Last week’s column addressed some history about sparkling wines in general and Champagne in particular. This week I’ll finish with a little more about sparkling wines and how to choose and serve them.
True Champagne may only be made of some combination of the following six grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier, pinot blanc, arbane and petit meslier. The first three are by far the most common. And just like still wines, a Champagne made from chardonnay is going to taste quite different from one that is made from pinot noir. I’ve written before about the fact that wine’s color typically comes from contact with the skin during fermentation. Sparkling wine is usually not in contact with the skin for very long and this is why the darkest Champagne you’ll find is pink in color.
You may have noticed that generally, sparkling wine bottles are heavier than regular wine bottles and they also nearly always have a “punt,” which is the hollow part in the bottom where you stick your fingers to make sure you don’t drop the bottle while opening or serving it.
As we approach the New Year or other holidays and celebrations, we turn to Champagne or other sparkling wines. But why? What is it about little bubbles in our wine that enthralls? We’re in good company. Winston Churchill loved the stuff and famously said in 1918 to his men during World War I: “Remember gentlemen, it’s not just France we are fighting for, it’s Champagne.”
