A good bottle of Champagne deserves a little care in the glass. The good news is that serving it well takes no special skill – just the right temperature, a sensible glass and a calm hand on the cork.
Get the temperature right
Champagne shows its best at around 8–10°C. Too warm and it tastes flabby and foamy; too cold and the aromas disappear. The easiest way to get there is a bucket of half ice, half water for about 20–30 minutes – faster and more even than the fridge, and far gentler than the freezer, which can dull a fine wine.
Choose the right glass
The narrow flute looks elegant but traps the aromas, while the wide vintage coupe lets the bubbles and scent escape too quickly. A white-wine glass or a tulip-shaped glass – rounder in the bowl, tapering at the top – is the sweet spot, giving the wine room to open up while keeping the bubbles lively.
Open it gently
Forget the loud pop and the flying cork. Remove the foil and the wire cage, then hold the cork firmly and slowly twist the bottle, not the cork. Done right, it releases with a soft sigh rather than a bang – which keeps more of those precious bubbles in the bottle.
Pour like a pro
Pour against the side of a tilted glass, just as you would a beer, to preserve the mousse. Fill to about two-thirds, leaving space for the aromas to gather. And there’s no need to fill all the glasses in one go – a steady top-up keeps everyone’s Champagne cold and fresh.
Pour poured, glass in hand – now you just need somewhere wonderful to enjoy it. Explore our map to find places near you that pour genuine Champagne by the glass or bottle, and join a community of fellow enthusiasts chasing the same sparkle around the world.