PARTY TIP FOR CLEANING CHAMPAGNE GLASSES

Mary Krone's Secret Tips for Ensuring Your Champagne Flute Glasses Sparkle

There are so many wonderful ideas when it comes to hosting a celebration, but one necessary part is your glasses, often overlooked or simply not much thought is given to. Your glasses are after all your guest’s link to the delicious nectar that they will be enjoying at your celebration.

My mom always instilled in us that the glasses need to be washed correctly, and I asked her if she would be willing to share her ‘secret tips’ with us. What I know today as a wedding and event planner is from my mom Mary Krone, so it is fitting that we share her secret tip for the drink that defines elegance - effervescence.

Always try to serve Champagne and / Méthode Cap Classique Sparkling Wine in champagne glasses, preferably the flute shape (instead of the old flat, shallow glass, known as the coupé) as the bubbles are then more noticeable and, as we all know, enjoyment is as much to do with what excites the eye, as with what the tastebuds perceive.

Probably the most important aspect as far as presentation is concerned is to do with:

THE WASHING OF THE GLASSES

• wash in hot, soapy water

• rinse very well with clean, clear, hot water

• dry with paper towel or a dedicated glass cloth (fluff-free)

STORAGE

• store glasses upright in a clean, airy cupboard OR hang them upside-down

• never store wine glasses in 'aromatic' wooden cupboards

• sniff any batch of glasses before serving wines or effervescence in order to ensure that the glasses are neutral - even when they come out of storage boxes or trays.

NOTE

If there is residue of any detergent or 'rinse aid' (as used in automatic dishwashers) left on the inner surface of the glass, the bubbles will not have anywhere from which to 'kick-off' and the effervescence will appear to be flat.

However, when you then take a sip, it feels like an explosion in your mouth, pushing your cheeks outwards as the bubbles kick-off inside your mouth.

THE ALTERNATIVE

Some fanatical champagne and effervescence aficionados use a diamond drill to gently scratch the base of their special champagne flute glasses in order to have a rough spot from which those fascinating bubbles start their journey to the top. Quite symbolic - a journey from the rough spot in the depths, rising all the way to the top...

Cheers to the pioneers behind the Krone brand

My parents, Mary Krone and Nicky Krone, were the founders of the Krone Méthode Cap Classique at Twee Jonge Gezellen farm in Tulbagh. Their profound passion for the world of effervescence led them to shape a legacy of innovation that will forever be intertwined with the Krone family name. Just like the constellation of stars that inspired the name of their inaugural bubbly, 'Krone Borealis.' The first Krone Méthode Cap Classique was the 1987 vintage launched on the market in 1991. It was a huge success which confirmed my father Nicky Krone’s vision of producing a top-quality Vintage Méthode Cap Classique. Their legacy will always be written in the stars and in the South African wine industry.