How to Properly Open Sparkling Wine

Have you ever opened a bottle of Prosecco or Champagne, only to have it explode and splash half of its contents all over the room? While some people find “popping bottles” an amusing form of entertainment and something to do to celebrate a momentous occasion, it is not the proper form of opening the bottle. Not to mention, it is a total waste! So, it really should only be done with sparkling wines that you don’t actually intend to drink, or don’t care about wasting.

The history of "sabrage"

Let’s take one step back — where did this tradition of basically wasting Champagne even come from? Here’s a little history lesson. It started back in the late 1700s with a technique known as “sabrage” that used a sabor to essentially slice the cork off the bottle of Champagne, causing its contents to spray everywhere. The technique was made popular by the infamous French military leader, Napoleon, who would throw parties whenever he ruled victorious in battle.

During the French Revolution, Napoleon’s army used the saber as their main battle weapon, so during the parties, the weapon that helped them claim their victories was used to open the champagne as a ceremonial ritual.

Obviously, in more modern times, people are not casually carrying around sabers, so “sabrage” has evolved into merely popping the corks off of the bottle in such a fashion that causes it to spray the same way it did back then. Sure, it might be fun to do every now and then when you are celebrating something — but to truly enjoy your drinking experience, you should learn how to properly open sparkling wines and wines in general.

Key things to remember when opening a bottle of Champagne or Prosecco

First, it needs to be chilled to the right temperature in order to be at its most palatable flavor. We suggest chilling Mr Premium Prosecco and Mrs Sparkling Rosé to about 45-49 °F using an ice bucket filled with half ice and half cold water. In addition to just tasting better when it’s nice and chilled, an unchilled bottle is more likely to explode.

Both Mr and Mrs come equipped with a pull tab on the foil covering the cage, making it very easy to remove. The tab on Mr is gold, and Mrs is hot pink. You know how we love color coordination!

If you are having any trouble, our multifunctional corkscrew with a foil cutter can help. Once the foil is off, apply pressure to the top of the cork, carefully untwist the cage and remove that as well.

There should be no loud “pop” sound. In fact, there should be no sound at all. If you are opening the bottle correctly, it will be so quiet that no one in the room will hear a thing. To do this, we advise holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle with one hand, and hold a clean dish towel in the other. Use the hand with the dish towel to grab the cork, and then turn the bottle — not the cork. This allows you to have complete control of the bottle. Gently guide the cork out of the bottle until you feel it completely come out. At most, you will hear a slight fizzle, but there should never be a loud pop.

This is how to open a bottle of champagne without spilling half of it, and will ensure that you and your guests will be able to enjoy it in its entirety!

How to properly pour sparkling wine

Once the bottle is open, it’s time for the most important part: pouring! We always recommend serving Mr and Mrs in white wine glasses instead of champagne flutes. This enhances the flavors and aromas and elevates your drinking experience. To pour without too much foam at the top, hold the white wine glass at an angle and pour slowly until you reach the top of the glass. 

Now that you know how to properly open and pour bubbly, you can enjoy your Happy Healthy Daily Juice at any time. We always say, you don’t need a special occasion to drink Mr and Mrs. SYLTBAR is acceptable whenever the feeling strikes!  

Shop for Mr and Mrs in our online store, or look for them in your local retail stores, and put your new knowledge of opening Prosecco to the test.