Champagne or Sparkling Wine?

Most of us love champagne. We enjoy hearing the distinctive “pop,” wondering if, and how far, the cork will go flying. We look forward to the effervescence and drinking those sharp bubbles... it really is an amazing beverage. Have you ever wondered what the etiquette for champagne is? Here are a few points on this special commodity:

1. The name champagne is protected by Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne and can be only used by the growers of that French region. In Australia the wording used is “sparkling wine.”

2. Sparkling wines must be chilled before serving. There are a few ways to chill wine, put the wine in the refrigerator and chill to 8-10°C/46- 50°F  or 3 hours. Putting it in ice and a bucket should take approximately 30 minutes to chill, and water will help bring the temperature down.

3. When uncorking the bottle, hold the cork and twist the bottle not the cork, Hold your glass upright rather than tilting your glass.  When pouring into the glass, fill it only a third of the way up. Never fill it to the top.  

4. When uncorked, sparkling wine does not need to be left to breathe, like a red wine. When pouring, the wine will air and that is all it needs. It will keep for approximately 24 hours in the refrigerator with a wine stopper. You will be surprised how well sparkling wines will keep in this manner. 
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Article Published In: Etiquipedia Blogspot>>