You’re probably opening champagne incorrectly and serving it in the wrong glass – here’s why
Popping that cork like they do in films is definitely not the right way to open a bottle of bubbly, and do not make the mistake of pouring it into slender flutes, say experts
Even though movies and television shows frequently feature characters popping champagne bottles and sipping bubbly from slender flutes, they are going about it the wrong way — and there’s a good chance you are, too.
Those are common serving mistakes with simple solutions, according to Joey Kleinhans, managing director of Sommelier Capital Advisors.
For starters, says Kleinhans, “allowing the cork to loudly pop is the worst mistake, as it releases the pressure too fast and thereby curtails the bubble flow”.
Kleinhans insists the best way to open a bottle is by controlling the cork as it comes out. And, he adds, the bottle should be angled so that all you can hear is a quiet hiss.
When it comes to serving champagne, Kleinhans says that appearance isn’t everything, noting, “Flutes are not appropriate because they only focus on visually highlighting the bubbles, but they do not allow good smelling of the wine”.
A better choice is a glass that looks like a white wine glass “but come[s] together more strongly towards the rim”, like the one pictured.
If you are used to serving champagne out of a flute, though, you are not alone, and it’s not the only popular glass shape that experts recommend against.
As Business Insider’s Alison Millington previously reported, the old-fashioned coupe is also a poor serving choice because “the wide, flat shape of the glass – made popular in the 1920s – means your champagne will lose its bubbles fast”.