My office coworkers really know how to make a toast

There's no shame in uncorking your bubbly by the book and these two party-goers have clearly done this before.

A few colleagues of mine threw a top-shelf wedding party for our director last week. It was a wonderful potluck preceded by an even more wonderful toast. Sometimes, when the urge to get the party started is strong, things go awry. The toast is rushed, the speeches are flubbed, or worst of all, the champagne cork goes through the roof and no one gets any fizzy in their cup because it's all over the floor. Not at this party. Here we see a textbook demonstration of how to correctly open a bottle of champagne. (Restaurant À l'Os might want to take notes.)

1. Do hold the bottle obliquely (cradle it in your arm). Don't just open it on a table. Avoid any perpendicular angles created by uncorking it on a desktop or a computer workstation.


2. Don't point the bottle at anyone. And for heaven's sakes, if you are lining up your glasses getting ready to taste the goods, be aware of yourself: don't interfere with the person opening the bottle and if that person is standing directly above you, duck! (Everyone in the immediate area of the bottle should be cautious and careful. Contents are under pressure!)

Once your sparkling wine is open you can let the party start and forget all your worries.

As instructive as this photo is, I have to say that there's something to its composition that I really like. Things kind of radiate out wildly from the razzle-dazzle of the bright white flash in the centre of the photo, but beyond this foreground there's a strong almost soothing symmetry forming out of the office-space architecture. The oxymoron that is the phrase "office party" is perfectly captured in this moment (And I love how the image within the image is captured in the screen of the ditigal camera at bottom right). Best of all for winebloggers, the release of the cork from the champagne has been clearly depicted as merely nudged out of place -- gently coaxed out and emitting the faintest whiff of a noise, like that of a granny passing wind during high tea, or so said the sound that professionals strive for.

As for yesterday's quote that led to this post: "The only time it's okay to open champagne at room temperature is when the room temperature is 35 degrees"... I'm not sure who said this. What is for certain is that you make absolutely sure to measure those degrees in Fahrenheit, not Celsius. Popping a Krug in the steam room is never a good idea.