Sparkling wine (champagne) is an indispensable attribute of every holiday, from name days to university graduation. Of course, the drink can also be poured into plastic cups and eaten with a bun in the yard, but if circumstances allow, it is better to follow a few rules for serving and drinking. So it will turn out tastier and more solemn.
Bottle storage. Most often, champagne is stored in the refrigerator. If you are going to drink sparkling wine within a couple of days after purchase, there is nothing wrong with that, but you should not leave it in the refrigerator for several weeks or even more months – the cork will dry out, some of the carbon dioxide will be exhaled, and the taste will deteriorate. It is better to put the bottle in a dark locker.
Serving temperature
Champagne is drunk chilled, but do not throw ice cubes directly into the glass. It is better to fill a special bucket with ice (half with water) and place the bottle there. After 15-20 minutes, the drink will cool down to +6-15 °C and can be served.
Если спешите, добавьте в ведро со льдом соль, тогда вино быстрее достигнет нужной температуры.
How to open
The main and unshakable rule: do not remove the musele (museler) – a wire “bridle” that allows you to control the movement of the cork. After removing the foil, press down on the muzzle with your thumb, then unwind the edge of the wire (you should get 6 turns). Holding the muzzle firmly on the cork, slowly rotate the bottle with your other hand so that the cork gradually comes out. If you do the opposite (unscrew the cork), there is a high probability of “not managing” and spilling half of the fizzy drink.
stemware
Glasses for white wine are suitable for elite champagne – their moderately wide bowl allows the taste and aroma to unfold properly. But classic goblets – “flutes” are good only for ceremonial receptions and drinks of the middle price segment: champagne sparkles beautifully with bubbles in them, but the bouquet suffers a little. The other extreme – the so-called coupe glass, “pot-bellied” glasses with an extended and shortened bowl – also look spectacular only in the “champagne pyramids”: the drink quickly fizzles out and becomes tasteless.
So that the sparkling wine does not have time to warm up, the glasses are filled to a maximum of a third and are held only by the stem, and not by the bowl. For minimal foaming, pour champagne slowly, along the wall, tilting the bottle at 45 degrees and holding it by the special recess on the bottom.
Do not swallow sparkling wine like juice or tea – first inhale the aroma, then take a small sip, sip on the tongue, swallow and enjoy the aftertaste.
What to eat sparkling wine
Vintage varieties have a complex bouquet. Their taste is well set off by white meat, such as chicken or turkey, as well as hard cheese.
Розовое шампанское подают с копченой красной рыбой, креветками, козьим или овечьим сыром.
Regardless of the type, champagne makes an excellent gastronomic pair with cold appetizers: light salads, cheese and meat plates, vegetable cuts. Also, seafood, fruits, nuts, chocolate will be win-win options.
At the end of the meal, champagne is served with ice cream, and the “lighter” the drink, the more tender the delicacy should be. So, white sparkling is best combined with almond or apricot dessert, red – with chocolate.
The main thing is not to serve sparkling wine with heavily salted, peppery or spicy foods that “clog” the receptors on the tongue. Fish should only be hot or cold smoked, meat – boiled boiled pork is better, not salami. It is advisable to dress salads with olive oil instead of mayonnaise. Well-done steaks are also not the best solution.
Finally, champagne does not go well with soups, goulash, borscht.
Subtleties of etiquette
Semi-dry champagne or brut is considered a sign of good taste, if you want to impress your companions, order just such variations (they are often more expensive). Some people think that clinking glasses is “unfashionable”, but the crystal clinking of wine glasses is still an integral part of the sparkling wine tasting ritual. If you are the host of the party, propose a toast to those present. If you are a guest, be guided by the situation, but in any case, do not “go against the flow”: if everyone raises their glasses, you don’t need to defiantly set aside yours or declare that you don’t clink glasses on principle.
At buffet tables, waiters can carry trays of champagne. In a couple, the lady takes the drink first, but if there is no such service, then the man can bring a glass to himself and his companion. During the reception, it is not customary to hold alcohol in your hands: drink up the champagne to the end (especially since the glasses are only a third filled) and immediately set aside an empty glass. If there is something left in it, but you no longer want to drink, feel free to put the glass on the table, and the waiters will immediately take it away.
Do not try to open a bottle of sparkling wine yourself in a restaurant – this is the task of the waiter. When it comes to home “gatherings”, traditionally men open any wine, and they try to do it quietly and quickly, without foamy streams and cannon roars. And of course, the bottle must not be shaken.