Recorking Champagne
Try an old cork. When a Champagne cork is removed from the bottle, it mushrooms out and cannot be reinserted back into the bottle. Regular wine bottles and some bottles of hard alcohol come corked with straight corks that can be recycled in Champagne bottles to help preserve the leftovers. To recycle an old cork, insert the old wine or whiskey cork into the Champagne bottle in place of the original cork. Champagne bottles are specially designed to withstand the pressure inside the bottle created by the carbon dioxide. Never transfer leftover champagne to a regular wine bottle as a method of preserving it.
Use a special sealer or stopper. There are sealers and stoppers available that are made for preserving Champagne, and they are specially designed to fit into Champagne bottles. Some of these are vacuum sealers that remove excess air from the bottle, while others are specially designed stoppers that are able to withstand the pressure that will build up in the bottle. Only wine made using a special tradition in the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. Sparkling wine from different regions may have bottles with different sized openings, so make sure you're using a Champagne-specific stopper.
Use plastic wrap. Not everyone has old corks or special Champagne sealers lying around, a third option is to cover the opening with plastic wrap. Seal it tightly around the rim, and secure the plastic in place with an elastic band around the neck.
Chilling and Storing Leftover Champagne
Chill the Champagne on ice.If you plan to finish your bottle of Champagne over the course of a night, keep it chilled in a bucket full of ice to preserve the flavor. Champagne is ideally served between 44.6 and 57.2 F (7 to 14 C). Fill a wine or metal bucket halfway with a half-and-half ice and water mixture. Gently place the bottle into the bucket, and finish filling the bucket with more ice and water. Make sure to leave the top third of the bottle exposed.
Keep the Champagne refrigerated. It is best to drink the champagne within a few days after opening the bottle. Whether you plan on finishing the bottle immediately or not, keeping it cold is one of the most important factors to preserving its flavor and fizz. In fact, if you plan to consume your open bottle within 24 hours, you can simply refrigerate it, uncovered, for the duration.
Don't freeze Champagne. Not only can freezing the wine destroy its flavor, but a bottle can also explode if it's left too long.
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