how to open a bottle of champagne

Angle the bottle away from you (and from any onlookers), grip the cork firmly with the towel or napkin, and begin to twist the cork. It should be a bit stiff. If the bottle has just come from the ice bath or the fridge, it may be slippery. Again, the towel will help you to get a grip. Twist the cork some more or turn the base of the bottle while holding onto the cork. Ease the cork out. You'll hear a satisfying little pop—not the cannon shot willfully produced by revelers less skilled than yourself—and then see a puff of carbonated white smoke, followed in even shorter order, once you tilt the bottle, by a mass of delicious golden foam. This is why you had a champagne glass or two close at hand.

from "Rising to the Occasion" by Edith Hazard & Wallace Pinfold