Somebody gave me bottles of Dom Perignon 1980 and 1982. These were stored on their sides in a residence, but no other special treatment. How likely is it that they are still any good, and how should I store them? My choices would be room temperature, or in the refrigerator.
**From **A chat with Champagne expert and author Ed McCarthy
Question from Trey: I have a bottle of '73 Dom. Do you think it’s worth anything or has it gone bad?
Ed McCarthy: If it was stored ideally, it might still be good. Ideal storage means cool temperatures and fairly high humidity and a dark place. If it were not stored ideally, chances are the Champagne is probably finished. It’s probably oxidized. 1973 was an average to good year. Chances are, unless it had perfect storage, the Champagne will be disappointing so you might as well open and drink it. No sense in saving it any longer.
Question from Xiidaen: Can you please talk about storing Champagnes? Are there Champagnes that should be purchased now and held onto for a few years?
Ed McCarthy: That’s a very good question. In general all Champagnes improve with aging. This is especially true with vintage Champagnes. My advice is to age Champagne for a few years as long as you have a good place to store it. Champagne must be kept at a cool temperature, under 60 degrees. The ideal range is between 53 and 59 degrees. The cooler the better, really. The place should be fairly humid because the cork can dry out if it’s not humid. It should be a dark place, as light is the enemy of Champagne and wine in general. And it should be a place that’s free from vibrations such as washing machine motors. So, if you want to keep Champagne, you really have to have these conditions, otherwise there’s no sense in storing.
Thanls Dave-- It was totally dark, and stored on its side, but probably about 74 degrees. So we will see. Thanks.
so, did you pop the top or what?
seriously, with a less than ideal storage, might as well open it and smell it.
The temperature fluctuations are also bad.
so, did you pop the top or what?
seriously, with a less than ideal storage, might as well open it and smell it.
I guess I can open one and then make an assumption about the other. I see Internet prices on thes of around 200-300 per bottle.
Sell those things and buy some nice bike gear.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable selling them without knowing their condiiton.