The gift of champagne is amazing either to send champagne to a special someone, or being the recipient of a good bottle of champagne yourself. However, many people are not sure how to chill, open and serve champagne they bought themselves, or the bottle of good champagne that was sent as a gift.

Champagne  101

Champagne What Is It?

Champagne, sparkling wine – Is there a difference?

Yes, it is in the name, and sometimes the method of how it is made. Champagne, is aged sparkling wine, and refers to a region of France where the wine-making process developed there is called Méthode Champenoise. Sparkling wine is created in the US, Australia, Cava is the Spanish name for Champagne, and Spumati is Italian name, but As the saying goes, “Champagne isn’t Champagne unless it’s made in Champagne.”

Drink Sparkling Wine in a Flute

Fluted glassware for champagne and sparkling wine the is best for serving. The stem of the glass allows the hands to remain away for the glass, and prevents you body heat from waring the chilled liquid. The tall fluted glassware also reduces the surface area of the wine, and thus this limits the liquids contact with air, and as such more the aged wine will keep it’s characteristic bubbles.

Open Sparkling Wine and Champagne

Probably the biggest mistake and misconception about sparkling wine and Champagne, other than the name confusion, is with regard to how it’s opened.

Opening a bottle properly does not involving shooting the luscious liquid about the room, and down your arm.   Now,that is a waste of good wine!

How to Chill the Sparkling Wine or Champagne

Fist method is to place the bottle in the refrigerator  for at least an one to 3 hours, or by using a chilling bucket with ice for approximately 30 minutes.

Never put a bottle of champagne in freezer as can explode, and frozen bubbles?

Removing  the Cage From the Bottle

Having a towel on to assist in opening sparkling wine may be helpful if you are not a master bottle opener. Have the flutes ready to pour, and an ice bucket  to keep the bottle cold.

Remove the foil from the cork so that the wire housing called the “cage” is entirely foil-free. Flip up the wire ring of the cage, and turn it exactly six half-turns counter-clockwise, which should free the cage from the neck of the bottle.

Many individual will remove the cage at this point, but it’s actually much simpler to control the cork (which is the goal) by leaving it on the bottle.

You can cover the cork with a towel at this point if you have not opened many bottles of champagne.

Now gently ease the Cork Out of the bottle with your thumb still guarding the top of the cork, turn the neck to a 45 degree angle and hold the bottle at the base. Now, while firmly holding the caged cork in one hand, slowly twist the bottle from its base. Do not twist the cork.
Go slow ease out the cork out slowly, without a pop, you should hear a soft pop. Now your ready to pour!

How To Pour the Sparkling Wine or Champagne

Only fill the first flute at the halfway point on the glass as not to overflow the bubbles, and pour down the side of the glass.

Sip, Savor and Enjoy.

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