According to Irving Smith Kogan of the Champagne Association, the aluminum foil is there to cover up the less than attractive wiring that helps keep the cork under pressure. (the French word for the wire is muselet, which means muzzle”). Before the days of aluminum foil, lead was used to cover the wire muzzle. Kogan adds that triangular “weep holes” were added to rid the lead of condensation. Even now, some champagne makers add triangular or diamond shaped holes to the foil for decorative purposes and as to add tradition. Submitted by David Feldman |
