A really nice young couple came up to me in the wine cellar not long ago and asked me an interesting question. They had a small daughter and wanted to purchase a bottle of champange she could open on her 21st birthday. This question rarely comes up because most of the time, when people are buying champagne, they are celebrating something which in turn means the cork likely gets popped right away.

So, what if you do want to age a bottle of champagne? Does champagne age? The answer is definitely yes! But it depends, as is per usual when we are discussing wine. Most of the champagnes you'll see on the retail shelf are non-vintage. They are a blend of diffferent vintages, likely from different areas within the champagne region. These are the least expensive champagnes and even at this lower price point, these non-vintage champagnes will improve over two or three years time. What do I mean by improve? Well it's a bit subjective but they gain complexity and develop of alot of secondary aromas.

Vintage Champagnes are the next step up in quality and price point. The reason being exactly that. The quality of the fruit was superior enough in that given year to declare it a vintage. Plus, the grapes typically come from the best vineyards in the region. All of that contributes to their longevity. Stored properly, vintage champagnes can develop for 20 or more years. In a nutshell, proper storage would be someplace cool (around 55 degrees if possible), dark and not too dry.

Prestige Cuvees are at the top of the ladder. Pricier than vintage and a bit harder to find but they're out there if you care to spend the dollars. These amazing wines can age for 25 years or more.

So, if you want to purchase that future birthday present for your son or daughter now, make sure it's at least a vintage level champagne and store it properly. If you do you can pop the cork on your kid's 21st!

By the way, I think this might be the coolest bottle of Champagne I've seen in a very long time. It is the copper-encased Beau Joie made in Epernay, France. It retails for around $100 if you care to run out and grab one.