Champagne??!!

iwannanicerlife

I was recently clearing out the cupboard under the stairs and have come across assorted bottles of champagne which I have been gifted over the years. I think I've put it them in there thinking I'd save them for a special occasion but that has never come.

I have no idea how old any of it is. Some have obviously only been in there a short period of time and I ithought I could gift these to other people.:think:

There are other bottles though, maybe seven or eight, that I have no idea how old they are (I'm almost certain two are from a special birthday over ten years ago but no idea which ones they are!) I've googled them, and all the labels still appear current (cost between £10-40) but most have a note to say they need to be drunk within 1-3 years. I've looked all over the bottles but I can't see anything that says when they were produced/bottled. Can I risk giving them away or do I just throw them? It seems such a shame, but it's just not something I would ever drink at home .....

Any suggestions please?

iwannanicerlife

And apologies if this is the wrong forum, wasn't sure where to put it?!

hilstep2000

If it doesn't say vintage I'd be wary! Most champagne (£10 - £20) needs to be drunk within a year, but you could just try it and see!

JournalGirl

start serving Bucks Fizz to all your guests

Spendless

Husband won a magnum of Moet in a work raffle shortly before his niece was born in Jan 1991. He and his family intended drinking it when baby was born, but for some reason it didn't happen and lived in our cupboard for years. When said niece was 18 (Jan 2009) we drank it with her for her birthday. At this point I believe it had started to 'ferment' as though still drinkable it had a sweeter taste to it, more like an Asti than Champagne. Based on that I would say your champagne will be fine to drink but it depends on how much of a champagne connoisseur you are to how you find it.;)

BitterAndTwisted

Wine and champagne can be kept indefinitely. What makes the difference is how it has been stored. Heat and light can alter the taste but will not necessarily render it undrinkable. Storing the bottles upright and the corks drying out will.

mumofthetwins

Hi
I was a wine analyst for 5 years and I wouldn't want to drink a regular champagne after 10 years
I know that the wine we packaged was meant to be consumed within a year and after that you ran the risk of it oxidising (making it taste rank !)
It all depends on the treatment levels when packaged ...

Saying that we did not bottle champagne but we did analyse the mayor brands we stocked in the warehouse and I'm thinking it's the same principles (we never stocked any older than 6 months though)

Been a while from me working there but I do still like a tipple but now I have to pay for it

You could just give it to those family members who are so so (mostly in laws in my case;)) and In my case I don't think any of them would know the difference or they would prob do the same thing (re gift)

Lisa x

lingolady21

I agree with Lisa. I work in the wine industry and have been at a lot of tastings when the wine has oxidised due to bad packing runs, care in handling, over aged, poor quality corks. I've seen packing runs in different wineries and they aren't always top standard! Unless it's specific vintages or wine that has been bottled to age (suitable bottles, high quality corks, specific cellars and local laws, the best grapes, etc) then generally it needs drinking within 12 to 18 months.

I think you'd potentially be fine to re gift with care, or drink as Bucks Fizz though. A lot code would normally be either on the neck of the bottle, the back label or on the collarette on the bottle.

Leif

Some wines just aren't that good anyway, and aging does them no favours. That said, I was given a bottle of champagne, one of the well known names, but nothing expensive, when I worked late one day. I drank it 10 years later, and I thought it was lovely, very dry. Maybe I was lucky. You could always give them away to people you know and like, with the proviso 'this might be vile, but it might be drinkable'. That way they can have a backup bottle handy, just in case it is vile.

Chris25

I wouldn't risk re-gifting them - use them as an excuse to throw a party & tell the guests the story, or wait for a lovely Summer evening & try first, as is or make a champagne c o cktail - or keep until Christmas. Days are drawing in now
We kept some from son's christening for his 18th - most were fine, a couple weren't, yet all were the same & had been stored in the same way.

iwannanicerlife

Thanks. Might risk regifting the obviously most recent ones, and might just have a go at drinking the others lol!