Storage of Chmapagne

[Kcwhippet]

I didn't see where I said the cork was kept damp. At any rate, I got my information from two different sources. Tom Stevenson (supposedly the world authority on sparkling wine) says there is no reason to store sparklers horizontally. He says that storing them upright is perfectly acceptable and that some Champagnes have kept quite well for a century under such storage. The other source was a study I read about awhile ago. The Comite Interprofesionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), which is the ruling body of Champagne, did a study over about two years testing storage methods. They found that Champagne stored horizontally apparently ages faster, so they recommended vertical storage. In no way do I claim to understand any of the physics or the chemistry behind these assertions. I'm only reporting what I've heard from folks who are supposed to be the authorities on this subject.