For a few weeks or months, storing champagne upright is perfectly fine. For longer storage, Drinks House 247 recommends laying bottles on their side, the traditional cellar method, which keeps the cork in contact with the wine. Steady temperature around 10 to 13°C, darkness and stillness matter more than the angle of the bottle.
Ask three wine merchants how to store champagne and you may hear three answers. The confusion comes from an old rule for still wine, applied to a bottle that behaves differently because it is under pressure. The practical answer depends mostly on how long you plan to keep it.
A natural cork is a little like a sponge. If it dries out, it can shrink, let air in and spoil the wine. Laying a bottle down keeps the wine in contact with the cork so it stays moist and swollen in the neck. That is why wine racks and cellars hold bottles horizontally.
Partly. A bottle of champagne holds carbon dioxide at around five to six atmospheres of pressure, and the small space between the wine and the cork is full of humid gas. Some Champagne producers argue that this humidity keeps the cork moist even when the bottle stands upright, so the angle matters less than for still wine. Others still store long-term stock on its side, as cellars in Reims and Épernay have done for generations.
The sensible conclusion for home storage: upright is fine for the short term, and on its side is the safer habit for long-term keeping.
| How long you will keep it | Position | Where |
|---|---|---|
| A few days | Upright | The fridge, ready to serve |
| A few weeks to a few months | Upright or on its side | A cool, dark cupboard away from heat |
| Six months to several years | On its side | A wine fridge or cellar at a steady 10 to 13°C |
| Vintage or prestige cuvée for ageing | On its side | A wine fridge or professional storage, in the dark |
Champagne prefers to be cool and, above all, stable. Around 10 to 13°C is ideal for long storage. Warmth speeds up ageing, and swings in temperature are worse than a constant slightly-too-warm room, because they make the wine expand and contract and can push air past the cork. A cupboard next to an oven or radiator is the worst place in the house.
Light, particularly sunlight and strong fluorescent light, can cause a fault known as light strike, giving the wine a dull, cabbage-like smell. Clear-glass bottles, such as some rosés and prestige cuvées, are especially vulnerable, which is why they often come in protective boxes or wrapping. Keep the box on until you serve it.
Constant vibration, from a washing machine or a busy road, is not good for long-term ageing. A quiet spot is better.
Professional cellars sit at around 70% humidity. At home this matters only for storage over several years, when very dry air can affect the cork. Most people storing a few bottles for a year or two do not need to worry about it.
For a few days, yes, and it will be ready to drink. For weeks or months, no. A domestic fridge is very dry and slightly too cold for ageing, its motor causes vibration, and the door is opened constantly. Over a long period the cork can dry and the wine can lose freshness. Move bottles into the fridge a day or two before you need them, or chill them quickly in an ice bucket.
Less than for vintage. Non-vintage champagne is made to be enjoyed within a few years of release, so most bottles bought for a celebration will be opened long before storage position makes any difference. The rules above matter most for vintage champagne and prestige cuvées that you plan to keep for years.
If you are buying an older bottle, these are worth checking, and they are a good reason to buy from a merchant who stores stock properly.
Keep bottles you will open soon standing in a cool, dark cupboard. Lay anything you want to keep for more than six months on its side in a wine rack or wine fridge. Chill each bottle shortly before serving rather than storing it cold for weeks.
Upright is fine for a few weeks or months. For longer storage, lying the bottle on its side is the safer, traditional method. Stable temperature, darkness and stillness matter more than the angle.
Around 10 to 13°C for long-term storage, kept as steady as possible. Serve it colder, at about 8 to 10°C.
It is better not to. A kitchen fridge is dry and vibrates, which is not ideal over long periods. Keep it in a cool, dark place and chill it a day or two before serving.
Strong light can cause light strike, a fault that gives the wine a dull, cabbage-like smell. Clear-glass bottles are most at risk, so keep them boxed until serving.
Browse our champagne collection and magnums, or see how champagne delivery works across London. For wider storage advice, read our checklist for storing wine at home, plus how long champagne lasts unopened and how long to chill champagne.
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