Opening a bottle of sparkling wine can be intimidating to the uninitiated, but once you know the right way to do it, it gets easier every time.

Loudly popping the cork out of the bottle can be festive but hazardous, and it can end up wasting the precious wine inside! These step by step instructions will ensure your bubbly ends up in your glass, not all over the floor.

– Make sure the bottle is chilled.
– Keep the bottle pointed away from your guests and yourself.
– Remove the foil wrapper from the top of the neck and cover the top of the bottle with a cloth or your hand.
– Remove the metal cage with one hand while stabilizing the cork with the other.
– Grasp the cork firmly with one hand, and – this is the important part – with the other hand, grasp the bottom of the bottle and slowly twist it out from under the cork (turn the bottle, not the cork).
– Ideally, when the cork is released you will hear a gentle sigh rather than a pop.