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Sips & Snacks in December
- Josie Hough
- Dec 1, 2024
- 4 min read
Wine
Champagne & Sparkling Wine
-The History of Champagne & Sparkling Wine-
Serve at °43- 46°
To clarify, all champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne. Do you know why? The easy and short answer is that sparkling wine can only be called champagne if it comes from the Champagne region in northern France, just outside of Paris. For all products produced even 10 feet outside of the champagne region, it legally must be called “sparkling wine” however in other areas of the world, there are other names and we'll discuss those below.
Champagne
Made in the ‘Champagne’ region approximately 1 hour from Paris. Champagne is made of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. Legally, it can only be made using these three grapes and must be aged for a minimum of 18 months.
Some iconic names associated best-selling champagne include Veuve Clicquot, Dom Perignon, Moet & Chandon, Nicolas Feuillatte, Bollinger, Tattinger, Laurent-Perrier and many more.
Sweetness Level of Champagne
The majority of champagne or sparkling wines are quite dry in nature and the "sweetest" champagnes are dry or demi-sec. This is confusing, right? The majority of bubbles served in the U.S. tend to be Brut and have a nice finish of fruit without being sweet. Prosecco is much lighter and sweeter than traditional French sparkling wines or champagnes.
So Many Glasses - How do you select the best one?
When pouring champagne, choose a tall, bulbous flute glass with a narrow top, shaped like a tulip. It allows your champagne to best showcase all its aromas and fine bubbles. A coupe glass is a great option for a sweeter, sparkling wine, a tulip glass is best for prosecco or rosé. Bottom line, you can drink WHAT makes you happy IN what makes you happy. Cheers!
Sparkling Wine
Three Traits of a Good Sparkling Wine
Fresh: Bright and alive in your mouth, fruity but not necessarily sweet.
Precise: On the tongue, the wine should feel dreamy as the bubbles roll around your mouth. Precision is more about the acid, which is mandatory for good sparkling wines. This will give it a crisp mouth feel.
Sparkling: Small bubbles are a sign of high-quality wine.
Types of Sparkling Wine
Cava: Cava undergoes the same production process as Champagne, but with different grapes. Hailing from the Penedès region of northeast Catalonia, well known brands include Freixenet Sparkling Cordon Negro Brut Cava, Anna de Codorniu, Segura Viudas and Juve y Camps. The varietals utilized can include Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, Chardonnay, Subirat Parent, red Garnacha, Trepat, Monastrell and Pinot Noir.
Prosecco: The wines from the Veneto region of Italy are called Prosecco. These wines have larger bubbles and are produced in large tanks using a method called the Charmat. The best-known brand is La Marca Prosecco, and other brands include Mionetto, Ruffino, Caposaldo and Massotina.
Sekt: The sparkling wines of Austria and Germany are called Sekt. The wines are made using the tank method with fermentation in stainless steel. The grapes may range from Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Elbling, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Sekt brands are not very well known in the U.S., but here are a few options to consider Hild Elbling, Schlossgut Diel, Dr. Loosen “Dr. L” Riesling Sekt, and Peter Lauer.
Crémant: France is known for its "Champagne" in which the fermentation occurs inside each bottle. Crémant is a style of sparkling wine produced in France, but outside of Champagne using the “method champenoise” second fermentation, which gives the bubbles a softer, creamier taste in contrast toChampagne. Depending upon it's region of production, the grape used will vary greatly. It may be chardonnay, pinot noir, chenin blanc, Sémillon, Sauvignon, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Aligoté or Cab Franc grapes . Notable brands in the U.S. include Gerard Bertrand, JCB, Lucien Albrecht, Gratien Meyer and Louis Bouillet.
I'm excited for you to try a fun, bubbly champagne and sparkling wine this month. Both are two different price points but scream CELEBRATE!
Cheers!
This is an incredibly well done explanation of Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine, published by WineCountry.com - Check it out!
Sweet Spot Champagne & Sparkling Wine-
Chandon California Brut Sparkling Wine: $20.99
This California Sparkling wine offers the balance and elegance that has become Chandon's familiar style. The wine delivers complex apple and pear characteristics accented by citrus spice over notes of almond and caramel in the bouquet. This is a great one to keep on hand. There's always something to celebrate.
Special Day Champagne & Sparkling Wine-
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne - $53.99
Coming from the Champagne region in France my favorite old reliable is this Veuve Clicquot Champagne. The aromas of beautiful ripe fruit and light cream are always consistent and familiar. It has a medium body and isn't overly acidic, not to mention the iconic orange label is an indicator of the greatness you're about to enjoy. Cheers!
Food Pairing
If a lovely glass of your favorite champagne or sparkling wine was searching for the perfect mate, here is what should be on that list.
Meats: fried chicken, steak, duck
Seafood: oysters, crab cakes, light fish
Veggies/Fruits: mushrooms, bruschetta, figs
Spices/Herbs: cinnamon, ginger, star anise
Cheeses : brie, camembert, baby swiss
Sauces: light cream, champagne butter sauce,
Dessert: chocolate covered strawberries, tart rhubarb, dark chocolate
Serve my Clam Chowder with your favorite champagne or sparkling wine
on Christmas Eve. It is the perfect marriage of cream, butter and seafood.
Cocktail
Try this classic White Russian -with a twist.
It has a festive kiss of peppermint and is easy to prepare.
Mocktail
Try this classic White Russian -with a twist- without the alcohol.
It has a festive kiss of peppermint and is easy to prepare.
Please drink responsibly. Don't drink and drive.
This information is for people over the age of 21.
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol.
-As Noted by Me-
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