The right way to serve bubbly
Pop those corks, spring is here (as if you really need an excuse). Woolies’ Rebecca Constable asked the chief bubbly maker at Graham Beck Pieter Ferreira (a.k.a. Mr Bubbles) for some pro pointers.
Hold and twist the bottle, not the cork
Hold the top of the wire cage with your thumb to keep the cork in place and untwist the wire. Tightly grip the cage and cork in one hand while using the other to twist the bottle’s base in a circular direction away from the cork to slowly work it out.
Temperature is vital
Serve bubbly between 6 and 8°C. The carbon dioxide becomes more compressed when cold, so the fizz will be more controlled when pouring. To aid this even further you can serve the bubbly in pre-chilled glasses.
Pour your bubbly like a beer
This is the best way not to lose the bubbles. Tilt the glass at a 45-degree angle and pour slowly. This way you’ll fill the glass in one pour, not three, and you will stop any bubbling over.
Don’t fill your glass to the top
110 ml is considered one serving. In general you should get six glasses from a 750 ml bottle.
Preserve the fizz
Between pours, ensure your bubbles remain lively by keeping the bottle on ice. If you don’t finish it in one sitting (as if!), seal the bottle with a good Champagne stopper, which will keep the open bottle fresh for a couple of days when stored in the fridge.
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