Storage

Upright or lying down · 10-15 °C · 60-80% humidity · darkness

According to the Comité Champagne, bottles of champagne can be stored lying down or upright without affecting the quality of the wine.1,2 What matters is a stable 10 to 15 °C, 60 to 80% humidity and darkness.1

Conditions

The Comité Champagne lists these conditions for storing bottles:1,2

  • a stable temperature between 10 and 15 °C;
  • humidity between 60% and 80%;
  • darkness;
  • a dedicated, ventilated space free of odours;
  • a rest period for bottles after a long journey.

Upright or lying down

For champagne, the Comité Champagne states that either position is fine and does not affect quality.1,2 No peer-reviewed study on bottle position was found for this page, so the statement rests on the Comité's guidance.

Light

Light can alter champagne. The Comité Champagne advises keeping bottles in darkness and using dummy bottles in display areas.1,2

Temperature and the bottle

Pressure inside a sealed bottle depends on temperature: about 4.7 bar at 6 °C, 5.8 bar at 12 °C and 7.5 bar at 20 °C.3 A cellar in the 10-15 °C range keeps the bottle near the middle of that scale.

For how long-aged bottles lose CO2 by format, see bottle size and ageing. For an opened bottle, see keeping an opened bottle.

See also

Keeping an opened bottleServingServing temperatureServingBottle size and ageingScienceBottle sizesServingCork and wire cageMethods

Sources

  1. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Factsheet: Champagne Storage (EN) (2024)
  2. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Store and serve Champagne (web page)
  3. Nature Publishing Group. Liger-Belair G., Cordier D., Honvault J., Cilindre C. Unveiling CO2 heterogeneous freezing plumes during champagne cork popping. Scientific Reports 7: 10938. DOI 10.1038/s41598-017-10702-6 (2017)

Facts checked on 2026-10-19