Champagne Traditions
Champagne is a sparkling wine that gets its name from its region of origin in France, about a 90-minute drive northeast of Paris. Production involves a secondary fermentation within each individual bottle and the fine long-lasting bubbles produced are trapped within the bottle. The yeast responsible for all this sparkle is removed by a labour-intensive system.
While most champagnes are blends of grapes harvested in more than one year or in different vintages, in a top year, some are bottled as a single vintage. There have been some great vintages in the past two decades: 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990 and, most recently, 1996, which is considered a vintage of the century.
Most champagnes are a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes. Generally, the more Pinot Noir in a blend, the fuller the wine. Blanc de blancs is made from pure Chardonnay grapes, tending to a crisper tasting style with elegant finesse.
Each champagne house has its own style. Some aim for a bigger fuller flavor by barrel fermenting in new oak, using oak-aged reserve wines and so forth. Others go for more austerity and dry refinement.
In other regions of France, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Austria and elsewhere, the best sparkling wines are made by the traditional method similar to that of Champagne. However, most often the grape varieties used are local ones and not the same as in Champagne.
Less-expensive bubblies use a charmat, or closed-vat method of production. In this case, the natural carbon dioxide that is created during fermentation is prevented from dissipating; the wine is held in a sealed tank and bottled under pressure. These sparklers are a good alternative especially when price is important.
Serve It Right
- Always chill sparkling wine before opening. Avoid shaking or moving the bottle as much as possible to prevent pressure buildup.
- To chill the wine quickly, put it in a bucket with equal parts ice and cold water.
- Always point the bottle away from you when you open it. Grasp the top of the cork and slowly twist the bottle. The pressure within the bottle should start to push the cork up once you start twisting. Hold onto the cork and when its end reaches the top of the bottle, tilt the cork to allow gas pressure to escape out of one side. A slow release of pressure will prevent the wine from gushing out. It should sigh, not pop, when opened.
- Wrap the bottle with a cloth napkin when pouring so water doesn't drip on the table.
- Serve in flute glasses to best admire and retain bubbles.
Recommended Sparkling Wines
- Bollinger Special Cuvée, $46
- Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Reserve Particulière, $37
- Domaine Chandon Brut, $25
- Sandro Bottega Vino dei Poeti Prosecco, $12
- Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, 1997, $11
- Seaview Brut 1998, $11
- Château des Charmes Sec, $17
- Sumac Ridge Blanc de Noirs, 1996, $23
- My Personal All-Time Favorite: Martini Rossi, $12