some amazing yet-to-be-known occasion in the uncertain future, or drink it sooner in hopes it will be better than later?

post by: Miko at: 18:30 | 9 comments

Short answer: I think you're ok to save it if you want. From the Wikipedia article:

Wines from Champagne cannot legally be sold until it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 18 months. Champagne's AOC regulations require that vintage Champagnes are aged in cellars for three years or more before disgorgement, but most top producers exceed this minimum requirement, holding bottles on the lees for 6 to 8 years before disgorgement.

Even experts disagree about the effects of aging on Champagne after disgorgement. Some prefer the freshness and vitality of young, recently disgorged Champagne, and others prefer the baked apple and caramel flavors that develop from a year or more of aging.

The majority of the Champagne produced is non-vintage (also known as mixed vintage), a blend of wines from several years. Typically the majority of the wine is from the current year but a percentage is made of "reserve wine" from previous years. This serves to smooth out some of the vintage variations caused by the marginal growing climate in Champagne. Most Champagne houses strive for a consistent "house style" from year to year, and this is the hardest task of the winemaker.

posted by killdevil 18 April | 18:33

Do not drink it.
Send it to me, and I will safely dispose of it.

posted by seanyboy 18 April | 18:40

All I know about champagne is this: when opening it on the street, aim away from windows. Learned that the hard way.

posted by jonmc 18 April | 18:58

Drink it - you could be dead tommorrow.

posted by dg 18 April | 19:14

it's totally drinkable...just check the cork after you pop it--if there's any mold or anything weird on that, dump it. (most likely it was stored correctly so is fine)

posted by amberglow 18 April | 19:34

I'll put in a vote for drinking it before the year is out. It should be fine.

posted by I Love Tacos 18 April | 19:58

I'm not gonna drink it alone. So let's all hope that before the year is out, I find a damn good reason to drink expensive champagne.

posted by Miko 18 April | 20:38

I would drink it. If it is spoiled, you will know.

If it has those incredibly tiny bubbles that real Champagnes seem to have and mere sparkling wines, not so much, then it will be fine.

Cheers!

posted by danf 19 April | 10:01

Vintage Dom is one of the few champagnes that doesn't fit the description in killdevil's quoted text.

It's still good, and barring cork rot, it'll still be good in 10 years. Store it on its side.

Or, better, come visit San Francisco, and we'll help you drink it. If it's not good, we'll be gracious and finish it off for you.

posted by ikkyu2 20 April | 23:55

← This thread has 11,520 comments. || Can we get one of these for Metachat Mansion? →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN