This may seem a silly question to some, but there is a knack to opening a bottle of Champagne or other sparkling wine. It can also be quite hazardous, so a little care is needed too. Last December doctors from the University of Cambridge, University College Dublin and a number of US universities writing in the British Medical Journal said eye injuries while opening bottles of fizz can be significant. They explained that the pressure in a 750ml bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine is about three times that of a standard car tyre, with the potential to launch a cork up to 13m at speeds of up to 80km per hour. A cork can travel from bottle to eye in less than 0.05 seconds, rendering our blinking reflex ineffective. It means a cork hitting an eye can cause permanent blindness, retinal detachment and lens dislocation. The technique applied to opening a bottle correctly depends on what kind of closure the bottle of fizz has. Many Proseccos have a driven cork held in place by a piece of string. These frizzantes as they are known have less fizz than most sparkling wine and should be opened gently with a corkscrew. Pét Nats are also lightly sparkling and often closed with a crown cap. These should be opened with a beer bottle opener. READ MORE However, it is the Champagne-style mushroom-shaped corks encased in a wire cage that seem to cause the most problems. First, look for the little tab on the side of the foil and gently pull it, exposing the wire cage. Gently twist the wire loop to loosen the wire and then remove it. Tilt the bottle away from you in case the cork comes flying out. Warning: shaking the bottle before opening will result in sparkling wine spraying everywhere bar into the wine glass. You will lose half the contents of the bottle. Unless, of course, you are a Formula 1 racing driver and have just won the Grand Prix, this is not always ideal. Never point it at anyone as a popping cork can injure or blind; this happens more often than you think. To avoid accidents, make sure the sparkling wine is well-chilled and has been allowed to rest in the fridge for a few hours. The cork needs to come out with a gentle pop rather than a loud bang. Hold the bottle at 45 degrees in one hand, and hold the cork firmly in the other hand. Gently twist the bottle – not the cork – in a downwards direction and the cork should slowly come out of the bottle. If the cork is very stiff, try gripping it with a tea cloth. The wine should then be poured at a slight angle to avoid a large foamy head. Sometimes it is better to half fill the glass, leave it a second or two, and then pour again. Current fashion dictates using a tulip-shaped glass, the same kind used for still wine. Long narrow flutes don’t allow the aromas to emerge, while the flat saucer-shaped glasses (coupes) allow both fizz and aroma to escape far too quickly.