How Long Can Champagne Be Stored?

Champagne is a wine, and like most wines it changes with time. Whether that change is welcome depends on the bottle and your preference.

Non‑vintage

Most non‑vintage champagne is released ready to drink. Kept somewhere cool, dark and stable, it will hold for three to five years — after that, freshness fades.

Vintage

Vintage champagne is built to age. Many houses suggest a further three to ten years of cellaring after release. The bubbles soften, the aromas turn toward brioche and dried fruit.

Storage

Cool, dark, still. Lay bottles on their side if the closure is a natural cork, upright if it is a crown cap for extended ageing.