How to open a bottle of sparkling wine using a sommelier's technique
Opening a bottle of sparkling wine using sommelier technique prevents the wine from ending up at your feet, and works equally well for a Dom Pérignon as for a simple spumante.
A bottle of sparkling wine contains a lot of pressure: the wire cage, the thick cork impregnated with wine, and the gas trying to escape. That's why knowing how to open it prevents more wine from ending up on the floor than in your glass.
If the bottle still has the cage, remove the foil first, leaving the cage in place. Loosen it by pulling on its tab and twisting it six times (half a turn, not a full turn). Place your thumb on top of the cork and cage, and make a loose fist around the neck of the bottle. With your other hand, gently twist the base, keeping your thumb on the cork throughout. This movement loosens the cork until it can be easily removed.
If the capsule has already been removed, a bar cloth or a cloth napkin can be used to catch the cork. Place the cloth over the cork, hold the bottle by the neck, and twist the cork from side to side while gently pulling upwards. If the cork comes loose, the cloth will catch it and prevent it from flying out into the room.
Before opening it, cold helps. If the bottle has been shaken, about thirty minutes in the freezer reduces some of the internal pressure and softens the sound of opening. The bottle should be tilted at about a 45-degree angle, because the pressure hits the neck, trapping the gas and releasing it more smoothly.
When held vertically, however, the pressure escapes from the top, and in certain circumstances the cork can be ejected with enough force to knock over a chandelier. Tilting the bottle before unscrewing the cork avoids this risk.
