Will champagne that is stored for a long time in heat explode?

Question

I am planning a long road trip across country, and I will be bringing some champagne. There will be long periods of time when the car will be left outside and will heat up to at least 120 F, it is the US summer after all. What I need to know is if champagne is stored for to long like this, will to much pressure build up and it could shatter the glass bottle it is in?

How long do you think it will need to be stored to explode if at all?

Thank you.

Answer 1

YES! h**l YES! IT WILL EXPLODE! and it is one h**l of a mess to clean up... trust me.

If you absolutely must leave it in the care. Leave it in the truck out of direct sunlight. Insulate it against the heat by wrapping it in a towel. Every good traveler (hitchhiker) has a towel. If this fails the towel will at least keep the glass contained and limit the spray of the champagne.

EDIT:

Educated explanation... When liquid is heated it expands and eventually becomes a gas. As the liquid/gas expand the pressure inside the bottle builds, but the pressure outside the bottle remains the same... unless you are changing your relative position to sea level... eventually the pressure inside the bottle will pass the stress threshold of the bottle and hopefully blow the cork out the top... worst case scenario the bottom is blown off and you get glass and champagne everywhere.

Answer 2

Explosion is not the only problem - I think, from my own failures, that wine should at any price never be transported in summer - because it will be spoiled

  does it mean that you cannot do anything ? No - find a camping ice box, big enough to accept you bottles an make the transport with frost compartments - this can resist 24 hours.

  More widely - cover your wines ( and champagne ) with blankets - AND DON'T DO WHAT I DID ONCE : to put the bottles exactly above the steam-pipe - which is a very warm area INSIDE the car  -

Answer 3

yaaaaaaaaaaa duhhhhhhhh

Answer 4

Wrap it in a thick towel and avoid too much shaking.  It will not explode unless you put a flame to it (the bottle) or applied pressure.  Maybe get a styrofoam cooler to keep it in, but don't forget to keep it wrapped.