No one likes to look the fool, especially when trying to act worldly regarding fine wines and bubbly. You might think you have all the finer points down but it never hurts to be certain before putting your foot in your mouth.

Now we’re not going to act like each of these is going to knock your socks off but we’re just covering the bases here. Yahoo spoke to two bubbly experts – Françoise Peretti, director of the Champagne Bureau U.K., and renowned sommelier Julia Oudill and here are their top five tips to help you on your merry way:

Unlike other wines, Champagne has to be kept standing in a cellar. Once the champagne has been bottled, it won’t get better. There is no point in keeping a bottle of Champagne for years.

The correct way to serve Champagne is to hold the glass upright; there’s no need to slant it. Fill a third of all glasses with Champagne, then top up. Never fill to the rim, though! To keep the cork from flying, hold the cork firmly once the muselet (which has six twists) is off. Twist the bottle, not the cork.

Right, so don’t go getting greedy and filling your glass to the brim. Duly noted, on with the lesson:

Even if most Champagne bottles have a deep indent at the bottom of the bottle, it is forbidden to pour it into a glass with your thumb placed in the indent to hold the bottle. However, when serving a magnum, one should serve by placing their thumb in the divot and pouring.

Chilling a bottle of Champagne is easy: Either put it your fridge for three hours, or in a bucket with ice and water. It only takes 30 minutes in ice and water to chill a bottle. Adding water is essential, as it conducts the cold temperature.

Champagne doesn’t need to ‘breathe’ in the way a red wine needs to. However, pouring Champagne in the glass will ‘air’ the wine. A Champagne stopper will keep the wine fresh in the fridge for another 24 hours.

I guess that last one requires the self-control to stop before the bottle runs dry, something that isn’t easy when enjoying the finest bubbles this side of the Sahara.

Don’t forget the amazing deal we run on a case of Pierre Jourdan MCC – you’re nabbing six bottles (which normally go for at least R250 each in a restaurant) of the Cuvee Brut for only R100 a pop.

Now that you’ve caught up to speed with the dos and don’ts of bubbly etiquette you should feel confident enough to enjoy the finer things in life.

[source:yahoo]