A lot of people might not know how to properly open a bottle of champagne or sparkling wine. Follow these 5 simple steps and you can open a bottle of champagne safely.

Step 1: Remove the foil from the cork.  Always keep the cork pointed in a safe direction and keep one thumb on it just in case. Corks can loosen over time, so even if you’re not ready to pop the cork yet, the bottle may have a different idea.

Step 2: Start to undo and loosen the wire cage gently, while remaining to keep a thumb on the cork to prevent unexpected surprises.

Step 3: Once the cage is off, place a towel over the cork. We use towels for 2 reasons: to control spillage and to make sure the cork doesn’t projectile and injure someone or damage something.

Step 4: With the towel over the cork and the neck of the bottle, grab the neck of the bottle with one hand (over towel) and with the other hand grab the cork firmly and begin to slowly turn the bottle (not the cork) until the cork eases off.  You should get a soft “woof” sound, not a pop, indicating that you have managed to save the bubbles and air from being lost.

Step 5: You are now ready to serve the champagne, slide the towel around to the neck of the bottle and pour. Cheers!