The Grape Vine: Break Out the Bubbly
By Jessica Gualano - Post Date: 10.01.2011
Many wine lovers still treat sparkling wine as something reserved only for special occasions. Truth be told, there has never been a better time to drink bubbly. We are privileged to have access to myriad styles from around the world at a wide range of price points that are fitting for everyday enjoyment.
No discussion of sparkling wine should begin without the mention of Champagne, France, the birthplace of bubbly. Champagne is a small region about 90 miles northeast of Paris that has been making sparkling wine since Roman times. All the rest, as its defenders would say, is just sparkling wine. The long and complex process by which the bubbles are born involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle. This, among other reasons (finite area, climate challenges, etc.) is why Champagnes are usually out of wine lovers’ everyday budgets and reserved for important celebrations. But I’ve got a few suggestions for enjoying bubbly everyday.
If you want to stay with French wines, Crémants are French sparklers made outside of Champagne but still using the “méthode Champenoise.” The best values from Burgundy and the Loire Valley are called Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Loire, respectively. Depending on the grapes used, they can range in style from dry to sweet, just as in Champagne.
Cava is essentially Spain’s version of Champagne. To put the words Cava on the label of a bottle of Spanish sparkling wine, it must be made by the traditional Champagne method. Although many producers are now using chardonnay in their blends (as is the French way), the best ones are made using the grapes that grow indigenously to the region: xarel-lo, macabeo and parellada. Cavas are enormous values and found easily in most shops.
On to Italy, Prosecco is another great example of affordable, everyday bubbly. Prosecco is both the grape and the place name, which is located in the Veneto region of the country. Today, most are dry though still more fruity and soft than Cavas. This is in part because of a different process of secondary fermentation called the Charmat method. The bubbles still happen naturally, but in pressurized tanks before being bottled.
Perhaps you’d like to pop some bubbly with dessert? Or maybe you just prefer a sweet touch to your wine? The best choices come from the Piemonte region of Italy and are made from grapes named moscato and brachetto. Those labeled Moscato d’Asti are lightly sweet and delicate and are less effervescent than a full-blown sparkling wine. Brachetto is a renowned red grape producing a full- bodied sparkler that smells of roses and crushed strawberries. It is an absolute perfect pairing with all things chocolate.
Four Quick Tips for Serving Sparkling Wines
- Serve your bubbles cold. The colder the bottle, the less likely it is to spew its frothy mousse and carbonation is retained longer.
- Turn the bottle, not the cork when opening a bottle of bubbly.
- Use a flute, as it allows you to observe the bubbles. Quality sparkling wine will have a speedy, continuous stream of tiny bubbles racing to the top.
- When serving, first pour a few inches of bubbly into each flute, wait for the bubbles to subside, and then pour the rest of the glasses without overflow.
Jessica Gualano, CSW is a wine educator and owner of The Wine Studio of Asheville (winestudioasheville.com), a wine retail and education center with a focus on sustainably-produced wines. She can be reached with questions and comments at jessica@winestudioasheville.com.
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