Entertaining Basics: Opening Champagne

I’m not going to lie… it was just about two years ago that I learned how to properly open champagne.  Previously, I always went through the first two steps and then passed it off to my husband and pulled an, “oh honey, could you please get this for me, because I just can’t be bothered”.

It’s surprisingly liberating to not only pull this off solo, but to do it gracefully without losing any bubbles out the top.

There are two big secrets to opening up your bottle.  First, always make sure the bottle is chilled.  The lower temps will keep the carbonation in check and prevent you from having a ton of the good stuff spilling all over.  Just a 30 minute chill in an ice bucket should suffice.  Second is to never, ever use a corkscrew.  letting air into the bottle via a hole in the cork will cause the cork to pop out along with your corkscrew creating a metal and cork missile.

ONE remove the paper from the bottle’s top. TWO untwist the metal cage and remove completely, again, we don’t want flying corks with metal on them.  THREE drape a hand towel over the top of the bottle and firmly grasp the cork and the bottle.  Twist the bottle and the cork in opposite directions, holding the cork firmly, until you hear the soft pop of the cork releasing.

See, now wasn’t that easier than you expected!  TO finish it all off nicely, know that you should pour just about and inch of champagne into the bottle of your glass first, let the bubbles subside, then continue pouring the glass.  This prevents overflow!

Now go wow your friends with your new skill.

Want more easy basics of entertaining?  Shoot me a question at erin@earnesthomeco.com if you have one and I’ll answer it on this new series!