It was just that time of year again, and I’m sure many of you are as glad as I am that the holidays are all over. Sure, we all love that holiday feeling, the crackling fires and heart-warming shows of good will toward men. Not to mention, the shopping until your feet are screaming almost as loudly as the children of the woman in line behind you! Oh wait! Were those your children? My apologies!!
After all that, we had to get through New Years too, with the ever-looming pressure to have something to say when the 400th person you know asks you what your plans are for the “Big Night”. Goodness, it’s a wonder anyone has the energy to do it all again in a year. So with the holiday season safely behind us, I’d like to ask you to look back for just a moment… at the measly traditional role that sparkling wine plays in all this. Unfortunately, other than weddings, New Years is one of the only times many people “indulge” in this all too neglected delicacy. Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that not all wines, even the bubbly kind, are a delicacy, but let’s not be too hasty with our sparkling wines!
As I’m sure all you experienced Winefans know, the only “champagne” that is true must come from the Champagne region in France. Any other “champagne” is a sparkling wine. In France, where all wine regions and productions are strictly monitored, there is no exception to this policy. In the United States, however, where wine has been produced for less than a century, you may see “champagne” on more than a few locally produced bottles. There is nothing wrong with drinking “California Champagne”, just don’t serve it to anyone French you may know!
The method that the French developed for making champagne is called the “methode champenoise”. Supposedly, the Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, who is reported to have likened drinking champagne to drinking the stars, developed this method. There’s not only controversy over whether he actually said this, but also as to whether or not he was really the inventor of “methode champenoise” at all. I’m quite sure everyone in the room at the time was tipsy, so we’ll never really know! Those bubbles do go right to your head!
We do know, however, how this method works today. First, sugar and yeast are added to the wine after the normal 2-3 week fermentation period has ended. The wine is then re-bottled and fermented for another 2-3 years. After this second fermentation period, the yeast and sediment are removed from the bottle by sticking the bottle’s neck into a machine to freeze it. The cap is then broken off, the frozen icky parts are removed and a “dose” of clean wine added to fill the bottle! Voila! While the method remains much the same, every country has their own spin on sparkling wine, using different grapes depending on the region and desired effect, as with any wine.
Sparkling wine can be an excellent complement to almost any meal, adding a festive air to an everyday occurrence. While folks do tend to order champagne with brunch, it is often overlooked at other times of the day. Why not try champagne with a special desert? Dishes with sweetened berries would be lovely with a sparkling wine and it could also cut the richness of a decadent chocolate experience as well. The French serve a wonderful cocktail (Kir Royale), which places a dash of crème de cassis, in a flute of champagne. This not only sweetens the champagne but adds a nice splash of color as well. Many cocktail books list several champagne based cocktails, a fun way to add carbonation to your bar repertoire!
While the “tradition” of saving sparkling wine for special occasions should be quickly overturned in favor of popping the cork weekly, some sparkling wine traditions are better left in place. Serving sparkling wine in a fluted glass is really best, as it not only shows off the delightful bubbles to their full effect, but also exposes less of the wine to the air, preserving the bubbles a bit longer. Please don’t forget though, the more bubbly the bubbly, the more dizzy the drinker as carbon dioxide assists in digestion and the alcohol content hits your head all the quicker. So try to keep the toes on the ground while you’re drinking the stars!!