How to Open Sparkling Wine
Hey there! I'm so glad you've decided to learn how to open sparkling wine like a pro! Watch the video below to see how to open in action. Please note: opening sparkling wine can be very dangerous. Always make sure to keep the cork pointed AWAY from people when opening.
In today's video, we're going over how to safely open a bottle of Champagne (or Prosecco or Cava or whatever your sparkling wine of choice is). Safety is of the utmost importance here because the last thing you want is for your party to come to a halt because someone got whacked with a flying cork from across the room!
Here are the proper steps of opening sparkling wine:
- Make sure your bottle is chilled. And I mean CHILLED. The warmer a bottle is, the more it will want to release it's pressure, equaling a difficult experience for you.
- Remove the foil from the top of the cage. Place your thumb on top of the cage and loosen it with your other hand (turning the handle 6 times). The cork is now vulnerable to pop off (even with the cage on!). Keep it pointed away from you or other people at all times.
- Keeping your thumb on top of the cork to prevent it from popping out, turn the bottle onto a 45 degree angle.
- With your hand on the top, begin turning the base of the wine slightly to slowly loosen the cork. You can turn it completely around or rock it back and forth (reference the video for this insanely difficult step to put into words!). The cork should begin coming out SLOWLY...keep it where you want it by applying pressure and maintaining control.
- As the cork comes out, begin bending it a bit to create an air gap between it and the bottle. This will prevent your bottle from making that loud "POP" noise (which is the ultimate goal, believe it or not). The cork should remove slowly and a small "hiss" should be the only noise coming from it.
Don't be nervous with this method of opening sparkling wine...it's the method sommeliers use! Sure, I've had bottles completely explode and wine shoots everywhere, but it happens. Just be sure that the cork is never pointed towards anyone or anything that can break! Have fun learning and enjoy your bubbly!
