Here we are in December, cruising toward the New Year.
In a few weeks, the calendar year will change. We will
absentmindedly continue to write 2005 on letters and checks until
the fact that another year has passed finally sinks into our
routine.
Here we are in December, cruising toward the New Year.
In a few weeks, the calendar year will change. We will absentmindedly continue to write 2005 on letters and checks until the fact that another year has passed finally sinks into our routine.
Traditions vary, but one custom that has become a favorite with people around the world is to open a bottle of sparkling wine and ring in the New Year with a glass of bubbly.
Notice that I purposefully used the term “sparkling wine” rather than champagne.
We use the word champagne to describe a familiar product, much like we use the term Kleenex to describe facial tissues or Band-Aids to refer to adhesive bandages.
All Kleenex is facial tissue, and all Band-Aids are adhesive bandages. In the same way, all champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne.
In the northern part of France, there is a region called Champagne. As you might have guessed, this is where the style of producing sparkling wine was perfected. Prior to the mid-1600s, there was no champagne as we know it. Much credit has been given to the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Perignon as either being the inventor or the purveyor of the sparkling wines we enjoy today.
Dom Perignon was appointed treasurer at the Abby of Hautvillers.
One of Perignon’s duties was to manage the cellars and wine-making at the Abby. One could almost say that champagne was invented by accident.
The Champagne region has a short growing season and a cold climate. Before modern technology, the yeast had little time to convert the sugars from the juice – which was pressed from the grapes – into alcohol before the cold winter temperatures would put a temporary stop to the fermentation process.
When the wine was bottled, the warmer spring weather would ignite a secondary fermentation. The remaining yeast would finish converting the sugars, but this time it happened in the bottle.
This created carbon dioxide, which became trapped in the bottle. Then, when opened, the sparkle and joy of bubbles is released.
This reminds me of when I used to home-brew beer back in college. In much the same way, I would add some sugar to the fermented beer before bottling.
The residual yeast in the beer would finish converting the newly added sugar in the bottle, creating carbonation.
Nature would always take its course, unless my cheap, party-all-the-time roommates would open the beer prematurely. Then we would be stuck with alcoholic beer that was flat. That never stopped us. Oh, I mean, them.
Dom Perignon was also credited with blending and clarification techniques. He also started using stronger bottles developed by the English and closing them with cork instead of wood. This helped prevent bottles from exploding – quite a dangerous thing at that time.
To be considered a sparkling wine in the Champagne-style, the wine must use one or a combination of the following three grape varieties: pinot meunier, pinot noir and chardonnay.
The wine must also go through the double-fermentation cycle that was mentioned earlier. If the producer of the wine does not adhere to these two rules, then the sparkling wine that is created cannot technically be called champagne.
Champagne essentially is blended wine.
It can vary in color, acidity and sweetness based on how much sugar is added to the secondary fermentation that occurs in the bottle and what grapes are used in the blending.
Do not feel you have to carefully categorize your words when it comes to sparkling wine.
Many great celebrations are christened with champagne, so let’s not lose any romanticism when describing this effervescent elixir.
Next week, we will explore some tips on serving, food pairings and maybe even a few cocktail recipes using champagne.
Cheers!
Determining the Type
Here are the basics of different kinds of champagnes. Hopefully, this will help you distinguish what you are getting just by looking at the label.
Brut: The most popular of all champagnes. The best blends are reserved for the brut category. Very dry, less than 1 percent residual sugar
Extra Dry/Extra Sec: Sweetened to about 2 percent residual sugar, dry.
Sec: Moderately dry, with 2 to 3.5 percent residual sugar.
Demi-Sec: Distinctly sweet, with over 3.5 percent residual sugars.
Blanc de Blancs: This is made exclusively from the white chardonnay grapes. It is usually lighter and more delicate.
Blanc de Noirs: Made exclusively from the red grapes, pinot noir or pinot muenier. This champagne is rare and more robust. If you are wondering how a champagne can have an amber color, but is made from red grapes, the answer is easy. The grapes are pressed gently, just to extract the juice and not the pigments from the grape skins!
Rose: Made from blending the chardonnay with just a hint of the pinot noir. The result is a rose color and an increase in fruitiness.
Bottle of the Week
Emilio Guglielmo Winery, Morgan Hill
www.guglielmowinery.com
Wine: Claret (2002) 80th Anniversary Bottle
Price: $25
Grape:85 percent zinfandel, 15 percent petit syrah
Flavors: Vanilla, cedar, herb
Why: “It’s the best wine I’ve tasted in a long time,” said Larry Spivak, the tasting room manager.
Where: The wine can be purchased at the winery 1480 E. Main St. in Morgan Hill. To reach the tasting room call (408) 779-2145.
