Bubbles have been a natural occurrence in wine since wine was discovered. Of course, the ancient people thought it was an act of the gods or from the phases of the moon. In the beginning it was just light bubbles, but things started getting interesting when we began using glass bottles to contain wine in the 1600's.
In colder regions fermentation wouldn't be completed by the time they had to bring the wine to the cellars. The yeasts would go dormant because of the low temperature. If they bottled the wine instead of barreling it for the winter, in the spring yeasts would wake back up again and start fermenting again. The carbon dioxide that they create had no place to escape from the bottles, and it would carbonate the wine. France's Limoux region was the first place to fully embrace this fault and purposefully bottle their non-so-fully-fermented wine in cold cellars during the winter, all so they could have bubbly wine. This is called the methode ancestral.
(This article was written for GrapeBunch, our weekly wine periodical. Click here to read the original!)
(This article was written for GrapeBunch, our weekly wine periodical. Click here to read the original!)
But it was the monks in Champagne, France that created methode champenoise, AKA the traditional method. This is when you ferment the wine to completion, bottle it, then add sugar and yeast to create the second fermentation that carbonates the wine. A method called "riddling" is used to get that extra yeast out, which was actually invented by Champagne's own Veuve Clicquot. You can watch the process in this video.
Champagne is the king of sparkling wine, despite the entry level being much more expensive than the other sparkling options. They're still on top because of their terroir, their history, and also because they've always been marketing geniuses. In the Victorian era they would literally put pictures of grand weddings and parties on their labels to become attractive to wealthy celebrations. And you've seen how classy those ads are in modern times.
Being so far north and its continental climate so unforgiving to grapevines, this place probably wouldn't be able to grow those grapes if it wasn't for its chalk soil. It absorbs solar heat and release it back onto the vines, warming them. Chalk is also alkaline, resulting in more acidity in the grapes, and you need acidity in your base wine to make a good final sparkling wine.
There are seven grape varieties allowed to be used in Champagne but the ones of significance are the red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and the white grape Chardonnay. The reds don't see contact with their skin after pressing so the resulting wine is white. Pinot Noir supplies complexity, Pinot Meunier supplies weight, and they both provide berry flavors. Chardonnay is more likely to be damaged by frost but it's more important for aging than the other two. In young champagne it brings apple and tart citrus, and with age it transforms into almond and butterscotch.
Being the face of bubbles for so long, the term "Champagne" has been used for years by folks as just a term for sparkling wine overall. But it's becoming more and more known by your average consumer that "for it to be Champagne it has to come from Champagne, France". This is mostly true. In order to be sold in the EU market, a few American brands are grandfathered in to using that term as long as they specify where it's from before claiming to be Champagne. For example, Korbel says California Champagne on its labels. You may see an American sparkling wine labeled Champagne that has no interest in being sold in the EU.
Champagne truly is a wonderful thing, and not just for celebrations. There's nothing like opening up a really good one and smelling that breadiness that comes from the yeast used in methode champenoise.
Here is one of my new favorites...
GOSSET GRAND RESERVE BRUT
"A fragrant nose with plenty of bright red florals on offer. Rose-like, musky and perfumed, this has a wealth of freshness and very subtle biscuit-like complexity. The palate's assertive and fully formed, really expands as it moves, delivering bright red berry and ripe peach and nectarine flavors. There's a little spicy twist through the finish." - James Suckling, 92 PTS
This article was written for The GrapeBunch Wine Periodical.
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Joey Casco
Beverage Marketer
Certified Specialist of Wine
Certified Specialist of Spirits
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