opening champagne

[hashaf]

what is the proper technique to open a bottle of champagne at a quiet dinner and at an occassion for celebration?

[acw]

First - make sure it's nicely chilled.  If in doubt - open it away from the table/guests.  One technique (I don't know what's "proper" and what's not - there are many schools of thought on this!) is to unscrew the cage, and the place a linen cloth over the top of the cork, grip the cork, gently turn, and the cork will come out.  The cloth would then catch any fizzing up champagne. 

Leave the spraying to Formula 1 drivers and football cup winners etc!!

PS - Other people may have different ideas that will also work.  I don't claim to have a definitive answer.  However, I've opened enough champagne at work in my time to know that my way works.  :-)

[BillyNoMates]

Hold the cork and twist the bottle.

[kaktus]

I would say that acw is right! Champagne should always be opened gently, unless you want to spray it all over the place of course :0)

[acw]

Sorry - I should have said "gently turn.... the bottle" - Billy may have no mates - but he's right!!!  The cloth technique does assist in that though. 

[woofgang]

I am with acw. The cloth helps to get a grip in the cork. You may find as the cork begins to come out, especilally if the bootle hasn't rested or has been transported just before opening, eg in a car, that gas pressure will force it out faster than you want which is why you twist the bottle, so that the cork holding hand can keep control of the outward movement of the cork. Have a glass handy to catch any escaping wine and as the cork is on the point of leaving the bottle, tilt it slightly to allow the gas to leave while keeping the wine in the bottle. As someone who loves champagne, imho it is never proper to waste it by squirting it around and if any of your guests are wearing silk or cashmere, they won't thank you for it!!

For those of you like myself of the female persuasion, remember that a lady should always be able to open a chanpagne bottle but never pays for it!!!

[normyc]

and when pouring, don't try to fill the glass in one go....you will end up with a wet tablecloth. Fill to about 1/3rd full, let the bubbles subside before topping up.

Unless you are stinkingly filthy rich, never waste any!!

[tetherend]

hashaf, I opened a bottle of champagne at my brother's house to celebrate his exam results and succeeded in the cork flying off and damaging the lampshade and most of the champagne spilling over the work he'd done.  Both your question and your answers have helped me, so thanks.

[Mrs_Pegasus]

I have also opened one or two bottles in my past work and one thing I was always told to do was to keep pressure down on the cork BEFORE taking off the cage.  I have seen people loosen the cage and the cork fly across the room (smacking some poor woman in the face on one occassion I seem to remember!)

So I would perform the whole procedure under a cloth and never trust the cork at any time!!

[crisgal]

i agree with everyone here - i was taught to twist the bottle not the cork and to cover the cork with the cloth immediately after removing the cage. I was also told that the cork should "fart" quietly and not pop!

[ludwig]

Always use the cloth over the cork method.

I heard somewhere that every year around christmas / new year there is an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital with eyes injuries because of champagne corks flying all over the place.