Happy New Year from your friends at AWineBoutique.com.  http://www.awineboutique.com/.

Celebrate safely tonight and any night when there is alcohol involved.  But this blog is not about the usual "make sure you have a designated driver" speech... This is about protecting your eyes from serious injury when you pop your champagne.

According to Dr. Monica of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the number of eye injuries on New Year's Eve is on the increase - because of accidents with the champagne cork!  A flying cork can reach speeds of up to 50mph, which is strong enough to shatter glass (imagine what it could do to your fragile eyes!).

For your safety, follow these steps published from the Academy of Ophthalmology:

Chill champagne to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or colder before opening. The cork of a warm bottle is more likely to pop unexpectedly.

Don't shake the bottle!  Shaking increases the speed that the cork will fly from the bottle!

Be sure to point the bottle at a 45-degree angle away from yourself and any bystanders and hold down the cork with the palm of your hand while removing the wire hood on the bottle.

Place a towel over the entire top of the bottle and grasp the cork.

Twist the bottle while holding the cork at a 45-degree angle to break the seal.