The combination that ensures a Champagne bottle remains sealed under pressure is best described as:

• A. Cork only
• B. Muselet only
• C. Cork plus muselet
• D. Bottle cap plus plastic seal

Answer: (C)

Champagne is a sparkling wine kept under significant internal pressure from dissolved CO2, so the bottle must stay sealed despite that force. The cork provides the actual seal by swelling and wedging into the neck to block gas from escaping. But pressure also tries to push the cork out, so a wire cage—the muselet—holds the cork firmly in place. Without the cork, the wine would leak or go flat, and without the muselet, the cork could be expelled during handling. The combination of cork and muselet is what both seals and restrains the cork under pressure, keeping the bottle closed. Crown caps or plastic seals aren’t used in traditional Champagne bottles for this purpose.