Is it rude to open a bottle of Champagne with a loud ‘pop’?
Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. And don't worry, I'm no wine snob—you can also ask me those "dumb questions" you're too embarrased to ask your wine geek friends! I hope you find my answers educational, empowering and even amusing. And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics.
Dear Dr. Vinny,
I recently opened a bottle of Champagne, and the cork made a loud ‘pop.’ I love that sound. One of my friends, a ‘serious’ wine person, scolded me. He said the bottle should ‘sigh,’ and that it was gauche to open a bottle the way I did. I’ve always opened sparkling wine this way. What’s your take?
—Daniel, Boulder, Colo.
Dear Daniel,
If you’ve just won the World Series and you’re celebrating in the locker room, by all means have some fun (just put on some glasses first to protect your eyes from that flying cork). And of course, if you’re enjoying a bottle of bubbles at home, feel free to be as loud as you like. While I see where your friend is coming from, I don’t think he should have said anything—especially not if you bought the Champagne!
In most cases, it’s best to open a bottle of bubbly gently. First, a flying cork can be a real hazard—to people, animals and valuable objects (or even just your light fixtures!). Second, yes, loud noises can be considered rude in some scenarios (think the dining room of a fancy restaurant). Finally, the idea is to contain the carbonation so that the wine won’t go flat too quickly.
Being gentle while opening your bubbles is more about safety and not wasting wine than about conforming to any etiquette standard. And while it’s certainly possible to open a bottle with a dramatic ‘pop’ while maintaining control of the cork and not spilling any wine, the chances of something going wrong are simply much lower if you open it quietly.
It takes skill (and practice) to open a bottle quietly and keep the celebration in your glass. How should you go about it? Get the bottle chilled way down before opening. That lowers the chances that any wine will come gushing out. Then, untwist and loosen the wire cage that’s over the cork, but leave the cage on. Grab the cork and cage with your dominant hand, and twist the bottle with your other hand. I’ve found that giving the cork some resistance as it starts to come out really helps to achieve that perfect ‘kiss.’
Of course, sometimes pops happen, even if you’re trying your best to make the wine ‘sigh.’ If that happens, it’s not the end of the world—I find that most people appreciate how a pop from a bottle helps establish a celebratory mood. However you get your bottle open, the important thing is getting the wine into people’s glasses and enjoying it. Cheers!
—Dr. Vinny
