Bubbly 101: Everything You Need to Know for Valentine's Day
How to Open the Bottle:
The carbon dioxide trapped inside a bottle of sparkling wine is what makes it bubbly. It also means there can be anywhere from 70 to 90 pounds of pressure in the bottle-more than twice that of a car tire. Nothing kills a romantic moment faster than flying cork, so avoid a trip to the emergency room--at worst--and a bruised ego--at best--by sticking to these simple rules.
Make sure the bottle is well chilled. Wrap a napkin or dish towel around the fullest part.
Take the foil wrapper off the cork. Remove the wire cage that secures the cork, and bear down with your hand to prevent the cork from popping off suddenly. Cover the top with another towel to further contain the cork. Don't grip the neck of the bottle-it warms up the wine and can encourage the cork to fly off.
Continuing to bear down on the towel-covered cork with your hand, lean the bottom of the bottle against your hip and tilt it at a 45-degree angle, away from your guests.
Continuing to bear down on the cork, twist the bottle clockwise with one hand to ease the cork out of the bottle. Ideally, you should hear a whisper-soft "pfft" rather than a big pop.
Keep tilting the bottle-this helps avoid a geyser of foam, because a larger surface area within the bottle minimizes bubbling.
How to Keep the Bubbles:
Use a Champagne stopper, which hermetically seals in freshness and effervescence for up to four days.
Dangle the handle of a silver or silver-plated spoon into the bottle.
Better yet, to avoid the issue altogether, finish the bottle, look for producers offering half-bottles (375 ml) or half-splits (187 ml), or use the leftover champagne for one of the following desserts.
Recipes that include Sparkling Wine
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