Sommelier explains why sparkling wine should rest after transport

Abrau-Durso sommelier Svetlana Lomsadze advised against opening sparkling wine immediately after transporting it. In comments to RIA Novosti on October 9, she recommended leaving the bottle in a refrigerator for at least an hour, or a day if possible.

Lomsadze explained that transport in a bag, car or someone's hands subjects a bottle to mechanical movement. She said shaking makes carbon dioxide dissolved in the liquid form microscopic bubbles on the bottle walls. She advised against opening it immediately because pressure can push out the cork and some contents.

The sommelier cited pressure of 5–6 atmospheres and recommended letting the drink settle in a refrigerator, rather than a freezer, for at least an hour or preferably a day. Her estimate that half the contents could be lost should not be treated as an inevitable outcome for every bottle.

The Comité Champagne also warns that bottle pressure can send a cork flying after shaking. It recommends carefully opening chilled Champagne at a serving temperature of around 8–10°C. The guidance concerns Champagne and does not replace another sparkling wine producer's recommendations.