SPARKLING WINE SERVICE

The service of sparkling wine requires extra care compared to the service of a still wine service. With the contents of the bottle under as much as 6 atmoshpheres of pressures ( about 100 pounds pushing on the end of the cork ) , caution is the primary concern in opening a bottle of sparkling wine. The mise en place isThe glassware (flutes) The wine The corkscrew A serviette or Napkin A small side plate & coasters An ice bucket & stand The following is a step by step procedure on sparkling wine service1. Approach the table with the appropriate glassware. From the guests right side, place the glass on the right hand side of the guest. 2. Place a small plate( BnB ) near the right side of the guest, and a coaster in the centre of the table. 3. Bring the wine to the table in a wine bucket draped with a napkin. Place it in the view of the table, especially the host. 4. Remove the wine from the bucket and wipe with the napkin. 5. Cradle the wine in the napkin and present to the host from the right hand side. Confirm wine, vintage and producer. 6. After receiving confirmation from the host, return the bottle to the ice bucket. Remove a portion of the foil capsule, cutting far enough down the neck with the knife on the corkscrew to expose the cage. 7. Remove the foil cap and inspect for mold or leakage. Place the cap on the small plate or in your pocket (depending on the policy). From this point forward, keep your thumb on the cork . Also it is acceptable to leave the cage in place in order to have a better grip. 8. Untwist or loosen the wire cage, generally this should be six turns. Pull the wire surrounding the neck away from the bottle. Keep the thumb on cork at all times. This, and subsequent steps, should be done with a napkin covering the cork to catch any forceful release of the cork. 9. Shifting your thumb slightly, place the thumb under the cage on the cork, and remove the cage. Check the inside of the cage for mold or evidence of seepage. Place the cage on the plate. ( Again depends on the hotel policy ). A variation of this step is to leave the cage on the cork to provide a better grip while trying to remove the cork. 10. Slowly twist the cork, all the while maintaining control over it. Once loosened, the cork may push strongly against your hand to release the pressure.
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11. Remove the cork with as little sound as possible. A hiss is best, but a small pop is acceptable. Check the cork and place it on the plate on right hand side of the guest. 12. Wipe the neck of the bottle inside out. 13. Hold the bottle in one hand, either by inserting the thumb in the punt, or by cradling the bottle with a napkin. Hold the bottle so the label is visible to the host. 14. Pour a one ounce for the host for approval. 15. Receive confirmation that the wine is acceptable to be poured. 16. Proceed to pour the wine for the guests. Start with the first woman to the left of the host, proceed to serve all the women, then the men, then the host. Pour very slowly in one motion, if the wine foams too much, stop pouring and wait for the mousse to subside. Commence pouring wine to fill the glass between 60 70% full ( full ). Make sure to wipe the neck of the bottle between pours to collect the drips. 17. Ask the host if the temperature of the wine is acceptable, and if he or she would like it back in the ice bucket or on the coaster to slightly warm it. 18. Remove the small plate with the cork, cage and foil on leaving the table.

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Proper sparkling wine service has three goals: to uncork the bottle safely, to keep the wine from squirting out and to make customers feel comfortable and safe while this happens. The process is straightforward. First, the server shows the wine label to the customer and states its name before opening to ensure it is the correct bottle. While house service styles may differ, the safest way to open a Champagne or sparkling wine bottle is to hold it in your hands, never pointing the cork at anyone or anything breakable. Next is the foil capsule. The foil on sparkling wine bottles usually has a pull tab. My advice: Ignore it and just cut the capsule below the bottom lip of the opening with your knife. Put the capsule in your pocket. And now comes the important part: Never, ever--ever--remove the cage. By removing the cage, you leave the cork exposed. If the wine blows its top, you might just bounce that cork into your guests' soup, or worse. Instead, grip the cage and, keeping your thumb firmly on top of it, twist the cage so that it's loose around the bottle. Now, grip the cage even more firmly and, holding the bottle at a 45-degree angle and being careful where the cork is pointed (nobody's head), grip the bottom of the bottle with your other hand. You then should be able to move the bottle without the cage and cork moving; essentially using the cage as a grip, letting the wine pressure push the cork gently out as you rotate the bottle an inch or two. The bottle should sigh, not pop. Popping means that some wine might bubble out, and that's wasting the customer's money. You should have a serviette handy to wipe the top of the bottle before pouring a taste for your customer. Some wine servers prefer to drape a serviette over the cage during the opening, believing it helps with the grip.

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Finally, when you pour sparkling wine, remember that most people like their bubbly to be very cold, so don't pour too much in the glass. This also gives you an excuse to return and offer a bit more brilliant, safe service. STEP BY STEP 1. Present the bottle to the guest, stating the wine's vintage and brand. 2. Using your knife, cut the foil capsule below the bottom lip of the bottle opening; remove the capsule and place it in your pocket. 3. With your thumb firmly on top of the cage, grip it and twist to loosen. Do not remove the cage. 4. With one hand gripping the cage and the other on the bottom of the bottle, hold the bottle at a 45-degree angle. Rotate the bottle one or two inches without moving the cage and cork; the wine pressure will gently push the cork out of the bottle. 5. Wipe the top of the bottle with a serviette and pour a taste for the guest.

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