You can “maximize your Champagne experience” by the way you pour it, says Erik Segelbaum, beverage manager and Advanced Sommelier at DC’s Le Diplomate. Here are some tips:
- Pour slowly into a flute: That will prevent the glass from overflowing. Once you have a little bit in the glass, a “nice, even, gentle, steady stream” will give you the perfect amount of effervescence.
- Even better, don’t use a flute! Flutes look elegant, but don’t “give you access to all the wonderful complexity that Champagne is,” Segelbaum says. He prefers a wine glass, which allows you to “taste, smell, and sense the wine much better.”
- Here’s a fun test: Pour the same Champagne into a flute and into a wineglass, and you may find they taste completely different.
SEE ALSO: How to Open a Bottle of Champagne the Right Way | 10 Better-Than-Basic Champagne Glasses
