How to open a bottle of Champagne
Champagne is the perfect wine for celebrating. But what's the best way to open a bottle of Champagne? Read the guide here.
Many of us like the loud POP! When you hear it, there is no doubt about what awaits in the glass. If there is too much pressure when you open the bottle, you can end up with a champagne that is gushing over and then it has to go fast when the first glasses are poured.
So to avoid wasting those expensive drops, we have, with help from Moët & Chandon Champagne, created this little guide on how to easily and elegantly open a bottle of Champagne - including a little bonus at the end:
#1:
Start by cooling the Champagne, either for a few hours in the refrigerator, or if you want to go fast: Fill the champagne bucket with about 1/3 water and add a good portion of ice.
Let the Champagne stand in the bucket for at least 15 minutes to reach the perfect temperature of approximately 8-9 degrees.
#2:
When the Champagne is cold, remove it from the bucket.
Wipe the bottle and slowly remove the tape holding the foil around the stopper in place.
#3:
Now loosen the wire, but do not remove it completely from the bottle - just loosen it. At the same time, hold the cork firmly with your thumb.
In the old days, they said that if you had to turn the steel wire 5 1/2 times to loosen it, it was a quality champagne; that's true almost every time.
#4:
Now you are ready to open the bottle and release the 6 atmospheres of pressure it is under. Hold the cork firmly with one hand while grasping the bottom of the bottle with the other.
Carefully turn the bottom from side to side, away from the cork; imagine that it is the bottle that needs to be removed from the cork and not the other way around.
If you want it to be classic and elegant when you open the Champagne, it's not the big POP! but rather a quiet sigh that you're after when the cork comes off.
#5:
Then it's served!
Fill each glass about 2/3 - Ladies first of course...
And then enjoy the good Champagne!
Bonus info:
How to saber a bottle of Champagne
Sometimes you just have to let go of all inhibitions and be a little extravagant; sipping champagne is a great way to start the evening.
The tradition of opening champagne with a saber is said to date back to the Napoleonic Wars; the young emperor himself was very enthusiastic about the sparkling drops and thought it was the perfect way to celebrate a victory. It is believed that it was his officers who introduced the custom of opening with a saber, as they could not wait to open the bottle in the usual way.
It's not that difficult to open with a saber, in principle you can do it with a good kitchen knife, there are just a few precautions:
- Make sure to cool the bottle thoroughly, at least 12 hours, this reduces the risk of the bottle exploding when you sandblast it.
- Remove all the foil from the neck of the bottle so that the saber can slide easily and effortlessly.
- Also remove the steel wire from the stopper - now you are ready to sand.
- Hold the bottle firmly in one hand, with your thumb in the groove at the bottom for the best grip. Run the saber along the neck in a quick, smooth motion and knock off the top of the bottle - the pressure in the bottle will push the cork out - making sure there are no shards of glass in the bottle.
You can see the entire process in the video below, where we also show how to sand the bottle with a glass: