TASTING CHAMPAGNE
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How to open a bottle of champagne
1. Make sure the champagne is chilled, the perfect serving temperature is 8-10 degrees Celsius.
2. Remove the foil around the wire cage (muselet) and cork.
3. Loosen the muselet by turning 6x, but do not remove it. Hold the muselet and the cork with your thumb.
4. Hold the bottle at a 45 degree angle and choose a safe direction.
5. Turn the champagne bottle (and not the cork!) slowly, so that the cork comes off the bottle with a gentle sigh.
Nicole Langen Fotografie
Nicole Langen Fotografie
Sabrage
Sabrage means opening a champagne bottle with a sabre. It is a somewhat ceremonial and traditional way, used to celebrate victory as far back as Napoleonic times. In order to avoid any accidents and to prevent an explosion, it is important that the bottle is properly and completely chilled to ideally 3 degrees Celsius.
You can find more information on the website of the Confrérie du Sabre d'Or. Here you will also all the steps you have to take in order to safely saber a bottle of champagne.
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Champagne glasses
The ultimate way to enjoy your champagne is to use tulip-shaped glasses. The shape of the glass allows the bubbles and aromas to fully develop themselves, thus enhancing your tasting experience.
To taste vintage champagnes and prestige cuvées, you may also consider using larger wine glasses.
Champagne served in a classic coupe looks truly festive, but to optimize your tasting experience, it's not the best option. You can easily spill some champagne and as the bubbles will evaporate quickly, they take with them all the wonderful aromas. Flutes are often used as well. However, you cannot stick your nose into these glasses and as they are taller, bubbles will get bigger as they rise. A delicate train of bubbles and being able to really smell the aromas, will certainly have a positive effect on the tasting!
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Serving champagne
Hold the bottle by the bottom, not by the neck. You can consider using a cloth, so that the bottle does not slip out of your hand.
Pour the champagne gently, to a maximum of 2/3 of the glass, so that the aromas still have enough space to develop.
The rate of bubble formation depends on a number of factors; the pressure in the bottle, the temperature at which the champagne is served, the composition of the champagne and the glass itself.
Comité Champagne
Aromas in champagne
Just like in wine, you can discover many different aromas and flavours in champagne.
It depends, among other things, on the grape varieties used, the choices of the cellar master during the champagne making process , whether the champagne is young or (much) older and whether it comes from a specific terroir.
On the aroma chart of Comité Champagne, you will see a more specific overview of aromas in champagne.