Answers.Body: <p>Simple answer is yes! The more complex answer is that it might not taste all that great but I've had some aged sparkling wines that were 10+ years old and were quite nice. But having lost it's carbonation does not make it bad, it will taste just like you described, cheap old wine.</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2017-12-29T20:23:26.927Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-12-29T20:23:26.927Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Answers.Body: <p>Definitely, I wanted to expand on why you should try it.  Some quick points: </p>
  
  <p>Vintage champagne, whilst not to everyone’s tastes, is usually only created when harvests are at their best.  Furthermore the grapes must be aged in a bottle for longer (a minimum of three times longer if memory serves) before release. This should be at least 18 months so the flavour develops.  Finally the taste develops in the bottle, just some reasons but it wasn’t designed to be drank in 1979.</p>
  
  <p>As others have said a lot of people don’t often realise that vintage champagne is flat, the carbonation doesn’t last forever. The taste you are experiencing sounds right though and it is safe as long as it’s been sealed for it’s life etc.</p>
  
  <p>Hope that makes sense, hope it tastes nice!</p>
  
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Answers.CreationDate: 2018-03-24T08:06:42.643Z
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Answers.UserDisplayName: n34_panda
Body: <p>A friend of my family gave us an unopened bottle of Bollinger champagne from 1979. It is a vintage champagne. Is it safe to drink? As far as I understand, the worst that could happen to alcohol is that it turns into vinegar. However, we opened it and it does not take like vinegar. It lost all the fizz, and tastes a bit like cheap wine + sweet (desert) wine. But we are not sure it is safe to drink. Any advice?</p>
  
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Comments.CreationDate: 2018-01-19T15:51:05.740Z
Comments.Text: I think I might just have put it up on Ebay, and bought a decent bottle with the proceeds!
Comments.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
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Comments.CreationDate: 2018-03-22T17:29:36.047Z
Comments.Text: Absolutely! How great to have this opportunity. Enjoy!
Comments.UserDisplayName: anja
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Comments.CreationDate: 2019-07-09T06:14:41.747Z
Comments.Text: I just opened a bottle of champagne given to me in 2007. Bubbles and taste were fine and I'm sure it was not a vintage or even expensive champagne bring it was a korbel brut. Still taste good and lots of bubbles color was a little darker than I think.it should of been but all in all pretty good.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dana
Tags: <wine>
Title: Is it safe to drink a four decades old champagne?
UserDisplayName: luchonacho
ThreadText: # Is it safe to drink a four decades old champagne?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-12-29)
  
  A friend of my family gave us an unopened bottle of Bollinger champagne from 1979. It is a vintage champagne. Is it safe to drink? As far as I understand, the worst that could happen to alcohol is that it turns into vinegar. However, we opened it and it does not take like vinegar. It lost all the fizz, and tastes a bit like cheap wine + sweet (desert) wine. But we are not sure it is safe to drink. Any advice?
  
  **Tags:** wine
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: I think I might just have put it up on Ebay, and bought a decent bottle with the proceeds!  
  > **username_2**: Absolutely! How great to have this opportunity. Enjoy!  
  > **username_3**: I just opened a bottle of champagne given to me in 2007. Bubbles and taste were fine and I'm sure it was not a vintage or even expensive champagne bring it was a korbel brut. Still taste good and lots of bubbles color was a little darker than I think.it should of been but all in all pretty good.  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-12-29. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
  
  Simple answer is yes! The more complex answer is that it might not taste all that great but I've had some aged sparkling wines that were 10+ years old and were quite nice. But having lost it's carbonation does not make it bad, it will taste just like you described, cheap old wine.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2018-03-24. Score: 2
  
  Definitely, I wanted to expand on why you should try it. Some quick points:
  
  Vintage champagne, whilst not to everyone’s tastes, is usually only created when harvests are at their best. Furthermore the grapes must be aged in a bottle for longer (a minimum of three times longer if memory serves) before release. This should be at least 18 months so the flavour develops. Finally the taste develops in the bottle, just some reasons but it wasn’t designed to be drank in 1979.
  
  As others have said a lot of people don’t often realise that vintage champagne is flat, the carbonation doesn’t last forever. The taste you are experiencing sounds right though and it is safe as long as it’s been sealed for it’s life etc.
  
  Hope that makes sense, hope it tastes nice!
  
  
  ---
  
  