The muselet is the metal wire cage that is used in bottles of sparkling wines to keep the cork in place and prevent it from popping out with the pressure coming from the bubbles. Before the invention of corks, bottles were closed with wooden plugs wrapped in cloth that had been dipped in oil. The plug was then sealed with wax or secured with hemp twine. This technique was not very efficient at keeping the closure in place consistently, even when the twine began to be reinforced with metal wire. Renowned monk Dom Perignon started using something similar to metal cages when cork became the popular closure for Champagne, while the version closer to what we know today was patented in France in 1844 by Adolphe Jacqueson.
Curiouos fact: every muselet needs 6 turns to be removed, regardless of what type of sparkling wine it is! There are many theories regarding this detail, with some saying that the number of turns refers to the 6 atmospheres of pressure found in the wine, while others believe that it was found to be the perfect number to keep the cork in place while making the cage easy to remove. After it was standardized in Champagne, it became typical of muselet manufacturers around the world to follow the 6-turn rule.
Author: Maytte Rivera
