People associate champagne with celebrations and special occasions. For this reason, they only crack a bottle open and savor its incredible taste just a few times a year. Even though researchers link this expensive drink with many health benefits and they recommend its consumption more often, the truth is that serving champagne represents a form of art. From choosing the type of champagne and delicately pouring it into the right glass to pairing it with the most tasteful dishes, you need a certain knowledge regarding this drink in order to really enjoy it. Apart from allowing you to feel a refreshing taste, champagne, also known as sparkling wine, contains those specific bubbles that cleanse your mouth. Whether you are planning to throw a party or start drinking champagne more often, you have to become familiar with the secrets behind serving this unique drink if you truly want to make the most out of your sparkling wine experience.
Step one: select the champagne
You cannot serve your drink before purchasing it, which means that you need to go on the field and explore the options. You probably realized that we referred to champagne as sparkling wine at the beginning of the article. The explanation is simple: following the “rules of appellation”, many countries decided that only wines made in a certain region of France should continue bearing the well-known name – champagne. Because of this, we refer to the ones left as sparkling wines. The champagne made in that particular region still remains the most admired among connoisseurs due to the optimal conditions, which involve a cool climate and a chalky soil. Now that you can make a clear distinction between champagne and sparkling wine, we advise you to consider two more factors during the selection process, namely price and taste. While buying the champagne, you can also choose an adequate glass, specially designed for drinking champagne. However, you should know that there are many drinks you can serve in a champagne glass.
Step two and three: store the champagne
After you purchase the type of champagne that best suits your tastes, you have to ensure proper storage until you serve it. The most adequate environment for champagne involves a cool but not cold temperature, which must be constant and almost no direct light. Experts always advise storing this pretentious drink in the basement. Another factor that you have to keep in mind is the position in which you store the champagne. Always place the bottle horizontally because it keeps the cork moist, thus keeping the air out and maintaining the bubbles and implicitly, the rich flavor. Finally yet importantly, you have to chill the champagne before you decide to serve it. The classic procedure is to put it in a bucket filled with ice. When it comes to serving the champagne, first you have to select the right glass for serving the magnificent drink. Everybody knows the traditional champagne flute, which represents a tall and narrow glass. If you wish to make something different, go ahead and create a champagne pyramid. The next steps are logical and much-awaited: you pop the cork, present the champagne, pour it slowly into the glass and enjoy it next to a delicious dish.