Champagne generally comes in bottles that are sealed with a cork. Unlike the corks in wine bottles that fit straight into the bottle opening, champagne corks mushroom out at the top, creating a cap. Champagne stoppers are small devices you can use to preserve the champagne once you have popped the bottle open. The type you choose probably will not affect how well it works, as long as it is a stopper that creates a tight seal in the opening of the bottle. You can choose from cork, glass, plastic or other materials in both plain and fancy designs.
Sealing open champagne bottles can be as simple as pushing the original cork back into the bottle. If the champagne comes with a plastic top rather than a cork, it can also usually be forced back into the hole to keep the champagne fresh. Champagne stoppers are a great alternative when the cork or original stopper is damaged and does not create a tight seal. Fancy stoppers may also be used for decorative reasons or when you want to throw the original cork or stopper away.
The three basic types of champagne stoppers to choose from are made from cork, plastic or glass. There may be parts that are made from other materials, such as stainless steel, but the part that actually seals the hole is usually made from one of those three materials. Bottle stoppers may also have rubber rings that form a seal with the top of the bottle and other materials to make it air tight. Cork is the traditional material used to stopper wine and champagne bottles, so cork champagne stoppers are typically a great choice. Other materials may work well, though they are less traditional and less formal.
Wine bottle stoppers can often be used to seal champagne bottles, and vice versa. There may be some cases, however, where champagne bottle stoppers work best. You may want to use a high-quality stopper designed specifically for champagne bottles if you are worried about expensive champagne losing its bubbly qualities, for instance. Wine stoppers are designed to keep wine fresh, though, so they will seal a bottle well. Champagne is really sparkling wine, so most stoppers that seal wine bottles should work well on champagne bottles, too.
You can find champagne stoppers that range from a simple cork with a decorative top that you push into the bottle to a device that clamps, twists or snaps in place to make a seal. Whether you prefer a modern gadget or a simple cork topped with a decorative design will generally depend on your taste or the theme of your decor. As long as you make sure the champagne stoppers you choose provide a tight seal, your champagne should stay fresh and bubbly for the duration of a single event or after being stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.