We also drink Champagne too cold. Most Americans chill their Champagnes in a refrigerator or ice bucket to just over 35 degrees, when Champagne should be drunk at 45 to 50 degrees, Simonetti-Bryan says. Aromas reveal more with the warmth, while the cold dulls them.
Fluctuations can compromise the integrity of the wine, and the higher the temperature, the more the quality of your wine suffers. Because Champagne is under so much pressure, raising the temperature too much, too fast may risk popping the cork.
Most Americans chill their Champagnes in a refrigerator or ice bucket to just over 35 degrees, when Champagne should be drunk at 45 to 50 degrees, Simonetti-Bryan says. Aromas reveal more with the warmth, while the cold dulls them.
This means you’ll have a less aggressive “pop!” Also, cold champagne allows the bubbles to stay intact when you pour, which yields a less fizzy pour. Angle the bottle away from your body: If you’re wondering how people get injured when opening a champagne bottle, one of the major factors could be the way the bottle is angled.
What to do if champagne is sitting in ice bucket?
If your bottle of champagne has been sitting in an ice bucket, make sure to dry the outside of the champagne bottle. The last thing you want to do is to be handling a wet and slippery champagne bottle as you’re trying to uncork it.
A champagne cork can fly out of the bottle at a speed of up to 25 miles per hour, which is scary fast and actually potentially dangerous. A study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that 26 percent of injuries sustained from champagne corks resulted in legal blindness.
Here’s the real trick of this technique: One hand will hold the cork steady while the other hand twists the bottle. If you twist the cork instead, it can actually build up more pressure than if you twisted the bottle, and you can also damage the cork.
What does “aroma” mean in wine?
To translate: In the world of wine, the word “aroma” refers to the tiny odorous compounds we smell when we take a sniff of the stuff. But, because aroma and taste work together to create a wine’s flavor, any change that occurs in your champagne’s aroma will also have an effect on your overall impression of it.
According to one winemaking expert, though, this might not be the best way to treat your bubbly — apparently, champagne shouldn’t always be refrigerated.