Should you stand the bottle up in your refrigerator door or keep it horizontal? Opinionated fizz maker Bruno Paillard insists it will lose bubbles if you store it upright.
In general, take the bottle out about 15 minutes before serving. Like the porridge in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the temperature should be just right. Serving the wine too cold blanks out the aromas, and if it’s too warm, it loses the bright crispness that perks up your taste buds. The ideal temperature is 47F to 50F (8C to 10C).
You’re casual about opening the bottle
The pressure in a Champagne bottle (because of the bubbles) can shoot out a cork at nearly 25 miles an hour. Flying corks can and do cause damage to lamps, guests, more.
Remove them properly, the way the pros do. No, that doesn’t mean hunting down a Champagne saber and learning how to slash off the top of the bottle. First, take off the wire cage over the cork. Tilt the bottle so it’s pointing away from anyone and put a towel over the top. Grab the top of the cork with one hand while you twist the bottle with the other until the cork starts to loosen and gently pops out. Pour slowly, so the bubbles don’t overflow the glass.
And don’t you dare shake before opening.
You’re dragging out those flutes someone gave you for a present
By now, let’s hope you’ve bowed to the pressure of fashion and put away those model-thin flutes (although I still like them sometimes). Real Champagne glasses have curves. One of my favorites is glassmaker Lehmann’s tulip-shaped, rounded-bowl Jamesse Prestige Grand Champagne Glass ($37.50 each), which highlights aromas and keeps bubbles fizzing longer.
You’re serving Champagne with chocolate
The chocolate and Champagne pairing is Valentine’s Day marketing nonsense—the idea that two items people love belong together. They don’t. Chocolate is far too sweet, points up the wine’s acidity, and makes it taste bitter.
Despite what producers say, Champagne doesn’t go with everything, and an entire dinner with only Champagne to drink is awfully tiresome—even on New Year’s Eve.
Yes, it’s great with salty and fried foods including fish and chips, French fries, even truffled popcorn and hot dogs. The zesty acidity cuts through the salt and fat. But it’s also a great partner with soup, as I learned at a long-ago dinner at Heitz Vineyards, where winemaker Joe Heitz splashed some fizz in each guest’s soup, then in the glasses. Besides the delicious hot soup/cold wine contrast, the bubbles made the soup’s flavors pop.
You’re trying to cork up leftover Champagne
Or worse, you’re wrapping the top of the bottle with Saran wrap. Have some pride! Instead, invest in a proper Champagne stopper with a tight seal that will keep fizz from losing its bubbles for several days.