Champagne and sparkling wine are popular for celebrating various occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, work achievements, and ringing in the New Year. Of course, when serving champagne, it’s important to keep these tips in mind if you want your champagne to be enjoyed down to the very last drop.
One of the most important factors is the temperature of the bottle. Champagne should always be served chilled and you can do this by placing the bottle in a bucket of ice for approximately 30 minutes. If you refrigerate the bottle, you will need to allow it to chill for a few hours or overnight. That said, your champagne should not be too cold or the fullness of the flavours will not be appreciated.
Remove the foil and the cage from the top of the bottle before gently twisting the cork off. Do so slowly and, remember, the goal is not to send a powerful spray of champagne all over the room! Keep your thumb on the cork as you remove it so that it does not pop out too quickly or end up hurting you or one of your guests. You can expect that ‘pop’ sound but the champagne should not overflow.
Once the bottle is open, it’s time to pour into glasses. Flute glasses might be considered the top choice but they can constrict the flavours and aromas. For this reason, many people choose standard wine glasses or, for champagnes with a greater percentage of Pinot Noir, some people use red wine glasses. You should always make sure that your glasses are clean and polished. This helps those bubbles persist.
When pouring, remember to tilt the glass so that you don’t end up with an abundance of foam. This is similar to the techique used to pour beer. Do not fill the glass because champagne tends to warm quickly. Always hold the glass at the stem to prevent it from warming even quicker. Of course, don’t forget to toast and enjoy!