Once you have all of your bubbly picked out, make sure to have it nice and chilled before serving. Nobody likes warm bubbles. Also, make sure you don’t shake the bottle around before you open it or you will have quite a mess on your hands, not to mention you will have wasted some of those yummy bubbles. Also keep in mind that the cork is under pressure and quite capable of harming someone nearby so be careful!
Here are my quick tips for getting those delicious bubbles into your glass.
- Champagne and other sparkling wines need to be well chilled before serving. Chill in refrigerator for up to 3 hours before serving or alternatively in an ice bucket with water for 30 to 45 minutes (known as a quick chill). Never chill your sparkling wine in a freezer. You could have a messy explosion on your hands!
- To open the bottle, unwrap the foil casing by either using the tab or cutting and ripping it off. It doesn’t really matter how you get off. The goal is just to get to the wire cage underneath.
- While placing one thumb over the cork, twist the loop to remove the cage. After you remove the cage, place your thumb back over the cork to prevent it from popping out.
- Tilt the bottle 45 degrees down BEFORE removing the cork. If you keep this angle, once you open the bottle, the bubbles will rarely overflow.
- While holding the cork firmly with one hand, twist the whole bottle at the base with the other to loosen the cork. The pressure will push it out with a “poof”. Try to avoid the “pop”. Tilt the bottle back upright with a towel over the opening.
- Slowly pour the Champagne into a flute (the best glass and shape to retain the bubbles) until the foam reaches the top, without spilling over. Once the bubbles drop, pour a second time to fill the glass.
- Sip and enjoy!
Have a wonderful New Years Eve and a happy and healthy 2012!
You can also find Rachel Voorhees here and on Facebook and Twitter.
