As much of the world prepares to celebrate the holidays, champagne is definitively the fizz of choice. No other wine is so associated with joy and festivity; it makes the young into sages and the old young again.
We should all be thankful to Dom Pérignon, who is not, however, the inventor of champagne, as is often thought. Pérignon was a Benedictine monk who was cellar master at the Abby of Hautvillers, about 100 miles east of Paris, from 1668 and 1715. Among his duties was wine-making.
Champagne's bubbles are a natural process arising from the Champagne region's cold climate and short growing season. These conditions don't leave enough time for the yeasts on the grape skins to convert the sugar in the juice into alcohol. With the coming of the warmer temperatures of spring, fermentation is again underway, but this time in the bottle. The resultant carbon-dioxide is trapped, thereby creating the bubbles. Pérignon's real achievement was his ability to get clear white wine from black grapes, and his mastery of the art of blending different grapes from different areas together to obtain a superior product.
The sweetness of champagne can be read on the label, ranging from the rare brut zéro, with less than 0.6 percent of residual sugar per liter, to the dessert-style doux, with a minimum of 5 percent residual sugar per liter. Don't be misled by seeing the word "sec." Though it is French for dry, it really means slightly sweet for bubbly.
The world's finest sparkling wine is created from chardonnay (a white grape) and pinot noir and meunier (both black grapes). A sparkling wine from anywhere else, including other parts of France, no matter how good it tastes, is simply not champagne.
Méthod Champenois means that the sparkling wine, if not champagne, is produced using the same methods. Great options here are Ca' del Bosco from Franciacorta, Italy; Mumm from Napa, California; Domaine Chandon from Napa; and Piper from Sonoma, California.
A champagne house is a negociant-manipulant, denoted as "NM" on labels. It makes and sells champagne using its own vineyards, buying extra grapes from small growers. There are over 9,000 brands of champagne marketed by 2,500 houses, growers and cooperatives, and the biggest is Moët & Chandon.
Occasionally you will find blanc de noirs. These are made entirely from black grapes but look like white wine. They are fuller wines than those with chardonnay in the blend. More often, you will encounter a blanc de blanc. This wine is made exclusively from the chardonnay grape and is the most delicate of champagnes. As only a quarter of champagne is planted with chardonnay grapes, it is generally a more expensive option.
Prosecco is a much more modest sparkling wine from Italy, with fruity characteristics and less yeasty elements. It's great for Bellinis and Mimosas.
If you're looking for something easy, sweet and inexpensive, try an Asti Spumante or Lambrusco. They also go well with desserts. Spain offers Cava, bottle-fermented sparkling wine. The best-known brand is Frexinet.
Champagne should be served in flutes or tulip-shaped glasses, designed to enhance the flow of bubbles to the crown and concentrate the aromas. Never chill or ice the glass, as it takes away from the enjoyment of the wine's perlage or sparkling. Incidentally, more bubbles will form in crystal since its surface texture is rougher than ordinary glass.
Champagne should be served at about 43 to 48 degrees F. It should never be placed in the freezer.
When opening, only remove enough of the foil to be able to loosen or remove the twisted-wire hood. Always keep a finger or thumb over the cork since it might pop out by itself. Turn the bottle but not the cork, keeping a firm grasp on it.
Champagne Cocktail
1 sugar cube soaked in Angostura bitters (2 dashes)
1/2 oz Grand Marnier
1/2 oz Hennessy VSOP
Brut Champagne
Place the sugar cube at the bottom of a champagne glass. Pour the Grand Marnier and Hennessy. Fill with chilled champagne. Garnish with an orange twist and fresh raspberry.
Francesco Lafranconi, a master mixologist, is a beverage specialist for Southern Wine and Spirits of Nevada and the director of the Academy of Spirits & Fine Service.