On the top of every bottle of KORBEL California Champagne bottle is a small, often overlooked, item that holds the key to preserving those delicate effervescent bubbles: the muselet.

A muselet is the wire enclosure that surrounds the cork to prevent it from popping under the immense pressure that the bubbly contains.

Invention of the muselet was catalyzed by the failure of previous methods to contain the carbonated pressure within the bottle. The first wooden plugs were sealed with oilcloth and wax, but proved to be ineffective because of the leaking or explosion of the stopper. In light of this problem, the first version of the muselet was created in 1844, but proved both difficult to open and place on the bottle due to its design.

After years of trial and error, today’s muselets are easy to install and remove from the bottle. A fun fact: it takes exactly six half-turns to fully unwind and open the muselet. Remember this trivia the next time you pop open a bottle of KORBEL for your guests. You’ll impress them with your knowledge on the intricate science behind every bottle of KORBEL.