To pop or not to pop?

When opening a bottle, most of us remove the foil and cage, then ease out the cork hoping for a dramatic pop. But, that’s exactly when the bottle is likely to foam and you’ll lose some of its precious contents. According to the pros, the right way is to slightly loosen the cage but leave it over the cork for good grip, then hold the cork in place with your thumb and use your other hand to turn the bottle until the cork slides out quietly. (If you can do this completely silently, you’re as good as an award-winning sommelier.)

punt

The is a deep indentation that’s handy for accommodating your thumb if you like to pour with one hand (as flamboyant waiters do). But it’s really there to strengthen the structure of the bottle.