Sparkling wine is often seen as the first choice for big celebrations like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, but the truth is you shouldn't wait for a big day to pop up a bottle of champagne and enjoy the wine bubbles. Although the first association for sparkling wine is France, nowadays you can find excellent choices from America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. So, if you want to be more prepared when going shopping for a bottle of sparkly wine, and want to be sure that you will choose a great flavour from a great region, here are some useful things to learn.
History of Champagne
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One of France's oldest and best wine regions, Champagne (even though not too large in size) became popular in the 17th century precisely because of the sparkling wine. Most Champagne wines are zesty, slightly tinged white wine, primarily made from Pinot Noir. So where do the bubbles originate from?There are a few theories, but the most popular and most likely one is that during the cold winters of the 18th century, fermentation wouldn't complete entirely and sugar was left in the wine before it was bottled. The wine would have fermented in spring, leaving carbon dioxide trapped in the bottle.To this day, Champagne is made the same way. The climate in this region in France usually prolongs the process of making. Also, the chambers where the wine is placed are usually restricted, which may lead to a fewer bottles which directly affects the final price (along with the type of the grape used for making of this wine).
Types of Champagne
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Just like regular wine, champagne varies from dry to sweet. What's bette? There is no right answer, as the choice depends on personal taste. When choosing your Champagne you will probably see "brut" on the label. No worries, it just means the wine contains less than 15 grams of sugar per litre.You may find other common terms such as extra brut, which is a bit drier than brut. Brut zéro is the driest, extra dry is between sweet and dry and sec or demi-sec is sweet and semi-sweet respectively. The sweetest ones have 50 or more grams per litre of residual sugar which equals over 2 teaspoons of sugar per glass.
Style
There are three primary grapes used to make Champagne - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. There are also four much rarer grapes of Champagne 0 Arbane, Pinot Blanc, Petite Meslier, and Fromenteau (also known as Pinot Gris). The way these grapes are used will determine the style of the Champagne - Standard, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé. If none of these names is written on the label, then the manufacturer might have created a wine bubble bland of all three grapes in a white (blanc) style.
Blanc de Blanc
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White of whites or "Blanc de Blancs" is the style of Champagne made entirely with white grapes. In Champagne, it refers that this wine is 100% Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs typically has a more apple-like and lemon-like flavour. There are exceptions to this rule with a few rare grape types (Pinot Blanc, Petite Meslier, and Arbane).
Blanc de Noirs
White of blacks is a blanc style Champagne made entirely with black grapes. In Champagne, it refers to a combination of only Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Noirs has more strawberry and white raspberry flavours.
Rosé
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The pink or Rosé is made by blending blanc Champagne with a little bit of red Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier wine. The red wine made for Champagne is quite different from Pinot Noir and its purpose is to deliver pure fruit flavours like strawberry and raspberry. These sparkling wines are tart, with high acidity and low tannin. It's not necessary to use too much red wine to make Rosé, so most producers use 10% or less Pinot Noir for their rosé Champagne.
Aging
There are vintage and non-vintage Champagne wines. When Champagne is aged on "tirage" it gives a more toasty and nutty aroma. Quality producers are known to age their wines on "tirage" for about 5-7 years before release. Tirage time is usually not listed, but if the bottle has a "vintage" label, it's a good enough indicator. Non-vintage is aged for at least 15 months and has a fruitier and less bready flavours.
How to Serve Champagne
There are two simple things to do so you can fully enjoy the bubbly wine. The first is to be sure that the bottle is properly chilled. You should place it in the fridge for at least one hour before serving. The second thing you need to do is have suitable flute glasses. The right shape of the glass will preserve the aromas and the bubbles for as long as possible.Ideally, Champagne should be consumed on its own, even though there are many cocktails that include this wine. Some people like adding some fresh or frozen fruit to their glass of champagne such as strawberries or raspberries. It's all up to your taste and preferences.
