The Wine Observer
A refreshing break from the routine.
Champagne: The Spirit of Celebration
By Paul Karpecki, OD
For centuries, champagne has been synonymous with celebration and special occasions. Even the famous monk Dom Perignon was quoted as saying, “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” at the moment when he discovered champagne (although the oldest record of sparkling wine occurred in Limoux over a century earlier). It simply has that effect on people — the effervescence and crisp, fresh character combine to create an ephemeral experience. So it is natural for us to feature champagne and sparkling wines for this month that encompasses the holidays!
What Makes it Sparkle
There are various ways to make wine “sparkle.” Injecting carbon dioxide, as with soft drinks, creates a cheaper wine characterized by large bubbles. The Chamat process uses secondary fermentation in large tanks, and then bottles the wine under pressure. But the ideal process is the Methode Champenoise (called “the traditional method” outside of Champagne, France).
In this method, sparkling wines use a double fermentation process to create the carbonation. The original or primary fermentation is similar to what still wines undergo: grapes are pressed and the juice is placed in large steel containers where they ferment.
For a sparkling wine, a second fermentation takes place in the bottle. This is induced by adding a few grams of yeast; most champagne houses, for example, have their own secret formulation or type of yeasts, and some add rock sugar to each bottle.
The law in France requires a minimum 1.5 years of fermentation in the bottle. During this time, a person (known as a riddler) would have the laborious task of turning each bottle a fraction of a turn every day so that the lees (residual yeasts and other particulates) settle into the neck of the wine bottle. Finally, to remove the yeasts, known as disgorging (invented by Madame Clicquot 1816), the neck of the bottle is frozen and the cap is then removed. At this point, wine and typically a small amount of sugar is added to top up the wine (known as dosage) and it is then immediately corked to maintain the carbon dioxide and create this wonderful sparkling wine.
The Grapes. The three types of grapes that can go into champagne are pinot noir, chardonnay and a lesser known grape, pinot meunier. If you see the words “blanc de blanc” on a label, it means the grapes used are 100% chardonnay. “Blanc de noir” would mean pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes, or a mix of the two. But most sparkling wines are a mix of white and red grapes, which are typically harvested much earlier than for still wines because there is higher acidity and lower sugar content at that stage of maturation.
Vintage Champagne and Cuvees. Not every year in Champagne yields a vintage champagne. The season must be just right or many top champagne houses won't release a vintage because it requires 85% of the grapes to come from that vintage year. Otherwise, a non-vintage champagne, which uses multiple years' grapes, will be produced. “Cuvee” denotes a proprietary blend of the producer's top champagne.
Recommendations. Notable examples include Cristal from Louis Roederer, Dom Perignon from Moet & Chandon or Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill from Pol Roger. Of course, these wines can be quite pricey.
Other sparkling wines that are more value priced and make good aperitifs include Prosecco from Italy or Cava from Spain. If you are able to obtain one, a Cremant de Alsace, Cremant de Loire or Cremant de Bourgogne (sparkling wine from Burgundy, France) is often excellent and better priced. Some top sparkling wines from the Sonoma region include Gloria Ferrer, Schramsberg, Domaine Carneros, J. Vineyards and Roederer Estate.
| Champagne vs. Sparkling Wines |
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| Champagne is a sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are champagne. They can only be called that if the wine is indeed from the Champagne region of France. In fact, these wines have many names, depending on their country or region of origin. A sparkling wine from Alsace would be called Cremant de Alsace, one from Italy is typically called Prosecco, and from Spain it is called Cava. But if from California, it would simply be called “sparkling wine.” |
Words to Live By
Although we think of champagne as a wine to enjoy when we're celebrating, I believe Lilly Bollinger (of the winery that bears her family's name) said it best: “I drink champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Some times I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it — unless I'm thirsty.” OM
| Paul M. Karpecki, OD, practices at Koffler Vision Group in Lexington, KY, in cornea services and ocular surface disease research. He has trained through the Court of Master Sommeliers. |
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