Anyone who wants to develop a real champagne – or even a winemaker’s sparkling wine using the traditional Méthode method – should have a good hand, bring in-depth knowledge and a lot of patience.
Healthy grapes are the basis, two alcoholic fermentations are part of it and nine months storage on the yeast.
Each individual bottle is repeatedly rotated a few degrees.
An almost endless ceremony that is necessary to clear the sparkling wine from the yeast.
Out of respect for this noble craft, it is not appropriate to splash the precious drink around indiscriminately.
But champagne fountains have long been part of the podiums in this sports world.
No bike tour without honoring the best of the stage with kisses from hostesses and then a splash of sparkling wine.
Likewise after a Formula 1 race or other frenzy.
All in all a sticky affair.
Ultimately, it makes no difference whether sparkling wine, champagne, cava, crémant or even prosecco is served.
Anyone who understands this form of celebration as an expression of a supposedly decadent upper class and sticks with more proletarian drinks, behaves no better: Beer showers are a particularly unsavory ritual that often manifests itself in football celebrations, regardless of the rank and name of the winner, whether it is the German championship is celebrated - or promotion to the district league A.
Of course, in the exuberance of feelings, it is part of the process to let the cork pop.
Successful people should enjoy their triumphs.
Athletes anyway.
After all the hardships.
It's their place to celebrate their victories, and yes, to douse too.
But down the throat and not into the audience.
Because where is the enjoyment when the precious good is spilled so cheaply?
It's also stupid when the jubilant stage winner acts so stupidly in exuberance that he can no longer take part in the tour afterwards.
Just like professional cyclist Biniam Girmay, who shot his cork in the eye after the tenth stage of the Giro d'Italia.
The involuntary “shooting star” was no longer able to compete for the eleventh.
He had to rest his eye.
By the way, if you want to open a sparkling wine bottle in a really stylish way, use a saber.
It's hard to imagine what will happen when this trick spreads to the podiums of the sports world.