DavidoffChampagne"Come quickly, I am tasting stars," Dom Perignon’s famous quote after his first taste of Champagne, and a fairly apt description of what a good Champagne experience should offer. Champagne is by far the most celebrated of all sparkling wines. A sparkling wine that is called champagne must be made only from grapes of the Champagne region in France to deserve this name. As the saying goes, "Champagne isn't Champagne unless it's made in Champagne." Not only that, but French law dictates that all sparkling wines made in that particular area must be made by a special process called the "Méthode Champenoise". Champagne is typically derived from a blend of grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. They are usually blended from several vintages, with vintage-dated wines made primarily only in the finest years. Champagnes are categorized as Extra Brut, Brut, Extra dry, Sec and Demi-sec depending on their sugar levels. An extra brut Champagne will be very dry, while a demi-sec is the sweeter option, with brut (dry), extra dry and sec lying somewhere in the middle with an off-dry to semi-sweet offering. Start by making sure your sparkling wine is chilled to the right temperature by either putting it in the fridge for at least an hour and a half, or chilling it in a bucket with ice for about 30 minutes. Never put your wine in the freezer. The goal is to ease the cork out slowly, without a pop, which connoisseurs consider gauche, and is also less likely to break a window across the room. Slowly twist the base in half turns until the cork is fully released from the neck of the bottle. You might hear a small "whoosh" on the final twist, and then you're ready to pour! Flutes are the glasses in which sparkling wine is best served. They reduce the surface area of the wine, limiting its contact with the air and potential loss of bubbles. Always hold a flute by its stem, so that your hands don't accidentally warm the wine. Once opened, Champagne may be stored for a few days in the refrigerator with the help of a handy Champagne stopper, which helps to keep the wine from oxidizing too rapidly. As for long-term storage, Champagnes may be cellared horizontally like other wines, but do not necessarily benefit from additional aging. |