During this, the season of celebration and good cheer,
sparkling wine is an obvious choice when it comes to entertaining.
Our wine expert, Wade Bales explains how to uncork a bottle of your favourite bubbly without injuring your
guests or scaring the pets.
1 Chilling Sparkling wine should be served thoroughly chilled to about 5 degrees to prevent the cork from emerging violently from the bottle.
2 Removing the wire and foil. Then lift the wire toggle and untwist clockwise, while keeping your other hand over
the cork to prevent accidents. Remove the wire cap and the foil together.
3 Removing the cork. Hold the exposed part of the cork fi rmly in place with one hand and turn the bottle slowly
with the other hand. When you feel the cork starting to rise, press firmly to prevent it from shooting out. After
removing the cork, blow into the bottle to minimise foaming.
4 Pour into chilled glasses and enjoy.
Cheers
Wine ideas club
What you receive:
Choose between 6 or 12 bottles every second month – white, red or a mix of the two
A newsletter with every delivery
Recipes and ideas.
What you pay
R295 for 6 bottles
R498 for 12 bottles
R49,50 per delivery
Annual R70 club fee. Ideas subscribers don’t pay a club fee.
What you can look forward to:
Private Vintners Miles Mossop Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2004
Guardian Peak Frontier 2004
Excelsior Purebred Red 2005
Bales Choice White Blend 2006
Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Vines 2006
Steenberg 1682 Brut
This wine list is subject to availability and is
only valid until 31 December 2006.
Did you know?
A sabre can also be used to open a bottle with great ceremony. This technique is called ‘sabrage’. The sabre is
slid along the body of the bottle toward the neck and hits the cork with great force, causing it to fly off. However, even if you have a sabre at home, this method is probably best left to the professionals.