How To Serve Champagne Properly

If you're planning a romantic evening, you might be interested in how to serve Champagne properly. While it may not seem too terribly difficult, there are a few rules to Champagne serving that should be followed. You'll want to be certain that the Champagne is well-chilled and, of course, you'll need to know how to open a Champagne bottle without potentially putting your beloved's eye out with a flying cork!

1. Chill the Champagne properly. Champagne is best served chilled. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The ideal approach, particularly if you are short on time, is to place the unopened Champagne bottle in an ice bucket for approximately twenty to 30 minutes prior to serving. Add just a bit of water to the bucket to help get your Champagne extra cold. An unopened bottle of Champagne can also be cooled in a refrigerator for about four hours before serving.
2. Learn to open a Champagne bottle. To serve Champagne properly, you must know how to open the Champagne bottle. Improperly popping the cork on a Champagne bottle can result in bodily harm or broken windows/furniture. First, be sure the Champagne bottle is completely dry. Carefully remove the foil from around the cork and either loosen or remove the wire cage that surrounds it. Grip the bottle tightly with one hand and the cork with the other, slowly twisting and pulling upward until you hear an audible "pop."  A note of caution: make sure the cork is pointed away from you or your guests just in case the cork flies off. Remove the cork entirely and prepare to pour.
3. Pouring and serving. To pour your Champagne properly, remember that less is actually more. Carefully pour a small amount (a few ounces) into a slightly tilted Champagne flute (or other tall stemware) and allow the bubbles to settle. Pour additional Champagne into the glass until it is about three quarters full.