The Proper Way to Chill Champagne, Plus How to Open, Serve & Store It

Champagne is the perfect way to celebrate special occasions. This sparkling wine is best served chilled, but there’s no need to worry if you’ve left your champagne out on the counter. We talked to certified wine consultant Murphy Perng and certified sommelier Christopher Lucchese to find out the best temperature and chilling methods for champagne, as well as how to open and serve it properly.

How do you chill champagne?

Certified wine consultant Murphy Perng suggests serving champagne at about 43 °F (6 °C). To chill champagne, stick it in an ice bucket filled with ice water, and let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving. Or, store it in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

Section 1 of 4:

The Best Ways to Chill Champagne Quickly

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Put your champagne in a bucket filled with ice, water, and salt. Perng tells us that the best way to chill champagne is with an ice bucket. Fill up a wine bucket with ice and pour in enough water to fill the bucket about one-third of the way.^{[1]
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Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Expert Interview} Add about 1 cup (300 g) of salt for every 1 gallon (~4 liters) of water. This is optional, but mixing some salt into your ice bucket helps cool down the champagne, since salt lowers the freezing point of water.^{[2]
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Research source} Leave the champagne bottle in the bucket for at least 15-30 minutes. Perng recommends letting the champagne bottle sit in the bucket until it’s time to serve.^{[3]
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Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Expert Interview}
- Perng explains that filling the bucket with half ice and half water will help the cold transfer into the champagne bottle more quickly than if you just used ice alone.^{[4]
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- A stainless steel wine bucket works best, but in a pinch, feel free to use any sturdy container, like a pitcher, crock pot, or even a wide vase.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Murphy Perng is a Wine Consultant and the Founder and Host of Matter of Wine, a business that produces educational wine events, including team-building experiences, networking events, and private parties.

Christopher Lucchese is a Certified Sommelier affiliated with Home Somm, a Los Angeles, California-based business that does private wine tastings, education, and paired wine dinners.
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Place the champagne bottle on its side in the fridge 2-3 hours before serving. Storing champagne in he fridge works in a pinch, but it could take a few hours before your champagne is ready, so plan ahead! It’s also not a long-term solution. Perng tells us to store the bottle on its side so that “the liquid comes into contact with the cork.” This helps prevent the cork from drying out and becoming damaged, which in turn could damage the champagne.^{[5]
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Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Expert Interview}
- Most refrigerators are set 40 °F (4 °C), which is slightly too cold for long-term storage. It’s totally fine if you’re just chilling it for a little while, though.
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Slip the champagne into a wine cooler sleeve for a quick chill. A wine cooler sleeve is like a cold pack for your wine. Stick your wine cooler sleeve in the freezer for several hours so it’s nice and cold. Then, slip the sleeve over and around the body of your champagne bottle. Your bubbly will be chilled in about half an hour.^{[6]
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- Simulate this without spending any money by loosely wrapping the bottle in a few layers of wet paper towels or a damp tea towel, then sticking the whole thing in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the fridge and store it in an ice bucket to keep it cool.
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Freeze the champagne for 15 minutes if you’re in a pinch. Does champagne freeze? Yes—that’s why most wine enthusiasts don’t recommend sticking it in the freezer, since it starts to freeze between 16 and 23 °F (−9 and −5 °C). However, sticking your champagne in the freezer for a few minutes at a time (not a few hours!) can be an effective way to chill it if you’re in a pinch.^{[7]
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- Don’t stick vintage champagnes in the freezer—they’re typically served at a warmer temperature than non-vintage champagne (around 45 to 50 °F (7 to 10 °C)).^{[8]
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- It’s also not a good idea to stick pricier champagne in the freezer, since it’s a more expensive loss if the bubbly gets frozen.
- The more alcoholic your champagne is, the longer it can last in the freezer. That’s why drinks with a super high alcohol volume (like vodka) stay completely unfrozen after a night in your freezer.
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Serve the champagne with a couple of frozen grapes in each glass. This is a little unusual, but it works wonderfully if you don’t have time to chill your bubble. Open the champagne, pour it into a glass, and add a couple of frozen grapes in lieu of ice cubes. The frozen grapes will bring down the champagne’s temperature without watering it down in the process.^{[9]
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- You can also chill your wine quickly with metal wine stones. Freeze them, then place them in your glass of champagne (like ice cubes).
  - Don’t put regular ice cubes in your champagne, as they will alter the flavor as they melt.
- You could also put your champagne flutes in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Then pour the champagne into the glasses, which will quickly chill it.

Section 2 of 4:

What temperature should champagne be?

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Serve champagne at about 43 °F (6 °C). Perng recommends serving most white champagnes at a chilly 43 °F (6 °C), but says that up to 50 °F (10 °C) is acceptable. She adds that cooler temps are better for “lighter” or “sweeter” champagnes.^{[10]
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Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Expert Interview}
- If you’d like, you can use a wine bottle thermometer to check the champagne’s temperature before serving.
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Store champagne at about 50 °F (10 °C). Long-term storage is slightly different, since you don’t want to overchill the champagne for too long, which can alter its flavor. Store most champagnes at about 50 °F (10 °C)—relatively cool, but not cold.^{[11]
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Research source} Perng agrees, and adds that bottles should be stored horizontally and in a consistent temperature, since temperature fluctuations can alter the wine’s chemistry.^{[12]
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Murphy Perng
Certified Wine Consultant

Expert Interview}
- Perng recommends getting a wine cooler, which is like a fridge but with more stable temperature and humidity levels, and also not as cold, which are all crucial aspects of storing wine.^{[13]
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Section 3 of 4:

Opening and Serving Champagne

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Dry the bottle of champagne thoroughly and grip it with a towel. Certified sommelier Christopher Lucchese says to dry the bottle off with a serviette ( a towel or napkin) to make sure you don’t drop it, since cold bottles sweat condensation and can get slippery. Wipe down the bottle to make sure it’s dry, then hold it in your non-dominant hand, using the towel for grip.^{[14]
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Christopher Lucchese
Certified Sommelier

Expert Interview}
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Remove the foil and the cage from the top of the bottle. Most champagnes are sealed with foil, a wire cage, or both, Lucchese says. Remove these before you attempt to open the bottle. Simply peel the foil away, and unwind and carefully remove the wire cage. Keep your thumb on the wire cage until it’s completely removed. At this point, the bottle may pop open by itself, Lucchese warns, so face it away from other people, as well as from breakable objects. Handle the bottle delicately as you work!^{[15]
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Christopher Lucchese
Certified Sommelier

Expert Interview}
- You may need to use a small knife to cut away the foil.
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Hold the bottle by the bottom while gently twisting the cork out with your thumb. Lucchese tells us to hold the bottom of the bottle in one hand while holding the cork in the other, with your thumb and forefinger. Then, twist the bottle gently in your hand, grasping the cork to tease it out. Soon enough, it’ll pop, and the cork will come out in your hand.^{[16]
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Christopher Lucchese
Certified Sommelier

Expert Interview}
- The cork won’t hurt your hand, but still, angle the bottle away from people, pets, and breakables.
- For more of a show, aim the bottle away from others and press the cork away from the bottle with your thumb. It’ll loosen and fly off with a satisfying pop!
4
Pour a splash of champagne into each glass, then fill them ⅔ full. When pouring champagne, it’s a good idea to give each glass an initial, small pour and let it settle for a few seconds, which prevents it from fizzing too much. Then, hold the bottle with your hand on the bottom and the other supporting the neck, and slowly fill each glass about ⅔ full.^{[17]
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- Some wine enthusiasts suggest serving your champagne in a big wine glass. More open glasses make it easier to appreciate the champagne’s aroma.

Expert Advice for Chilling Champagne

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I have a curve Dom per in on vintage 1988. I stored it in a paper bag and in the dark. I've had it 30 years. Still good?

Janice Tieperman

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Unfortunately, 30-year-old champagne is no longer good to drink. In general, wine experts advise drinking vintage champagnes within 5-10 years and non-vintage champagnes within 3-4 years.

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How can you choose a champagne that has a good taste with out spending a fortune?

Janice Tieperman

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Look at customer reviews online or at your local wine shops! Champagne is a pretty popular drink, so there are sure to be lots of reviews on a variety of different brands and vintages.

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Is it harmful for an unopened bottle of chilled champagne to get warm again?

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It is not harmful, but it may affect the taste of the champagne. Aim to drink your champagne shortly after chilling it.

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wikiHow Video: How to Chill Champagne

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Vintage champagnes don’t need to be quite as chilled as regular champagne. Place your vintage bottle in an ice bucket or refrigerator until the champagne is around 45 to 50 °F (7 to 10 °C). The slightly warmer temperature helps highlight the different flavors and notes in the beverage.^{[18]
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Don’t serve your champagne in pre-chilled glasses if the champagne itself is chilled. You’ve already chilled your bubbly down to the proper temperature—any lower, and your bubbly will be too cold to enjoy.^{[19]
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Plan ahead for your gatherings by either having buckets of ice ready to go or by having enough time to chill the champagne in the refrigerator.

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