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Poppin Bottles: How to Open a Bottle of Bubbly

by | Jan 21, 2018 | Wine

Do you know how to open a bottle of champagne? Ever try to open a bottle and the cork won’t come out? Ever open a bottle of bubbles and over half of the bottle spills out when you open it? Talk about a major party foul! When it comes to opening your favorite bottle of sparkling, there are a few things you need to know to guarantee your success! Here are the steps to opening a bottle without any party fouls!

CHILL OUT– The bottle needs to be chilled to the appropriate temperature. If the bottle is not cold enough, that is when the cork gets stuck and won’t come out. Having the bottle too warm will also cause the wine to spill out once it is opened

REMOVE THE FOIL– Pull the tab and remove the foil or be fancy use the blade of a wine opener to cut the foil off by cutting around the neck and removing

THE CAGE- Let’s talk about this wire cage. We’re going to loosen it, but we are NOT going to remove it. Turn the key of the cage six half turns to loosen it. ALL bottles of bubbles will require the six half turns. Yes, all! Cool, right? Once you do this, you are working with a live bottle. Keep your thumb on top of the cork to keep it from popping out. Once the cage is loose, the cork is literally a ticking time bomb and the pressure inside the bottle can cause it to fly out at any moment. This could cause injury to something or someone. So, keep your thumb on that cork!

TWIST THE BOTTLE– Tilt the bottle to about 45 degrees with your thumb still firmly on the cork. Start twisting the base of the bottle slowly until the cork comes out.

ANGEL’S FART- (What the….) Yes, this is a thing. So, the proper way to open a bottle is without the “pop.” You want just a small hiss (angel’s fart) to occur. Open very slowly to create this. Now, if you are celebrating and want the “pop”, by all means, go for it! I’m down with either way, it just depends on the occasion and who you are opening the bottle for.

These are the steps to opening for entertainment purposes. If you are a service professional, there are a few additional steps needed, but for everyday entertaining and to prevent corks getting stuck and spillage, these steps should do the trick!