Cooling champagne
How you experience a glass of Champagne is partly determined by the temperature at which you drink it. Too warm or too cold doesn't enhance the taste experience. So, what is the Perfect Serve ?
The right temperature
Champagne is typically enjoyed between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius , depending on the type. A non-vintage is usually enjoyed slightly cooler, a vintage slightly warmer.
Don't deviate too much from these temperatures; this will affect the aromas. For example, if the temperature is too cool, they will be less pronounced. At a warmer temperature, the Champagne will become heavier and the alcohol aromas may be overpowering. Furthermore, the bubbles will be less vibrant.
So, the optimal temperature is between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius. How do you achieve that temperature?
Cooling champagne
Champagne is almost always served in a cooler . Coolers come in various shapes, sizes, and materials. Essentially, anything that can hold a bottle, water, and ice can serve as a champagne cooler.
In a hurry to chill your bottle of bubbly?
Fill the cooler halfway with ice and top up with water . Submerge the bottle in the cooler. After about 30 minutes , the Champagne will be cold. Pay close attention to the correct ratio. Too little ice will not make the Champagne cold enough, and too little water will make it too cold.
▲ Champagne cooling step-by-step plan.
In a huge hurry?
Add a generous amount of salt to the cooler containing ice and water and stir. This creates a chemical reaction and accelerates the cooling process. Salt lowers the freezing point, causing the ice cubes to melt faster and the water to maintain a lower temperature without freezing. After about 10 minutes in the cooler with ice, water, and salt, the Champagne is ready to go !
Are you not in a hurry?
Refrigerate your champagne a day in advance to ensure it's properly chilled. Ideally, place it horizontally at the bottom of the refrigerator. The champagne will be cold after about 6 hours .
Just before serving, place it in a cooler filled with ice and water for fifteen minutes. This way, the Champagne will reach its optimal temperature. Plus, you can keep the bottle in a convenient location, so you don't have to keep making trips back and forth to the refrigerator.
Freezer?
We don't recommend this. Firstly, because there's a high risk of forgetting your bottle of bubbly or taking it out of the freezer too late. Champagne freezes at around -5 degrees Celsius. And yes, then the bottle can "explode."
Moreover, it takes much longer for the liquid in the bottle to cool in the freezer. The cold in a freezer is based on air, and air conducts heat less well than water. Therefore, a cooler with ice and water works fastest and best for chilling a bottle of Champagne!
Helpful tips
- Preferably opt for subtle cooling rather than super-fast cooling.
- Better too cold than too warm. Champagne warms up easily if you leave it out of the refrigerator or ice bucket for a while. On average, about 1 degree per fifteen minutes.
- If you notice your Champagne is too cold, let it sit for a moment or warm the glass with your hands.
- The basic principle should be that a bottle should be placed back in a cool environment as soon as possible after opening or pouring, for example in a cooler.
- Place a tea towel near your champagne cooler to dry the bottle when you remove it. This way, you won't spill any ice water while pouring.
- Are you having trouble gently uncorking your bottle and feel the cork trying to pop? Then the Champagne is probably too warm. This can also be caused by excessive agitation and shaking of the bottle.
Good luck chilling your bottle of Champagne!