Author Balaganov asked a question in Society, Politics, Media
What is the correct name for the twisted wire holding the cork in a champagne bottle... and got the best answer
Answer from Nati[guru]
Muselet (French muselet - wire fuse),.
The muselet is usually made of low-carbon steel wire and put on the bottle using a special machine. Until the 1870s hemp ropes tied crosswise were used as a bridle holding the cork. .
Some French champagne houses are still faithful to them when capping elite wines. In this case, small scissors are usually attached to the bottle.
Wire 0.7-0.8 mm thick.
The standard length of a muselet is fifty-two centimeters. .
There is a legend that this is the length of the wire that Josephine Clicquot pulled out of her corsage to screw the cork of her brand of champagne "Veuve Clicquot". .
Answer from Galina Procenko[guru]
Muselet
Answer from Marina Mamonova[newbie]
a twisted wire that protects the cork from premature opening is called a bridle!!!
Answer from Maria Maevskaya[newbie]
Muselet
Answer from 3 answers[guru]
Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: What is the correct name for the twisted wire that holds the cork in a bottle of champagne ...
Muselet (muslet) is the name of the part of the cork used to seal bottles of sparkling wine and champagne. The muselet is nothing more than a wire frame or bridle that helps hold the cork in the bottle. The muzzle bridle got its original name thanks to the French language and the verb musler, which literally means “to put on a muzzle”.
We think it's no secret that the cork in a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne is under constant pressure, which occurs in the container when the drink is stored. Prior to the use of the muselet, the corks often spontaneously flew out and the bottle was uncorked, part of the drink poured out, and the rest became automatically unusable, as it lost all its sparkling. The muselet is worn over the bottle and is used as a fixing element that fixes the cork in a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne.
As a rule, the muzzle is made of high-strength wire, at least 0.8 mm thick. The quality of the muselet directly affects the safety of sparkling wine or champagne. The wire frame of the muselet is put on the cork, and then the cork is hermetically fixed under the rim of the bottle neck. This operation is performed by specialized automatic or semi-automatic machines, which modern wineries are equipped with. It is worth noting that the approach to using the muselet may differ depending on the country of the producer of sparkling wines and champagnes.
Often, elite varieties of drinks are additionally sealed with a special tin cap before using the muzzle, and only then the cork is additionally equipped with a wire frame-bridle for reliability. As a standard, for the production of one muselet, about 52 cm of wire is used, which is twisted in a certain way for reliability, and then a frame of a characteristic shape is formed. It is interesting that the creation of the muselet is attributed to the world-famous Josephine Clicquot, after whom the elite sparkling wine "Veuve Clicquot" was named.
According to legend, in order to cork a bottle of sparkling wine, Josephine pulled out a wire from her corset, the length of which was just 52 cm. However, according to historians who study the wine-making traditions of the peoples of the world, the first muselets began to be made long before Madame Clicquot from ordinary ropes. A patent for the modern type of muselet was obtained at the end of the 19th century by Adolphe Jaxon.
Currently, producers of sparkling wines and champagnes place decorative foil packaging on top of the wire frame of the muselet, which masks the unsightly part of the bottle cork of the noble drink. In order to uncork a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne, you need to tear off the foil, and then remove the muzzle using a special eyelet, which is located on the side of the bridle. After removing the muzzle, the cork should easily "shoot" out of the bottle neck.
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Long ago, back in the 18th century, there was a king in France named Louis XV. He ruled the country and people as best he could: he tried to introduce reforms, write decrees, and then the seven-year war with England broke out, and after it the crisis in the country came. In general, it was not easy for poor Louis XV! Where to seek consolation for the king, tormented by misfortunes and hardships? Of course, in wine. Champagne in those days flowed like a river in the royal palace, drink, as they say, I don’t want to. So Louis no longer wanted to, he was tired of whipping champagne around the clock, he decided to change something. The king liked the taste of sparkling wine, and he did not want to completely refuse it. Then he began to change the very principle of drinking: he drank champagne from traditional goblets, then from cups, bowls, plates, spoons and everything that came to hand. From the outside, it must have looked a little wild. “But hasn’t the king gone mad for an hour?” - whispered the courtiers. But the public opinion of Louis XV did not care, that's why he is the king, to decide human destinies and establish a new fashion.
Having toiled with various uncomfortable vessels and containers, Louis XV made, as it seemed to him, the only right decision. He gathered his subjects and ordered them to make sure that champagne could be drunk not from goblets and bowls, but from a woman's breast! Yes, the king went too far! But there's nothing to be done, an order is an order. The courtiers thought and wondered for a long time and finally persuaded the king to settle down. And in order to please the ruler, they decided to make a glass champagne glass that would repeat the shape of the female breast. To take a cast from the woman's chest, a grandiose casting was arranged, in which all French beauties participated. Marie Antoinette, the favorite of the king, the Marquis de Pompadour, and even the future wife of Napoleon I, Josephine, were on the lists. The rest of the contestants are maids of honor, court ladies and beauties from all over the country. The casting, it must be admitted, was not very fair, since one of the participants, whose name was kept secret, had an advantage. She was the favorite favorite of the king, who chose her, or rather her bust, as a sketch for a glass of champagne. When the vessel was ready, Louis XV exclaimed: "This is the only container that is worthy of such a noble drink!" These glasses corresponded to the size "B" according to the international classification of female busts and a volume of 200 ml. The further fate of the beloved king is not known. Perhaps the poor thing suffered from the sidelong glances of envious women, whom she was ahead of in the casting. But since then, champagne has been drunk from such wide and flat glasses. The Devil's Wine by Pierre Pérignon
What a pity for the people who lived on our planet until the 17th century, because they never managed to taste champagne! They have lost a lot! And they themselves are to blame for this. And it was like that. Starting from the 3rd century and up to the 17th century, winemakers led a calm, measured life and produced their usual "quiet" wines in Champagne. But this region was characterized by very changeable weather, temperatures dropped quite sharply. It is clear that the wine stored in the cellars stopped fermenting when it got cold, and the yeast fell into hibernation. Then in the spring it became warmer, and the wine fermented again. Of course, in closed containers, the wine was saturated with carbon dioxide and foamed to such an extent that it burst the barrels. People could not explain this phenomenon, attributing explosions and deterioration of wine to the devil. The fear of these diabolical tricks drove the winemakers of Champagne to a standstill, many fellows and heroes refused to fight with the devilish wine and ran away from Champagne, sparkling with their heels. But oddly enough, one of the monks named Pierre Perignon managed to "tame" the wine. 
Pierre Pérignon arrived at the Abbey of Hautevillers in May 1668, where he was placed in charge of the wine cellars. Probably, then no one agreed to this job out of fear of the devil's wine, which ripened in ominous dark cellars. By the way, not everything is clean with the Abbey of Otvillers either: it was built back in 652 by Bishop Nivard of Reims. And a dove pointed to the place where the monastery should be. Who knows, what if this bird was also a messenger of evil spirits? However, the house of Pierre Perignon was reputed to be a fearless man, he was not afraid of people's rumors about the intrigues of the devil, and then he decided to study wine barrels in more detail. Many times he saw a frightening phenomenon when barrels of wine were torn to pieces. Many times he shouted in fear, "Get out, devil!" But it was all in vain. He was completely desperate, he decided to end it and leave the abbey, but at the very last moment it suddenly dawned on him! He realized that the wine, not having time to ferment, in the spring began to ferment again. After numerous experiments, Pierre Perignon was finally convinced that he was right and began to tell people about it. The suspicious people did not want to listen to the monk, it was even said that he himself had switched to the “dark side”. But in the end, Dom Perignon managed to convince the whole world that he had discovered not a devilish drink, but a new "sparkling" wine. He took a risk and became the first "promoter" of champagne in the world, earning respect and recognition! So, friends, as they say, who does not take risks does not drink champagne! Muslet Josephine Clicquot
Once upon a time, a great fashionista and fan of champagne Josephine Clicquot, who was the successor of the famous dynasty of Clicquot winemakers, decided to show the experts her next bottle of delicious champagne. She gathered the guests, a sample was solemnly brought into the hall for tasting. Picking up a bottle of her creation, Josephine Clicquot realized that the cork was about to pop out of the neck, she would not be able to hold it, and the drink would spread across the floor, splash on the luxurious dresses of ladies and wigs of men. This will be the picture! The reputation of the house of the Widow Clicquot will be hopelessly damaged! All these thoughts flashed through the head of the smart Josephine in a matter of seconds. She didn't have anything at hand to hold the champagne rushing to freedom. Then Josephine Clicquot quickly pulled out the wire from her beloved expensive corsage - reputation is more important than outfit - and quickly screwed the cork to the neck of the bottle with it. The audience was delighted, and the drink did not let us down! 
After this incident, French winemakers and experts measured Josephine Clicquot's corsage wire, its length turned out to be 52 cm. It was a real sensation, and the richest wineries began to imitate Josephine, fixing their corks with metal wire. However, many could not afford this due to the high cost of the metal, but continued to tie corks with twine. Today, only a few manufacturers fix the champagne cork with a rope, preferring a metal bridle called a muselet. By the way, they say that the length of all modern muselets without exception is 52 cm, exactly like the length of Josephine's muselet. Well, measure yourself! Inefficient Methods
The first bottles of sparkling wines were corked with a piece of wood and wax, but this method did not bring any results. A little later, the idea arose to wrap the cork with a strong rope, more often the design was supplemented with steel wire, which did not arouse interest among buyers: it was extremely difficult to open a bottle without wire cutters or scissors.
What is the name of the champagne wire
In 1844, the winemaker from France, Adolphe Jaxon, received the right to patent an improved design of the muzzle, consisting of steel wire.
Jackson gave the wire on the bottle of champagne a strange name, in French it means "to put on a muzzle." Residents of Russia who do not speak a foreign language perceive this word with notes of a certain charm. If you ask a Russian bartender about the name of a champagne wire, he will romantically answer with a French accent: "musle".
Jaxon patented a muzzle and a plaquette (a plate of durable material) that protects dilapidated corks from deformation. Otherwise, if an incision from a metal bridle appears on the cork, then the sealing is broken and the gas from the bottle comes out.
Thanks to this breakthrough, winemakers sold sparkling wines and were confident in the safety of alcohol in the bottle. Even then, popular wine houses and factories tried to give a unique design to collectible alcohol: the muselet plaque became a canvas for talented artists.
industrial production
In 1855, the Frenchman Nikas Ptizhan invented the first muselet machine, and in 1880 industrial production began. In 1905, a ring appeared in the design of the frame, with which the need to open the bottle with scissors or special tongs disappeared. In a classic bottle of champagne, the ring on the muzzle must be turned 6 times.
The manufacturer of the muselet takes on a great responsibility: the safety of sparkling wine or champagne in the bottle depends on the thorough accuracy in the production mechanism. Musle is made of high-strength steel wire with a thickness of 0.7-0.8 mm.
Owners of wineries buy muselets for champagne and sparkling wines from trusted suppliers. Most wine houses are equipped with automatic machines that put the frame on the cork and fix the muzzle on the neck of the bottle. For aesthetics, manufacturers cover the top of the bottle with decorative foil.
Wire length
It is widely believed that the standard for the length of the musele (the wire required for manufacturing) is 52 cm. This guess is difficult to confirm or refute. Most likely, only the first production machine needed such a length for the manufacture of the frame. Today, with the advent of new technologies and mechanisms in production, the length of the muzzle varies from 50 to 60 cm.
french legend
In the history of the invention of the muselet, there is a legend in which Josephine Clicquot was involved - a woman from high society and the heiress of a dynasty of winemakers. At the next preparation for the tasting of her elite champagne, she noticed that the cork was about to pop out of the bottle and spoil the solemnity of the ceremony. She had no choice but to pull the wire out of the corset and screw the cork to the neck of the bottle with it. As it turned out later, the length of the wire was 52 cm, which subsequently turned out to be the reference long muzzle for champagne and sparkling wines.
Plaque for collectors and muselemania
A plaquette is not only a metal cap on a cork that acts as a protection against deformation, but also a collectible item:
Wine houses with a high reputation put a unique design on the plaque, sometimes it comes to a whole work of art. Often, collectors of elite alcohol give hundreds of thousands of dollars not for the contents of the bottle, but for what is depicted on a small aluminum part of the muzzle.
Choosing the next theme for design, manufacturers rely on the history of the country, public holidays or significant events. For example, in France, one of the alcohol producers released plaques dedicated to the 600th anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc. By the way, to replenish the collection it is not necessary to buy a bottle of champagne. In Madrid, thousands of collectors gather on Maiori Square and exchange not only plaques with each other , but also coins, stamps, precious items.
For collectors of plaques, albums, catalogs and tablets are produced, the price of the latter sometimes reaches tens of thousands of dollars. Not surprising, because only wealthy businessmen can afford such an occupation.
An interesting fact: there are people on the planet who not only know the name of the wire from champagne, but can boast of an interesting hobby. The muselet in the hands of craftsmen turns into a decorative item, jewelry or decor item.
The pressure in a bottle of champagne at room temperature is equal to the pressure in a red London bus tire, or about 6.3 kilograms per square centimeter.
Why rub the glasses with a towel?
There are almost 49,000,000 bubbles in every bottle of champagne. In a glass, they form around the smallest irregularities on the walls. Therefore, before serving champagne, glasses are rubbed with a cotton towel, leaving microscopic particles of cellulose on the walls.
unwanted bubbles
Initially, bubbles in champagne were considered an undesirable side effect of fermentation, and only in the second half of the 17th century began to achieve their appearance on purpose.
From the depths of the sea
The most expensive champagne in the world is Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck, which is over a hundred years old. The unique bottles were discovered by divers in 1997 on a sunken ship carrying wine for the royal family to Russia. A total of 200 bottles were found, each worth $275,000.
From small to large
The volume of champagne bottles varies from 200 ml to 30 liters. Bottles of three liters or more are named after biblical characters.
Enough for everyone
The largest mass-produced bottle for champagne is called Midas and has a volume of 30 liters. It is equivalent to forty standard bottles. Such champagne is made by the Armand de Brignac house.
In full growth
The world's tallest bottle of champagne, 1 m 82 cm high, was made in 1965 by Piper-Heidsieck. The bottle was intended to celebrate the Oscar awarding of actor Rex Harrison for his role in the film My Fair Lady.
Who drinks champagne in the morning?
Especially for Winston Churchill, Pol Roger produced champagne in bottles of 0.6 liters (imperial pint). Champagne was served to Churchill by his butler at 11 am when he woke up.
Widows of Champagne
The history of champagne is almost mystically connected with French widows. Among them are the legendary Josephine Clicquot, Madame Pomeri, Camila Roederer, Madame Bollinger. These women had a huge impact on the technology and tradition of making champagne.
Rapid traffic jam
A cork from a bottle of champagne flies out at a speed of about 40 km / h, and its flight height reaches 12 meters. The maximum possible speed for a champagne cork - 100 km / h - can occur if you leave the bottle for a while in the sun or shake it thoroughly.
Bottle bridle
The wire bridle that holds the cork in place is called the muselet and is 52 cm long. According to legend, this was the length of the wire that Josephine Clicquot pulled out of her corsage to cork a bottle of champagne of her brand.
From necessity to tradition
Initially, the foil around the cork of champagne served as a protection against mice and rats that lived in the cellars where the wine was stored. Later, the packaging element was preserved as a tribute to tradition.
More doesn't mean better
Centuries-old traditions
The oldest champagne company today, Gosset, was founded in 1584.
Birthday
August 4 is World Champagne Day. The French believe that it was on this day that the monk Dom Perignon invented the sparkling drink.
