Before you pop that next bottle of champagne for your party guests, make sure you know what you’re doing.
Photo Credit: Andrew Moore
Many of you will likely be serving champagne as your featured beverage during your New Year’s party given the popularity of the tradition. If this is your first time hosting or you’re a New Year’s aficionado, you should know the proper way to serve the drink and some of the history behind it.
Some History Behind Champagne
Champagne dates back to 17th century France where Monks in Champagne, France (Northeastern France) oversaw wine production in the region. At this time the excess carbon dioxide trapped in the wine was seen as a pain. It was however, unavoidable due to the short growing season for grapes. The monks saw it as a result of poor wine making skills and deemed it “mad wine”. Though Dom Perignon was one of these monks, he did not create champagne as popularly believed. He was appointed to oversee the wine making process and cellars at that time. Because the process at that time was considered dangerous with corks flying off and bottles exploding, he did contribute by creating thicker bottles and rope to hold the cork on. Today, champagne is widely enjoyed across the world.
In 1891 the Treaty of Madrid deemed that only wine producers in Champagne, France may call their sparkly beverage “champagne”, whereas others must call it “sparkling wine”. It is said that the chalky soil conditions and cool climate in the Champagne region give the drink a distinct taste or “gold standard” compared to other sparkling wines.
Serving Champagne
Photo Credit: Nana B Agyel
If you plan on serving champagne during your New Year’s celebration, make sure you adhere to proper serving suggestions as listed below:
Store your champagne in a cool, dark place before serving
- Make sure there is very little temperature variation during storage
Ideal serving temperature: 39 F-50 F
- Place the bottle in an ice bucket containing ½ ice and ½ water
- Never chill champagne in the freezer
- You may chill champagne in the fridge for 3-4 hours
- A warm bottle means a bigger “pop”, but be careful some corks can travel up to 50 mph!
Serve champagne in tall flute glasses
- The design of the glasses improves the flow of bubbles and aroma
- Do not chill the glasses
- Pour champagne gently down the side of the glass to avoid releasing bubbles
- Wide rimmed glasses will release bubble faster, affecting the taste
Use glass champagne flutes
- If you use plastic cups/glasses, bubbles from the champagne will adhere to the plastic reducing the fizz of the drink
- Towel dry your glass flutes versus air drying them – this will contribute to bubble production
Buy a large bottle of wine versus multiple small bottles
- Larger bottles retain more carbon dioxide, contributing to the fizz
- Ease off the cork to avoid losing bubbles
Research food pairings for the specific type of champagne you have purchased
Feel free to get creative by making champagne cocktails or serving in a unique way (think champagne pyramid)
Your guests will appreciate you taking the time to ensure that the champagne is served properly and you will likely receive accolades for being an experienced host or hostess.
Champagne Around the World
Photo Credit: Ginny
Because of the “rules of appellation” previously mentioned, the fizzy drink has different names in different regions of the world:
- Spain: Cava
- Germany: Sekt
- Italy: Spumante
- US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa: Sparkling wine
Although champagne has its New Year’s popularity in the United States, not everybody rings it the New Year with champagne. Some countries have their own twist on drinks to symbolize a fresh start.
- Some parts of England serve, Wassail, a gaelic term meaning “good health”
- Scotland: serves “hot pot”, where they drinking a glass or two at home before sharing with neighbors
- Holland: toasting is done with glasses of hot, spiced wine
Serving champagne at your New Year’s Eve party is fun and most likely expected; make sure you know what you are doing when you do!
Article adapted from:
Almanac.com | Wikihow.com | NBCNews.com | Askmen.com | MentalFloss.com
