Whilst we acknowledge that the gorgeous, iridescent professional photos of champagne bursting out of the top of the bottle are both captivating and delightful, the carefully crafted liquid inside is not designed to go ‘pop!’ Why, we even have one of these photographs on our own website – and that is because it looks so spectacular!
That’s right – no champagne popping please. Let’s leave that to the champion race car driver on the podium. The way we recommend opening a bottle of champagne is actually really quiet and refined. It may take a bit of practice, but here are some steps to guide you …
- To open the bottle remove it from the ice bucket (or fridge) and wipe it dry with a cloth napkin or tea towel which may come in useful again later on (see below).
- Untwist the metal loop to loosen the wire muzzle then carefully separate the strands that hold the cage in place. On some bottles the loop is directly visible, on others only its outline is visible under the foil wrapping. Sometimes you have to feel for it with your fingers or, as a last resort if the foil is particularly thick, scrape away the foil with your fingernail until you find it. Otherwise removing the foil is considered unnecessary and inelegant. The loop usually unwinds anti-clockwise.
- Now, with the cork still partially held in place by the muzzle, give it an almost imperceptible twist to judge its fit.
- For a tight-fitting cork once the strands of the muzzle have been separated, remove it together with its foil cap, using your finger as a hook to pull the loop at the base of the muzzle, meanwhile holding down the cork with your thumb as a precaution. For a loose-fitting cork, leave the wire cage in place until you are ready to release the muzzle, foil cap and cork in one go.
- Hold the bottle in one hand at a 30°to 45° angle. This will help with extraction and prevent the champagne from overflowing. Be careful to point the bottle away from yourself or any bystanders — you don’t want any accidents. Meanwhile keep the thumb of your other hand on top of the cork, with your forefinger wrapped around the cork itself and the other fingers holding the bottleneck.
- Slowly turn the bottle, if necessary rocking the cork gently with your thumb and forefinger to get it moving. Keep your other three fingers around the bottleneck and wait for that small sigh of escaping gas that tells you the cork has released. If the cork won’t budge, turn the bottle holding it by the base.
- Wipe the bottleneck, either with the napkin or tea towel you used earlier. Keep the bottle at an angle, giving it a slight twist to prevent dripping.
- Fill a glass about one third full to allow a proper appreciation of the champagne.
This the only way to open a bottle of champagne safely: controlling the cork with your thumb while steadying the bottle with the other fingers. Don’t turn the cork instead of the bottle — there is less grip, less control and a strong possibility that the cork will break.
Popping a cork out of a champagne bottle, whist dramatically extravagant, can be super-dangerous. A popping cork travels out of the bottle at around 40kms per hour and can cause serious eye damage. So please be careful.
Cheers!
Don & Leanne
