Can champagne quality be effected by moving it from refrigerated cooler storage to basement rack storage.....what are the do's and don'ts of handling champagne storage? Thank you for your assistance.
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
As a rule, there is no need to worry about moving wine from a refrigerated cooler to a wine rack if the rack is situated in a consistently cool, dark location in your basement. Of course, it would be preferable to keep the Champagne in a wine cabinet if possible. Some finished basements are as bright and warm as the other floors of a house; in other words, that type of basement certainly does not offer desirable conditions for long-term storage. It really all depends on how long you intend to keep the bubbly, bearing in mind that nearly all sparkling wine is released when ready to drink and is not intended to be cellared (except for a few styles and brands of vintage Champagne). I would counsel you to pop the cork sooner, not later, especially if your cellaring conditions are less than ideal.
