How to Select and Serve Champagne

Though rich people have been enjoying champagne for centuries, bubbly is more popular today than it has ever been in history. In fact, it was during the decades after the Champagne region in France was bombed to rubble in World War II that the popularity of the nectar exploded. In the twenty years following the War, worldwide consumption of champagne quadrupled and is still rising.

Select a Bottle of Champagne
Sure it’s an appropriate gift to give a Goddess, but don’t let someone else have all the fun. After studying this chapter, you will be equipped to buy yourself some bubbly in a store and restaurant.

Marque
The first thing you will need to determine is which brand and year you intend to order. By definition, true “champagne” comes only from that region of France that bears the same name. Specifically, the Champagne region is 90 miles northeast of Paris, close to the Belgian border. Most wines are named after vineyards, while champagnes are named for the houses that produce them. These houses produce various brands known as marques. When you select a bottle of champagne, it will be these marques from which you must choose:
Bollinger
Charles Heidsieck
Krug
Moet et Chandon
G.H. Mumm
Joseph Perrier
Ruinart
Taittinger
Vueve Cliquot-Ponsardin

Vintage
Unlike many wines, one needn’t sample decade’s worth of champagnes to identify a good year. Champagne is typically held for up to five years by the manufacturing house. When it’s eventually released for purchase, it should be consumed within two years. Choosing young champagne, therefore, is not considered gauche. Also, champagne is often blended across years. For champagne to be considered of a particular year’s vintage, at least 80% of the grapes used in producing it must have been harvested in that year. The remaining 20% of the grapes, therefore, can be from other years. Vintners will often blend their champagnes with the “greatest hits” from across the years, which leads to a more uniform quality of beverage. This is why choosing any particular vintage of champagne is not important -- all those of a given marque are quite similar.

Size of Bottle
One tricky thing about champagne is the size of the bottle. I know, you’re probably thinking: “What are you talking about!?” But trust me, champagne comes in a whole universe of sizes, and basic economics tells us that we should buy only as much as we need and no more!
Quarter-Bottle
Half-Bottle
Bottle
Magnum 2 bottles
Jeroboam 4 bottles
Rehoboam 6 bottles
Methuselah 8 bottles
Salmanazar 12 bottles
Balthazar 16 bottles
Nebuchandnezzar 20 bottles

If you have the occasion to bust out the Nebuchadnezzar, please invite me! You now know that those oversized bottles in vintners’ window aren’t advertising gimmicks. If you are dining alone, or want to order champagne to accompany dessert, it is cuter, and more affordable, to order a half-bottle. This will pour out to slightly more than two full glasses. The Magnum comes in handy if you are on a double date, or for a corporate dinner party.

Prepare, Open, and Pour the Champagne
I will tell you how to get through this process, but just like any new hobby, you are going to have to practice before you get the confidence and skill to pull this off for a big occasion.

Chill
Champagne is best enjoyed at a cool temperature. You should be looking to pour it form the bottle at 43 to 48 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius. If your bottle isn’t yet cool, you can chill it by either placing it in the refrigerator for a few hours or by placing it in a bucket filled with a mixture of ice and water. If you need to chill it in a hurry, throw a handful of salt into that slush, this will reduce its temperature below zero and speed the chilling. Under no circumstance should you ever leave champagne to chill in your freezer it will disturb the balance of the alcohol and ruin all that lovely expensive liquid.

Remove Cork
There are a few layers you need to cut through before you even get to the cork. First, pull off just enough foil to reveal the cork. The cork itself is protected in a wire cage. On the side of that cage, you will see a section of wire twisted into a cute little handle. Pull that handle away from the side of the cage and untwist the wire. Be careful as you do so, and point the cork away from yourself – there’s a reason that wire is there. The cork can erupt at any time, so keep a tight hold on it. Then, firmly gripping the cork with one hand, use your other hand to twist the bottle slowly and smoothly. You want the cork to emerge from the bottle with a gentle sigh, not a raucous pop. Finally, while you are uncorking the bottle, you should keep a glass or two handy because if you do it wrong, you will need something to catch all the champagne as it comes flowing out of the bottle.

Pour
Selecting your glass deserves a little bit of consideration. There are two classic types of champagne glasses: the coupe and the flute. The coupe was designed to allow the greatest surface area for the release of bubbles, which feels vampy and fun as they burst upon your face. The flute on the other hand, captures the bubbles and ensures they are released more evenly across the duration of the glass. Whichever you choose, be sure to clean it with only water and not soap, it can interfere with bubbles and taste. Oh, and you should definitely consider using a crystal glass. The surface of crystal is rougher than ordinary glass, which stimulates more bubbles in your champagne. Once your glasses are selected and placed, hold the bottle by placing your thumb into the dimple at the bottom of the bottom, which is known as the “punt” and splay your fingers across the barrel of the bottle. Next pour a small splash into the bottom of each glass then continue to fill each glass until its 2/3rds full. This process will help to prevent the champagne from foaming over, and help keep the precious fluid from spilling on the floor.

Indulge
So we have finally gotten to the stage where you can indulge. Not so fast, first you need to know how to hold the stuff. The reason champagne glasses have long stems is so that the heat of your hand will stay well away from the champagne, keeping the beverage closer to its optimal chilled temperature. As you indulge in your new-found hobby more and more, you alone will be the best judge of your favorite champagnes.