The Champagne stopper

I remember one of the tiny thrills of setting up house in Paris, years ago, was buying a Champagne stopper. Just the idea that we were likely to have Champagne in the house often enough, casually enough, to open bottles and not finish them, was thrilling. It felt as grown up as getting a mortgage. Then, when we had to replace the Champagne stopper, because we'd worn it out from use, I felt I had truly arrived in the world of presumptively casual glamour. And a little like a lush. ..