The champagne flute is the more preferred vessel to consume the drink from today rather than the traditional coupe. Champagne is a completely unique drink and it has its own unique glass designed and shaped specifically to ensure the drink is consumed at its best. The long stem of the flute serves the same purpose as the traditional wine glass. Holding the stem rather than the body of the glass will stop body heat warming the drink. The tall thin design of the flute is also to keep as many bubbles as possible by exposing as little of the drink to the air. When champagne is being served at a party the design of the flute means plenty of glasses can fit onto a serving tray. The traditional champagne flute is rumoured to be modelled on the breasts of various French aristocrats but is often used today for champagne fountains. Using crystal champagne glasses will produce more bubbles because the texture is slightly rougher than traditional glass. Although champagne should always be served chilled, the champagne glasses should never be chilled before use.

Champagne is normally consumed on special occasions or for celebrations so is always best enjoyed however the celebrator chooses. The primary directive of the champagne flute design is to keep your champagne sparkling and bubbly. Although only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France may call itself champagne, most sparkling wines will offer the same sparkle and air of opulence.

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The champagne flute is the more preferred vessel to consume the drink from today rather than the traditional coupe. Champagne is a completely unique drink and it has its own unique glass designed and shaped specifically to ensure the drink is consumed at its best. The long stem of the flute serves the same purpose as the traditional wine glass. Holding the stem rather than the body of the glass will stop body heat warming the drink. The tall thin design of the flute is also to keep as many bubbles as possible by exposing as little of the drink to the air. When champagne is being served at a party the design of the flute means plenty of glasses can fit onto a serving tray. The traditional champagne flute is rumoured to be modelled on the breasts of various French aristocrats but is often used today for champagne fountains. Using crystal champagne glasses will produce more bubbles because the texture is slightly rougher than traditional glass. Although champagne should always be served chilled, the champagne glasses should never be chilled before use.

Champagne is normally consumed on special occasions or for celebrations so is always best enjoyed however the celebrator chooses. The primary directive of the champagne flute design is to keep your champagne sparkling and bubbly. Although only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France may call itself champagne, most sparkling wines will offer the same sparkle and air of opulence.

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Champagne should be served just cooler than white wine at about 43 – 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The best way to achieve this temperature is to let the bottle chill in a champagne bucket filled with ice for about 30 minutes before serving. A bottle of champagne can also sit in the fridge for about three hours to chill. The freezer should never be used to store champagne. Whilst the champagne should be chilled the champagne glasses should be at room temperature. As fun as it always seems, not many people get to practice the art of popping the cork. It’s the bottle that should be twisted whilst holding the cork still rather than the other way around when opening a bottle. When professionally removed the cork shouldn’t pop. The pop will make more bubbles escape so a gentle sigh is the only noise that should escape as the cork is released. Although wine glasses will suffice, champagne is best consumed from a champagne flute for maximum bubbles. Whilst pouring always allow the froth to settle before topping the glass up to about two thirds. Once re-corked, a bottle of champagne can last in the fridge for several days.

As much as we all enjoy the pomp and grandeur of opening a bottle of champagne basic safety should never be overlooked. The average cork will have about 70 pounds per square inch of pressure behind it. This is easily enough force to damage someone’s eye permanently or smash any glass close by. This is why the bottle must always be opened facing away from any people or valuables.

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Traditional Corkscrew – These have been around for a long time now and are still as effective as they ever were. Most people have some form of corkscrew in their home as part of their tableware sets, and if you know how to use one you can get a bottle of wine open in no time. You might struggle however if you lack elementary hand strength or finger control though.

Modern device – Advancements in technology have thrown up a number of different devices for making bottle opening a great deal easier. Some of these rely on advanced mechanics, like the winemaster corkscrew, that turn a straight forwards movement into a twisting one. Others rely on battery power that do all of the work for you, but you might as well by a screw top if you need to use one of these

Saber – If you are the adventurous kind or a bit of a show off then you can saber a bottle of wine open. During the Napoleonic era, victories were often celebrated with a champagne saberage. This requires a bit of skill and essentially involves lopping off the top of a champagne bottle without damaging the rest of it. The head of the bottle is required to be soaked in water before hand so that the cork swells up and then with a swift striking of bottle neck should take it off allowing you to quench your thirst. Simple

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Champagne The Perfect Accompaniment 

Red wine has become quite popular these days. Health conscious people are more inclined to drink dry red wine than any other types of alcoholic beverages because red wine is said to be good for the heart. Studies show that red wine has components that help unclog the arteries leading to the heart and that people who drink wine are more likely to live longer than those people who do not drink at all. Of course these claims that red wine can prolong life are still debatable but that is beside the point. Even if wine does not prolong life, the fact that this type of wine goes well with lots of things at dinner that is good enough for most people.

Red Wine And Cheese

Many people love to serve red wine with certain types of cheese. According to experts, some types of cheese bring out the flavor of certain types of red wines. If you are one of those people who love to drink wine after dinner, try drinking your wine with some cheese.

Red Wine And Good Conversations

Wine can help you unwind and have fun with your friends after a long stressful day at the office. According to experts, a glass of red wine and a lot of good conversation at the dinner table can help reduce the risk of

Red Wine And Good Food

A lot of people swear that their dinner is never complete without a glass of wine. No, these people are not teetotalers. Drinking wine is not a sign that the person is teetotaler or something like that. One can always enjoy wine at home without getting drunk. The Europeans are used to drink wine before and after dinner. There are also a lot of Americans who like to have wine after eating a heavy meal. Red wine goes especially well with pasta or meat based food while white goes well with light dinner and vegetable based food. Wine can surely make your dinner more enjoyable. Just make sure that you do not drive if you drink more than the required alcohol limits for drivers. You don t really want to end up on the wrong side of the law because you have high levels of alcohol in your blood. If you have drunk more than the permitted amount of alcohol, you must ask someone else to drive you home.

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There are two primary ways of pairing food and wine. First, you can achieve it by drinking and enjoying wine with the food we eat. And second wine can become a component in the preparation of a meal. Of course, the second activity should always be followed by the first for maximum wine and food enjoyment. And, of course, one can always participate in both activities at the same time providing an ideal combination of food and wine.

Enjoying Wine With Your Meal

A good wine will add to the flavor of the food, assist in digestion and, in the case of red wine, be beneficial in keeping your heart healthy. There are several theories regarding which wine to match to a particular food. However, I’d like to suggest that if it tastes right, it is right. While some gourmets may argue with this, there seems to be little downside in pairing food and wine in this manner.

Cooking With Wine

The French and Italians are masters of combining wine and food. Both cuisines make extensive use of both red and white wines in meal preparation from appetizers to sauces to desserts.

Usually, combining food and wine in this manner does not result in an alcoholic taste to the food as heating the wine or other liquor typically boils away the alcohol component.

Another rule to consider when cooking with wine is never to cook with a wine that you don’t want to drink. This will often mean opening a bottle of wine just for cooking but the flavor boost to your dinner is worth it. Don’t be tempted to add that wine that has been sitting open in the fridge for the last week to the recipe you are cooking. If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t attempt to cook with it. Get some more tips about cooking with wine, storing wine and tasting wine at Wine Cellar Secrets.

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Champagne Online

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Billecart Champagne Bollinger Champagne  Deutz Champagne Dom Perignon Champagne Freixenet Champagne Korbel Champagne Krug Champagne Laurent Perrier Moet Champagne Mumm Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Perrier-Jouet Champagne Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Pol Roger  Champagne Roederer [...]

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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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Breaks Record

A Little More Reasonably Price Bottle Of Krug Champagne

There is a need for even the more affluent to limit there luxury expenses, in these economic times,  and champagne has take a little hit with sales down anywhere form 13% to 35% depending on the brand of champagne. People are still choosing to buy or send champagne as a gift, but are sending champagne that is less expensive than they would have sent even a couple of years ago.

However, there will always be a market for rare vintage wines, and champagnes.

According to the Luxist article

At an “Acker Merrall & Condit’s first Hong Kong auction of 2009, a 1928 Krug set a new world record for the most expensive bottle of Champagne sold at auction. Decanter reports that the 75cl bottle, from the Krug Collection range (the library collection of the renowned Reims Champagne house) went for HK$164,560 ($21,200) which was far above above the highest estimate of HK$120,000.”

It was noted that the last record set at auction for a bottle of champagne went to Methuselah 1990,which sold for $17,625 in 2005.

Krug is a very collectible champagne brand and is well received at most wine auctions.

The complete Article can be found at Luxist

In a report by  Deidre Woollard

Champagne is one of those elegant gifts that is classy and well received, and sure to bring a warm smile to the recipient. It is not necessary to buy a vintage bottle of champagne. There are many wonderful bottles that can be found in all price ranges.

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Champagne House To Test Metal Closures : Serious About Wine

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  ALL About Champagne

There are close to three hundred houses producing Champagne. A bottle can only be labeled Champagne if it comes from a small area in France call the Champagne region or “Champenois” (the collection of Champagne producers). Bottles produced outside of this region are called sparkling wines, and although all Champagne is classed as sparkling wine, you will come find many bottles of sparkling wine which isn’t Champagne. Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco are fine examples, as they are produced outside of the “Champenois” region.  Well over 300 million bottles of champagne and sparkling wine are produced each year.

So, how do you choose a good bottle of champagne? Well, choosing a bottle of Champagne may sound a daunting task, but you don’t need to over think the buying process. Once you know what to look for, deciding what to buy is simple. There are a few facts you should know about champagne, such as types and styles and bottle sizes. Once you become familiar with these facts it will be easy to choose the right champagne for the right occasion, and in no time you’ll be picking out the perfect bottles of Champagne.

Types Of Grapes

There are 3 grape types that are used to create Champagne – Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are black grapes, while Chardonnay is a white grape. The quantity of each grape that is used to make a particular champagne varies. If you happen upon a “Blanc de Blancs”, this is Champagne which is made entirely from the Chardonnay grape. “Blanc de Noirs”, however, is Champagne made from the red grapes – Pinot Noir and/ or Pinot Meunier.

Styles Of Champagnes

Champagne comes in a large selection of styles, and can be described as very dry to very sweet. The style that people are most familiar with is the dry style is known as “Brut”. If your preferences run in a slightly drier direction than you might consider looking for “Extra” or “Ultra Brut” bottle of champagne.  If you prefer a slight sweetness than a “Sec” or “Demi Sec” champagne may fit the bill, and if you prefer a desert champagne you might choose a “Doux” which is intensely sweet and very rare method of Champagne.

Types Of Champagne

The least expensive type of champagne is known as the “Non Vintage” type. This style is blended from wines of several years and, in doing so, this ensures that a steady style is achieved. “Non-vintage Champagne” is stored for about a year before it is sold, and is basically the entry level or house style Champagne. Going up a level, the next champagne is known as a “Vintage”. This one is also made from a blend wines, but the difference being that these grapes are from a particular year, when the quality of the wine is good enough to declare a vintage. ”Vintage Champagne” will have been stored for at least three years.  If you want to really splurge on a bottle of champagne then you might choose a very special bottle produced in a vintage year, is known as a “Prestige” or “Deluxe Cuvée”.  This champagne is considered the cream of the crop and it will set your wallet back about three times more than a non-vintage and perhaps is double the price of vintage Champagne. The grapes used in the top notch champagne are hand selected, and the Champagne will producers will leave it to mature for five to seven years. The last type is the “Rosé based Champagne” it has a darling pink tinge that comes from adding a tiny amount of darker colored wine to give it the subtle pink hue.

Sizes Of Bottles

Champagne bottles sizes inlcude: 75 cl bottles and Magnums (1.5 litres). However, you will also come across bottles sized Quarter (18.75 cl) and Half bottles (37.5cl), along with Jeroboam (3 litres), Rehoboam (4.5 litres), Methuselah (6 litres), Salmanazar (9 litres), Balthazar (12 litres), and Nebuchadnezzar bottles (15 litres)

Find The Right Bottle Of Champagne.

Finding the right bottle of champagne is about personal taste, and aging. Champagne produced in a traditional methods using oak barrels, and fermenting for at least 5 years will produce some of the top notch champagnes available. Younger champagne will be less expensive, but will not have the same quality of finish to the palate as properly aged champagnes.

Find more information here on picking bottles of champagnes and individual reviews of gift champagnes. Pick out a wonderful bottle and have the champagne delivery send it to someone special. The gift of a fine champagne will never go out of style.

A Carpentier Brut Champagne, Andre Carpentier Champagne, Billecart Salmon Champagne, Bollinger Special Cuvée, Charles Heidsieck Champagne, de Venoge Champagne, Etienne DumontChampagne, Krug Grande Cuvée, Gosset Grande Réserve, Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial Champagne, Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial , Louis Roederer Champagne, and many more.

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