3. PREPARE, OPEN, AND POUR THE CHAMPAGNE
Unfortunately, you can't draw upon your years in the college Greek system to handle this stage of the evening. Eventually you will be called upon to open the champagne and pour it, and no matter how hard you look, you won't find a pop-top or spigot. If you do, it isn't champagne. We will tell you how to get through this process, but just like any new hobby, you are going to have to practice before you get the confidence and skill to pull this off on a big occasion.
- Chill
- Remove Cork
- Pour
- Drink
Chill
Like many beverages, champagne is best enjoyed at a cool temperature. You should be looking to pour it from the bottle at 43 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius. If your bottle isn't yet that cool, you can chill it by either placing it in the refrigerator for a few hours (though not much longer unless you want it to taste like that left-over meatloaf) or by placing it in a bucket filled with a mixture of ice and water. If you need to chill it in a hurry, throw a handful of salt into that slush, which will reduce its temperature below zero and speed the chilling. In no event should you ever leave champagne to chill in your freezer -- it will screw up the balance of the alcohol and botch all that lovely expensive liquid.
Remove Cork
There are a few layers you need to cut through before you even get to the cork. First, pull off just enough foil to reveal the cork. The cork itself is protected in a wire cage. On the side of that cage, you will see a section of the wire twisted into a cute little handle. Pull that handle away from the side of the cage and untwist the wire. Be careful as you do so, and point the cork away from yourself and other favored persons -- there's a reason that wire is there. The cork can erupt at any time now, so keep a tight hold on it. Then, firmly gripping the cork with one hand, use your other hand to twist the bottle slowly and smoothly -- remember, twist the bottle, not the cork. You want the cork to emerge from the bottle with a gentle sigh, not a raucous pop. Think of it this way: the louder the pop, the fewer bubbles you will enjoy later. Be sure to point the cork away from your face and other valuables throughout this procedure, as your gentle opening might not come to pass if you have a particularly forward bottle, and a faceful of cork will not impress your guests one whit. Finally, while you are uncorking the bottle, you should keep a glass or two handy because if you do it wrong, you will need something to catch all the champagne as it comes flowing out of the bottle.
Pour
Selecting your glass deserves a little bit of consideration. There are two classic types of champagne glass: the coupe and the flute. Again, the coupe is not a breast. Nor is it considered an ideal glass for enjoying champagne. It was designed to allow the greatest surface area for the release of bubbles, which may feel cutesy and fun as they burst upon your face, but this indulgence lowers the ultimate quality of the glass. The flute, on the other hand, captures the bubbles and ensures that they are released more evenly across the life of the glass. Whichever you choose, be sure to clean it with only water and not soap, which can interfere with the bubbles and, of course, the taste. Oh, and you should definitely consider using a crystal glass. The surface of crystal is rougher than ordinary glass, which stimulates more bubbles in your champagne.
Once your glasses are selected and in place, hold the bottle by placing your thumb into the dimple at the bottom of the bottle, which is known as the "punt," and splay your fingers across the barrel of the bottle. Though this grip appears precarious, just try it and you'll see that you can retain a firm hold. Grasping it thus, wipe the rim of the bottle with a napkin to remove any dirt, and then pour a small splash into the bottom of each glass. Then return to each glass and fill it two-thirds full with champagne. This process will avoid the dreaded foaming over of the champagne. Remember: apart from decapitating someone with the cork, the most embarrassing move is to pour the precious fluid all over the floor.
Drink
So we have finally gotten to the stage where you can shove the booze into your gob. Not so fast, champ. First you need to know how to hold the stuff. The reason wine glasses have long stems is so that the heat of your hand will stay well away from the champagne, keeping the beverage closer to its optimal chilled temperature.
Before you drink in any of the champagne, you will want to take a quick look at the color of the liquid and the form of the carbonation. The ideal hue of champagne is a light amber, so be sure to announce to your interlocutors "what a fine shade of amber this bubbly is!" Also, the better champagnes release their bubbles in near vertical lines with uniformity; again, another element for you to exclaim upon thereby announcing your champagne knowledge publicly. Finally, when you do take a real taste, you are looking for what you always want in a grossly expensive beverage: something that tastes good. As you indulge in your new-found hobby more and more, you alone will be the best judge of your favorite champagnes.
