Great Wine Made Simple - Andrea Immer [112]
Opening Sparkling Wine and Champagne
While in the bridal party at a friend’s very formal wedding, I watched a waiter remove the wire cover from the top of a Champagne bottle and then place the bottle on our table, right beneath a crystal chandelier. Having once seen a bartender take out the entire single-malt Scotch section of his back bar by doing the same thing, I dived for cover—taffeta gown, silk gloves, and all.
When opening Champagne or sparkling wine, you have to be careful. The carbon dioxide pressure in the bottle averages about six atmospheres, or ninety psi—enough to cause the cork to eject at high speeds, causing extreme injury. Whether you are a wine lover or a service professional or both, please read and follow these steps carefully.
Never use a corkscrew.
Ensure the wine is well-chilled, as this helps to mute the pressure.
Always open a sparkling wine bottle pointing away from all people. You can either hold the bottle with both hands, or rest it in an ice bucket, or the kitchen sink if you are at home. If needed, wipe the condensation from the bottle so that you get a firmer grip. Also watch out for wet labels that can slide and cause you to lose your grip.
Remove the foil that covers the wire cage around the cork. Many bottles have pull-tabs to help with this. Otherwise, cut the foil with the blade of your corkscrew.
Have a towel handy. In restaurant settings, use a service napkin.
Place your thumb or the palm of one hand firmly over the cork before you begin loosening or removing the wire cage.
While maintaining downward pressure on the cork with your thumb or palm, loosen the wire cage with your other hand by untwisting the loop that is attached. Once the wire is loose, never release your firm grip on the cork. It is not necessary to completely remove the cage, and in fact I don’t, because it helps me to keep a tight grip on the cork.
Holding the cork tightly, gently begin turning the bottle in one direction, and the cork in the opposite (or just hold it steady). The pressure in the bottle will begin to push the cork out. Control the pressure with your grip, slowly easing the cork out.
Don’t pop the cork. I know people like the festive sound, but a popping cork could get away from you and hurt someone. You also lose a lot of the carbon dioxide when the cork pops (those are the bubbles for which you paid extra), and sometimes the wine spews forth as well. If you want sound effects, clink glasses for a toast.
Waiter’s tip: When serving Champagne and sparkling wine, present the cork and pour a taste for approval just as you would any other wine. Sparklers can spoil, too.
Decanting Wine
The Purpose
It’s that cool thing that you have seen in restaurants—the waiter or wine steward lights a candle, then pours the wine from its bottle into a carafe before serving. Decanting is very beautiful and romantic, but also practical. There are two reasons for wines to be decanted (actually three if you count showmanship, which is an important part of restaurant dining).
Aeration This is mainly for full-bodied red wines whose aroma, flavor, and complexity can improve with aeration. I am sure that in some of our tastings you have noticed how wines evolved between your first taste, and later when perhaps you drank a glass with dinner, or went back to taste the wine after the bottle had been open for a while. Decanting speeds up that process.
Removal of sediment This process is also for full-bodied reds, which, as they age, naturally develop a deposit that settles to the bottom of the bottle. Decanting separates the clear wine for drinking from the sediment, which isn’t so pleasant.
LET IT BREATHE
“Shall I open that and let it breathe?” It’s the classic line of the attentive waiter seeking to enhance your enjoyment and your wine by aerating it. But whether you are at home or in a restaurant, simply pulling the cork does no good, because the sliver of a bottle opening lets in very little air. Instead, I ask guests, “May I pour your