Making Wine Sparkle

Ever since wine first got its sparkle in the 17th century, the trend has been to sip a glass of bubbly only on special occasions.  Despite requests from producers that Champagne and sparkling wine compliment all meals and occasions, consumers still prefer to uncork a bottle of sparkling wine only to celebrate a birth, graduation or wedding. 

So, this is my annual plea to enjoy sparkling wine with the family meal, whenever friends and family gather around the table, or just any time.  And to better inform the next time you lift a glass of bubbly, here is a quick guide to sparkling wine.  

Sparkling wine made by the Champagne method is usually referred to as méthode traditionnelle, méthode classique or traditional method. To simplify things, "sparkling wine" will be used here, except where it is appropriate to identify the wine as "Champagne."

Pinot Noir

Sparkling Wine from the Vineyard 

"Great wine starts in the vineyard" is a time-worn cliche.  While the adage is true, there is a  more meaningful one: "While you can make mediocre wine from great grapes, you cannot make great wine from mediocre grapes." 

Traditionally, the standard grapes for making Champagne and the best sparkling wines are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.  Worldwide, though, bubbly is made from many different varieties, such as Glera, in the wildly popular Prosecco from northern Italy.  

A base wine for making sparkling wine requires healthy high-acid grapes with low levels of varietal flavor, since what is important in a base wine is flawless balance, not varietal character.  And a flaw in the base wine will be magnified later in the wine making process. 

Sparkling Wine in the Cellar

Making a bottle of sparkling wine can involve as many as 300 individual steps.  The number  varies according to the various styles of sparkling wine.  Champagne and those wines made by the traditional method require the most hands-on steps. 

For traditional method fizz, the multi-step process starts with the assemblage, or blending of the grapes and the primary fermentation.  Next is the second fermentation and  development of pin-point bubbles, created by the addition of a dose of sugar and yeast, called  liqueur de tirage. The new sparkling wine ages on the lees as the yeast and other particulates are then riddled, manually or by machine, in a step known as remauge.  Removal of the dead yeast cells happens thru a deft procedure called dégorgement.  The dosage, or liqueur d'expedition, to adjust style, is added, a cork rammed home and held in place by a wire cage, and the bottle dressed with a hood.

Now on to labeling

Alternatives to the traditional method include the transfer method, where following a short period of aging on the lees, the sparkling wine is transferred to a tank, dosage added and the wine is re-bottled.  Charmat is another common way to make wine sparkle.  Following tirage, the wine enters a pressurized tank for the second fermentation, then dosage is added and on to bottling. 

Dosage is the essential step that determines sweetness of Champagne and sparkling wine made by the traditional method.  Dosage comes near the end of the multi-step sparkling wine process.

Sparkling wine is naturally high-acid, and without some residual sweetness, it is bone dry.  So dry, in fact, that the acidity is raw and unpleasant.  To get a handle on the range of dry to sweet,  these are dosage levels for Champagne, in percent of residual sugar: brut nature, zero dosage; extra brut, .6%; brut, .6 - 1.2%; extra dry, 1.2 - 1.7; sec, 1.7 - 3.2; demi-sec, 3.2 - 5; doux, 5% and up.  

Dosage designations on sparkling wines may vary and except for brut and extra dry, the other styles of Champagne and sparkling wine made by the traditional method, are rarely seen in the U.S. market.

Styles of sparkling wine include Non-Vintage, Vintage, Blanc de Blancs (only white grapes), Blanc de Noirs (only red grapes), Rosé, Cremant (Cremant d'Alsace), Non-Dosage (Extra Brut), Prestige Cuvee (top of the line and most expensive).  Not all styles are made by every sparkling wine maker. 

Sparkling Wine on the Table 

When planning a sparkling wine to have with food, first decide if you prefer a lighter brut or one of the  fuller rosés.  Rosé Champagne, made mainly from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier  are good choices with more deeply flavored dishes, such as grilled white meats and cheese souffle. 

Drier styles like brut nature, extra brut and brut, are best with savory appetizers and lightly salted popcorn.  It may sound like an odd choice, but the lightness of the corn and a light sprinkle of salt are a near perfect match with bubbly.  Popcorn not your nosh?  Try potato chips with sparkling wine.

Sweeter sparkling wines, like extra dry thru doux are better on their own, with a simple pound cake or fresh fruit.  Demi-sec and doux are very sweet and should be enjoyed as dessert rather than with dessert.

Sparkling Wine in the Store

There are hundreds of Champagne houses, including G.H. Mumm, Möet & Chandon and Veuve Cliquot.  Top California traditional method bubbly brands are Schramsberg, Roederer Estate, J and Domaine Carneros.  Argyle is a good choice from Oregon. 

Popular Italian sparkling wines made by the Charmat method include Prosecco,  Asti-Spumante and Lambrusco.  Other Charmat-made wines are German Sekt and economy bubbles from California.

Finally, a sparkling exit with this anecdote about Nicole Barbe Ponsardin, who became famous after the death of her husband, Francois Clicquot.  The widow (veuve in French) took over running the Champagne firm, renaming it Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. La Grande Dame, named for the widow, is Clicquot's Prestige Cuvee.  

Cheers!

Next post: Better with Age

Leave a comment, without signing in to Google, at boydvino707@gmail.com