Wine wisdom
HOW TO... Store your Champagne
Champagne, even non-vintage, can gain in complexity with age, just like still wine. But are there different rules when it comes to cellaring?
1 For short-term storage, it’s most practical to store Champagne and sparkling wines standing up (though keep the bottles away from bright or artificial light). But for long-term storage of vintage cuvées, store your bottles on their sides. Like with all great wine, there is a risk of the cork drying out if bottles are kept upright for long periods.
2 Choose a cool place where the temperature is fairly constant. The actual temperature (ideally about 7°-10°C) is less important than its stability. Wild fluctuations of heat and cold kill all good wine, so avoid storing bottles in the kitchen, and especially the garage or shed.
3 Forget about laying down half-bottles: their capacity to age is very erratic and the wine ages too fast. While standard bottles (75cl) age well and at a moderate rate if properly stored, magnums (1.5-litre) are the best format for long-term ageing. That’s because the ratio of wine to surface area allows for a slower, more even maturation of the wine and finer enduring flow of bubbles.
If you like Viognier, why not try Torrontés
Famously the white grape of the northern
