Open Your Sparkling Wine with Confidence
It's the time of year again when celebrations merit a few bottles of bubbly! Even if your celebrations are small, the "pop" of a cork is enough to make spirits bright.
It's not uncommon to be anxious about opening a bottle of sparkling wine. Because of the carbonation, the wine inside the bottle is under a significant amount of pressure. We'll admit to enjoying humorous stories of champagne opening gone wrong, but we'd rather spare you from that fate. Our Brut need not make you nervous! Below, we've compiled some basic tips and instructions to allow you to unleash your bubbles with confidence.
First, we recommend chilling your sparkling wine for several hours in the fridge. Chilled sparkling is a better experience all around, and it also reduces the odds of unwanted explosions. A regular refrigerator will do the trick if you do not have a wine fridge. You can even place the bottle in a bucket of 50% ice and 50% water to achieve a thorough chill.
When you are ready to open your sparkling, remove it from the refrigerator, being careful not to shake it too much. Just like other carbonated beverages, agitating the bubbles is a recipe for overflow. Remove the foil from the top of the bottle using the tab, if provided, or a foil knife. Next, with your thumb on top of the cork just in case, remove the cork cage (the wire around the cork).
Now you are ready for the fun part! Tilt your bottle at a 45 degree angle, pointed away from others and from yourself. Hold the cork firmly in one hand and carefully begin to twist the bottle (not the cork) until the cork comes loose with that "pop" sound you've been looking forward to. Treasure that elegant bit of steam and fizz at the top of the bottle, and pour out to your heart's content. It's time to celebrate--you've earned it!
If these steps seem too simple or mundane for you, perhaps you would like to explore the impressive art of sabrage, in which a sword is used to open a bottle of bubbly in fantastically dramatic fashion. We're quick to say "don't try this at home!" but if you want to know more and see it in action, feel free to check out this video from Alton Brown.
Charles Dickens once wrote, "Champagne is simply one of the elegant extras in life." You may find yourself enjoying some unprecedented small-idays this year, so we believe that the elegance and festivity of a bottle of Brut helps to make these moments special. We hope that we've inspired you to break out your bubbles with boldness! There's no better way to practice than experience, so now's a perfect time to take advantage of our Brut sale. For a limited time, our sparkling Brut is on sale for only $16 per bottle, with additional discounts available for members and case purchases. You can place your order online now!
