Champagne: how to open the bottle?

Special occasions deserve to be celebrated, and there is no celebration without champagne. The whole ritual of cooling the bottle and opening it, always brings a touch of excitement and emotion to the evening! 

The Portuguese Wine gives you some tips to make the moment even more sparkling. No more struggle to open the bottle. Do it with class, be the perfect host!

Follow The PortugueseWine tips:

Chilling Champagne

Chilling the wine, either champagne or sparkling wine, is really important to ensure safety when opening the bottle.

The ideal serving temperature is 45°F or 7°C. You can use a bucket of ice for a period of 30 minutes or you can put it in the refrigerator for about three hours.

Please note that if the wine is not properly refrigerated before opening the bottle, it can cause warm carbonated liquid foam up and spill out much more easily than if it was cold.

There is no celebration without champagne
credits

Taking off the wire cage and cork

Hold the bottle firmly around the neck and remove the foil from the top until you can see the cork covered by a wire cage. 

Place the bottle at a 45 degree angle and carefully twist off the wire. Be sure that the bottle is pointed away from people and objects. The wire keeps the cork from popping out easily, but the cork may have become unfastened, so handle it with care.

Now that the wire is out, you should keep holding the bottle on the neck, it may help to rest the bottle against your waist. Gently twist the bottle, so the cork gradually comes out. 

When it happens, you should hear a soft sound. Perhaps you wanted to hear a loud sound and to see foam flowing out of the bottle! Sadly, this is not good champagne opening etiquette!

A soft "pop" means that not much carbonation was released ― Great! We like bubbles.

Serving and Pouring

Champagne should be served as soon as it is opened. You can use a towel to keep it cold. It must be poured slowly to avoid the foam, a little at first, then wait for the bubbles to disappear and continue until you fill the glass two-thirds full.

Be sure to hold the glass by the stem as holding it by the bowl will warm the champagne.

Following these tips will certainly make your drinking experience much more enjoyable while impressing your guests!

Remember:

- Chilled champagne tastes better, plus fewer chances for you to make a mess!

- Handle the bottle with care while gently removing the wire cage and cork 

- Once opened, immediately serve the wine and slowly pour the champagne

By the way, this deserves as toast!