Do You Have To Serve Champagne Chilled?

Of all the potential party problems a person can imagine, Champagne problems are the worst. Entertain long enough and you come to realize some percentage of your permanent coupes and martini glasses should be considered disposable. Champagne problems are no fun because the stuff is virtually earmarked for joy, it's darned expensive, and, unlike a cocktail, it is not at all adaptable. You want it to be pretty much perfect. So you need your Champagne to be chilled.

Let's say, for example, your Champagne problem of the day is that you forgot to place the bubbly in the refrigerator early enough. Barring some immutable moment like midnight on New Year's Eve, you're better off delaying uncorking until it catches cold. But –- twist! -– you don't want it too frigid, either. Too warm, and its carbonation goes into overdrive, ultimately leaving you with less signature fizz, not to mention muddled flavors. Too cold, and your own palate is just less receptive, with the Champagne's bouquet muted. Just right, instead, is somewhere between about 45 degrees and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for most Champagnes.

Even if you aren't scrambling for a shortcut, you should know it will take a bottle of Champagne, that you've just brought home from the store, about three hours to chill to the correct temperature in the refrigerator. The best way to quickly chill Champagne is in an ice bath. Plunge the bottle into an arctic mix of ice and water, and it can be flute-ready in as little as 15 minutes. A big shake of salt famously in the ice bath moves things along a little faster by dropping the temp of the water. 

But another well-known, yet unrecommended, trick for quickly chilling Champagne — wrapping the bottle in a wet towel and placing it in the freezer — has been proven to be inefficient. Alternatively, you can always try to buy Champagne directly from the wine store's refrigerator and transfer it to yours as soon as possible. Then you just have to learn how to open a bottle of Champagne the right way, toast, and get back to enjoying a blunder-free evening.