How to open a bottle of sparkling wine
Step by step:
- Make sure your sparkling wine is nice and chilled (6 – 10 degrees C is perfect). There are 6 bars of pressure in a bottle of Champagne. Chilling reduces this, and also ensures your wine will be at optimum serving temperature.
- Remove the foil
- Loosen the wire cage while holding the cork in place with your thumb
- Tilt the bottle at an angle of around 30 degrees, gripping the cage and cork in one hand, and the base of the bottle in the other
- Rotate the bottle, not the cork
- Hold the cork firmly, resisting its urge to fly out, and slowly ease it from the bottle
- The bottle should open quietly, not with and explosion, people screaming and a flying cork (although granted, this is more fun!)