The Party's Never Over As Long As There's Champagne!

As I write this, Thanksgiving memories are still warm, but by the time you read this New Year’s Day will be in the rear-view mirror. But the timing of this article should serve as a reminder that Champagne is not solely for festive occasions, but also to make ordinary occasions festive.

Champagne, like most French wines, is named for a place not a grape, and the process by which it’s made is the Champagne method (in Champagne), or the méthode traditionelle – that is, the “traditional method,” everywhere else. The French are very touchy about this, so we refer to domestic versions as traditional method sparkling wines…or just sparkling wine (from this point forward).

Sparkling wine, whether here or in France, is produced from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier [in fact, some of the best domestic producers are actually American “branches” of French Champagne houses: Domaine Chandon (Moët & Chandon); Domaine Carneros (Taittinger); Roederer Estate (Louis Roederer); and, Mumm Napa (G. H. Mumm)]. I know, I know, Pinot Noir and Meunier are red grapes, but the juice of both is actually straw yellow in color, the red coming from contact with the skins.

Sparkling wine is either vintage or non-vintage. Vintage wines are produced exclusively from grapes of the year shown on the bottle (so there is vintage wine only in the best years). Non-vintage wines are produced from wines of up to 15 or more vintages although, most often, wines of 3 – 5 vintages.  

Sparkling wines come in a wide variety based on sweetness levels and grape composition. The scale from Dry to Sweet is Extra Brut, Brut (the most widely produced), Extra Dry, Dry, Demi-Sec and Doux. These terms can be misleading. The first two will come across as very dry. Extra Dry will usually hint at sweetness; Dry will show obvious sweetness, while Demi-Sec (translated as “semi-dry”) will be sweet, and Doux…well…we are talking really sweet.

The typical sparkling wine is predominantly Pinot Noir (+/- 70%), with smaller amounts of Chardonnay (+/- 30%) and Pinot Meunier (the balance, if any). If the sparkling wine is produced from all red wine grapes (the two Pinots), it is labeled Blanc de Noirs – or “white of darks.” It is straw yellow in color. If, on the other hand, it is made of all Chardonnay, it is referred to as Blanc de Blancs or white of whites. So then, if a Blanc de Noirs is a “white” wine of red grapes, what is a sparkling Rosé? Most often, it is a sparkling wine to which still Pinot Noir has been added. Generally, Blanc de Noirs will be a little richer than the typical blend, the Blanc de Blancs will be lighter and airier, and the Rosé richer and fruitier.

Sparkling wines are produced differently than still wines. After the initial fermentation, the selected wines are blended. Sugar and yeast are added to the blended wines, which are then bottled, capped and placed in a cool cellar, where the wine undergoes a second fermentation (this step of the process is called “tirage”). This fermentation goes on for several months and stops when all of the yeast cells have died. At this point the wine is aged for a minimum of 15 months, but usually for 3 or more years, with the best ones aged 5 or more years.  

When the aging process is complete, the bottles are stored upside down at a 75⁰ angle, and turned 1/8th of a turn each day until all of the dead yeast cells have gathered in the neck of the bottle (this is referred to as “riddling”). The necks of the bottles are then frozen resulting in frozen plug of wine and dead yeast cells. At this point the cap is removed and the frozen “plug” is ejected by the carbon dioxide build-up in the bottle, leaving just the clear sparkling wine (this process is referred to as “disgorging”).

The final step is “dosage,” where still wine is added to the bottle, to top it off after it’s been disgorged. After dosage, the bottle is corked, wired, and on its way to you for your enjoyment. And…remember…it pairs with everything and every occasion. We can all always use a little (more) “festive!”