How To Uncork A Bottle Of Bubbly With Style

By / Wine + Drinks / December 18th, 2012 / 2

This season of entertaining brings with it numerous challenges – what to serve, how to mix cocktails and how to gracefully uncork that bottle of bubbly. It’s that last one that keeps many people up at night. How do you pry the cork out without sending through the dining room window or directly into someone’s eye? Today, I present to you an easy-to-remember five-step process that will have you popping corks like a pro.

With Christmas and New Year’s Eve so near, the rush to wrangle the troops and settle on a plan is imminent. While sipping on sparkling as the clock strikes twelve is a sure bet, being able to pop the cork with grace and ease isn’t. To help finesse your technique this holiday season, OPEN Wines of Niagara developed a fret-free process.

“OPEN Wines is about bringing people together and celebrating the social side of life,” said Franco Timpano, Marketing Director, OPEN Wines. “We are about ‘being open’ to new and exciting experiences so creating a fun list of steps on how to uncork a bottle of our Sociable Sparkling is our way of giving people one less thing to worry about.”

Chill Don’t Spill: The ideal temp for a bottle of bubbly is 7 degrees Celsius (45 degrees Fahrenheit). Failing to properly chill in the fridge or an ice bucket will cause your sparkling bevvy to foam and spill over when poured.

Towel Off: Using a towel, wipe excess moisture from the bottle and get a good grip on it while you peel the foil off the top. Then, drape the towel over the mouth of the bottle and hold your thumb on top of the cork to avoid nailing a friend (or yourself) in the face as you unscrew the wire cage and remove it.

Twist and Don’t Shout: Holding the cork in place, get a firm grip on the bottom of the bottle and twist it (NOT the cork) until you feel the cork begin to release.

Easy Does It: In an effort to preserve as many bubbles as possible, continue turning the bottle gently as you ease the cork out – resist the temptation to let the cork fly and try not to let too much air escape.

Pour (with Panache!): Tip the bottle at a 45-degree angle into awaiting flutes and enjoy!

 

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Looking at the small things that make life great and the people who create them.

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