”In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it.” Napoleon Bonaparte about Champagne
- Preparing and taking care of the bottle of Champagne.
- Handling the bottle.
- Remove the lid and wire muzzle.
- Tilt the bottle of Champagne.
- Remove the cork.
Champagne must be at the correct temperature (between 8 and 10 ° C for exceptional Champagne, and between 6 and 8 ° C for others). The less you agitate the bottle, the better.
Heat and agitation increase the pressure inside the bottle and it may result to be difficult or dangerous to open the bottle of Champagne in such conditions.
To maintain the bottle at the appropriate temperature, place it in a Champagne bucket filled with one-third of the ice cubes and 2 / 3 of water.
Hold the bottle, taking care not to agitate; dry and clean it once out of the Champagne bucket.
Start by removing the paper or the aluminium layer that covers the cork.
To remove the muzzle of wire (the wire frame that holds the cork), hold your thumb at the top to avoid any sudden burst.
Keeping your thumb on the cork, tip the bottle tip to 45 degrees. This reduces the risk of seeing a geyser burst out of your bottle of Champagne. This angle increases the contact surface between the liquid and the air, resulting in a less violent decompression.
While holding the cork in one hand, gently turn the bottle with your other hand. It is the bottle that you must turn, not the cork. If the bottle or the cork is slippery, you can always use a clean, preferably white towel.
The cork goes off alone, pushed by the gas pressure. After a few moves, you will hear the distinctive sound of decompression … pfffffff.