Opening sparkling wine

A sparkling wine cork is under pressure. Cold wine, a still bottle and a hand on the cork at all times mean it leaves when you decide, with a soft sigh instead of a pop.

Easing the cork out of a chilled sparkling wine with a napkin, an ice bucket and two glasses on the table

Why it works

Sparkling wine is under pressure. Champagne holds about 5 to 6 atmospheres, roughly twice a car tyre, and the cork is the only thing keeping that gas in. Opening it well is about control: cold wine holds its gas better, a still bottle has calmer gas, and a hand on the cork at all times means it leaves when you decide, quietly.

The gas is also why a careless pop wastes wine. Released suddenly, the dissolved carbon dioxide rushes out of solution and carries foam up the neck. Released slowly, most of it stays in the wine, which is where you want the bubbles: in the glass, not on the floor.

Piemonte has a sparkling wine for every occasion: Alta Langa and the other Champagne-method wines at full pressure, Asti spumante a little gentler, and Moscato d'Asti, only lightly sparkling, sealed with a cork that needs very little care.

What you need

Napkin or clean cloth: For gripping the cork and cage, and catching any foam.
Ice bucket: Fast chilling, and keeping the bottle cold at the table.
Tulip sparkling glasses (optional): More room for aroma than a flute.
Sparkling wine stopper: A hinged clamp stopper that keeps leftover bubbles for a day or two.
Wine thermometer (optional): To check the bottle is really at 6 to 8 °C.

Step by step

Chill it properly Bring the wine to 6 to 8 °C: three hours in the fridge, or 20 to 30 minutes in a bucket of ice and water with a handful of salt. Cold wine holds its gas in solution, so the cork comes out calmly. Tip: Never put sparkling wine in the freezer and forget it: it can freeze and push the cork, or crack the bottle.
Let a travelled bottle rest A bottle that has just come home from the shop, or been carried around, is agitated. Let it stand for a few hours, ideally a day, before opening, and never shake it.
Remove the foil Pull the tab or cut the foil away with the knife of a waiter's friend, enough to expose the wire cage and its loop.
Put your thumb on the cork Place your thumb firmly over the top of the cork and keep it there from now on. From the moment the cage loosens, the cork can move on its own.
Loosen the cage, but leave it on Untwist the wire loop with your other hand. It takes six half-turns. Leave the cage on the cork: it gives you something to grip and stops the cork slipping out under your fingers.
Tilt the bottle to 45 degrees Hold the bottle at about 45°, pointing at a wall rather than a person. The angle gives the wine more surface, so the gas has room to escape without pushing foam up the neck.
Twist the bottle, not the cork Cover the cork and cage with a napkin and hold them firmly. With your other hand, turn the bottle slowly by its base. You will feel the cork start to rise under its own pressure.
Ease the cork out with a sigh Hold the cork back and let it rise a fraction at a time, until it leaves with a soft hiss. Keep the bottle tilted for a couple of seconds so the gas settles. Tip: A loud pop sounds festive but wastes gas and wine.
Pour in two goes Pour a little into each glass to let the foam rise and settle, then top up to about two thirds. Pouring slowly down the side of a tilted glass keeps more bubbles in the wine.
Keep it cold, and clamp what is left Put the bottle back in the ice bucket or the fridge between pours. If any is left, fit a hinged sparkling wine stopper and keep it in the fridge for a day or two.

Moscato d'Asti and lightly sparkling wines

Moscato d'Asti is only lightly sparkling, at about 1.5 to 2.5 atmospheres, and often closed with a normal cork pressed flush. Open it with a waiter's friend like a still wine, slowly, with the bottle cold. Asti spumante and Brachetto spumante are under more pressure and are opened like Champagne.

Opening with a sabre

Sabrage, opening the bottle by breaking off the collar with a blade, is spectacular and needs a very cold bottle, a clear space and a steady hand. The full method and the safety rules are in Sabrage.

If something goes wrong

The sparkling wine gushed out

The bottle was too warm, had been shaken, or the cork came out too fast. Chill it properly, let a bottle that has travelled rest for a few hours, and twist the bottle slowly so the gas escapes gradually. If it starts to foam, keep the bottle at 45° and have a glass ready at the neck.

The sparkling cork won't budge

Older or very cold bottles can stick. Keep your hand over the cork and cage, wrap it in a cloth for grip, and twist the bottle firmly while pulling down on it. If that fails, run the neck under warm water for a few seconds to raise the pressure slightly, then try again, still holding the cork.

The cork broke off and the stub is stuck

It happens with old or very cold bottles. Hold a cloth over the neck, screw a waiter's friend gently into the stub and lever slowly, with the bottle pointed away from everyone. The pressure will help push it out.