BAM!
I’ve got one ! I’ve got one!
In the movie “Fletch” Chevy Chase does exactly as I described: He pours 2 glasses of champagne, then pours a little in the silver ice bucket, then sets the bottle in the bucket!
This is NOT the only movie I’ve seen this done in, it’s just the only title I can think of at this time.
What is the purpose of pouring a little in the bucket???
In the movie Omar Khayyam, Omar does something similar. Before quaffing from his goblet, he pours a little on the ground. He says, “It’s to let the dead [now dust] have a taste, too.” (Or something to that effect.)
I have not, to the best of my recollection, seen this done in a movie but I do have a theory. If champagne is not open correctly it will immediately spill over very rapidly. I know I am not the only one to which this has happened. So could it be that the bit poured into the bucket is merely an over spill which is being redirected?
Libation to the dead (pouring a little wine into the ground for the dead) is an ancient practice, probably as old as wine. That’s definitely what Omar is doing there; it may or may not be connected to the bucket thing.
Given that Hayduke saw “Fletch” do it, it might suggest that the person pouring the champagne is treating the sparkling beverage as you would a beer drawn from a tap (where they routinely tip out some of the excess head to make room for more liquid.)
Is it possible that this is supposed to be a subtle hint at “cheap champagne” (overly fizzy) and “uncultured slob” (treats champagne as casually as beer)?
Just a WAG. I’m really curious too because I’ve never seen such a practice in more high falootin’ contexts.
BTW – as for the “conduction” theories: Reputable wine stewards would be sure to cool the wine in a bucket that is half-ice half-water for about a half hour or so before pouring. So tipping a bit of of champagne into the bucket wouldn’t be tremendoulsy helpful cooling it down.
Typically they don’t bring you the bottle already in the bucket because you should first have the opportunity to inspect the bottle before they plop you selection in ice to cool. Bringing it to you in the bucket may be a little gauche, but busy restaurants often haul out the whole shebang all at once. Usually they set the bucket off to the side, let you inspect the bottle and then they set the bottle in the bucket for 20-30 minutes. (Remember in fancy-schmancy places you’re usually there for quite awhile, so 20 mintues before you open the bottle is not uncommon.)
Whoever serves the sparkly stuff should only pour a bit into the glass to start, so the bubbles can calm down before they top it up. Older champagnes have less fizziness (hence in my WAG above I speculated that Chevy Chase may have been using a young “cheap” champagne that he was treating like beer on tap. I don’t remember the movie well wnough though.)
I’m pretty sure that Fletch was making a visual joke – pouring into the “big glass.” Then again, I’ve never seen the movie (and have no immediate plans to do so).
Oh, wait! I misread the OP and thought he tipped a glass into the bucket rather than the bottle.
In that case, it must’ve been some kind of joke. Sniffs_Markers has a Silver Service card (from working in the restaurant of a five star hotel) and she says she’s never heard of such a thing and it’s definitely not something that ever came up in her training.
She said it’s either a cultural symbollic gesture of some kind, or he had a fly in his wine.
(Actually, I could hear her rolling her eyes at me over the phone when I asked.)
Could it be and outdated wine ritual?
I think I recall a movie from the 40s James Cagney??? (Old brain, full of holes)
Chevey Chase seems facinated with the old movie styles, so maybe he was imitating.
doing a google on “pouring champagne” hi found a site stating “pooring the champagne over the bow to appease the water gods” on newly built boats. Typically if you have some new or exciting news you drink champagne…maybe the tradition carried over to “land” as a sign of good luck.
Just WAGin’ here…but i bet i am right.
Squid I think you’re referring to the Christening of a boat. Generally they smash a bottle of champagne on the hull and then cut a big ribbon. It’s a very common tradition and you see it on the news, in movies, on the pier…
You are correctly referring to the origins of that custom, however I can not fathom anyone doing this on land. It would be kind of silly.
Though I vaguley recall someone Christening their car that way once as a joke.
I’ll try asking our 75-year-old. If there is such a custom from the days of yore (like the 1920s-40s), he’d undoubtedly know about it. He’s a wealth of weird information that way.
What is silly(er)…pouring a few drops into a bucket or smashing a whole bottle into the sea. I am saying if Christening a boat is giving it good luck maybe one might Christen “a moment”.
Nope. Not a joke.
I’ve seen this done in a couple of movies, Fletch is just the only title I can think of at this time. I’m sure I’ve seen it in a James Bond flick.
Everytime I’ve seen it done it’s almost like it’s a traditional thing to do.
I’ve seen it done on an afternoon soap opera too.
They pour 2 glasses, then pour a little out of the bottle into the bucket.
Rent Fletch and watch him do it. Maybe it will spur some memories. Maybe you’ll remember seeing this before in other movies.He does it in the middle of the flick when he’s at the club with Mrs. Stanwyke and he charges it to the Underhills.
Sniffs_Markers just mused “I wonder if it’s a movie quirk” (there are silly “rituals” that one does onstage and in film that have nothing to do it real life.)
I’m going to look into that…
Squid BTW I apologise if my above post seemed snarky. I don’t necessarily think you’re wrong – I agree it sounds like it’s come from some superstition – I just think that it’s goofy if it came from boat Christenings.
I’m vaguely aware that some people think “it’s bad luck if the cork doesn’t hit the ceiling” although for the true conoisseur, popping a cork and firing it up in the air crass.
I asked our James Bond-like 75-yr-old, he’s never heard of the custom and was mortified that anyone would waste the plonk.
So I gave up and asked a film historian. With the Toronto and Montreal film festivals in full swing, it may take awhile to get an answer, but dammit, I’m obsessing now!
Well having been a wine expert for going on 4 years, I´ve never heard of the practice. You only get 5 glasses to a bottle and not a drop should be wasted. Gosh I´m soooo thirsty now after reading all this!
Any answer yet?