Proper glassware is to drinking wine as proper cutlery is to enjoying a nice meal. Wine glasses are not just inordinate aesthetics, they serve very demonstrable functions that both enhance and enable the experience. In the following blog we’re going to look at some of the key differences between the different types of glasses which should accompany different types of wines.

Now, one thing that you should remember is that you don’t have to go out and spend a bunch of money on different glassware for each style of drink. You will most likely notice a difference if you do—that is the point—but the overarching method here is distinguishing between, fundamentally, whites and reds. So the recommendation is to good yourself a good set of glasses for reds and whites; the majority of the wines you drink will be represented by these glasses. From there you can add to your collection of convex glass.

Traditionally a wine glass is usually comprised of a base, a stem, and a bowl. Recently (2004), however, the Riedel Glass Company came out with a trendy stem-less glassware that has taken the market by storm, and is still very popular today. Critics have challenged this style, addressing the fact that holding the bowl directly with your hands warms the wine too fast, and leaves finger marks.

Needless to say, the style you choose is your personal choice, and, Riedel glass, other than those two criticisms, still preserves the experience nicely. If you so choose, have both types in your home! They are not mutually exclusive (to most enthusiasts.)

All right, let’s look at some different styles of glasses.

Red Wine Glasses

There are many different types of red wine glasses available on the market. One of the main things to note is the lower part of the glass; the bowl is usually wider to allow more air to interact with the wine. As we’ve discussed, oxidation is an important element with red wines—a lot of reds are full-bodied, and rich in tannins, so air helps to bring out the flavors.

Another point regarding red wine glasses is that they narrow as they get closer to the lip of the glass. This is to allow for the capture of the aromas coming from the wine.

The two most common types of red wine glasses you will find are a Bordeaux and a Burgundy Glass. Let’s take a look shall we?

Bordeaux Glass:

Is a tall glass with a spacious bowl, which is designed for more fuller-bodied wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah.

Burgunday Glass

Has a wider bowl than a Bordeaux glass and is used for lighter reds such as Pinot Noir. This particular design is concerned with taste; the glass is shorter, so the flavors hit the front of the mouth, enhancing the experience. These wines are light in flavor, so the design really brings that out.

White Wine Glasses:

White wine glasses are a bit more concerned with temperature, and are more of a “U” shape, which allows the wine to maintain its chilled state.

If you want to get adventurous, you can purchase two types of white wine glasses, one for lighter white wines, and another for fuller whites. Light white wine glasses would be shorter and have a wider mouth to allow the wine to hit front of the mouth; conversely, fuller white wine glasses will be more elongated and taller to force the wine to the back of the mouth. Regardless, of whether or not you own both, next time you pop the cork on some white wine you can at least explain the difference to any parties interested.

Dessert Wine Glasses

As we covered in our dessert wine blog post, the glass for a dessert wine should be around half the size of a regular wine glass. The reason for this is because dessert wines are much sweeter, and have more alcohol.

This type of glass will still be narrow and long, so it pushes the wine to the back of your mouth, not to overpower the dessert.

Sparkling Wine/Champagne Glass

Unlike the other glasses, the Champagne wine glass has an established nickname: the flute, and true to the form of the instrument, a sparkling wine glass is really narrow and long so that the wine doesn’t lose the sparkle.

One thing to note when washing wine glasses is to use hot water and very little soap. Even the smallest amount of soap residue can and usually does alter the taste of wine significantly.

If you’re perhaps thinking of purchasing some new glassware, the aforementioned Riedel, as well as Spiegelau and Ravenscoft are (arguably) the most well-known glass companies when it comes to wine glasses.

Armed with this new knowledge you will expand and enhance your wine experience. No more flavorful red aromas sneaking past your nose, and no more Pinots cramped up in some small [word] abode. You will be delivering full-developed tastes to the right part of your pallet, and inhaling the full extent of the rich scents available. Happy tasting!

(Moderate here means one glass for a female and two glasses for a male. Males can consume slightly more alcohol because males retain more body water than women, so the concentration of alcohol in a women’s blood stream is generally higher.)

Health Benefits

There have been many studies around the world that have demonstrated the health benefits of wine in moderate consumption. These benefits include heart health, reduction in memory loss, strengthening of the immune system and in some cases even preventing against bone loss. For the most part these claims are attributed to red wine.

Red wine contains an antioxidant called reservatrol, which is mostly found in the skin and seeds. Red wine stays in contact with the skin and seeds for an extended amount of time, and this primes red wine with this component. White wines do contain some reservatrol, but if you want to really experience the health benefits, one should stick to a full bodied red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Petit Syrah.

Let’s look closely at some of the specific health benefits.

Healthy Heart — Antioxidants in red wine work to reduce the bad cholesterol and increase the good cholesterol. It does this by flushing out the bad cholesterol from your arteries; furthermore, antioxidants reduce blood clotting, which means you get double-action cardiovascular protection.

Brain Health — Resevratrol in red wine can be a key player in protecting the brain from stroke. It can also help with the formation of nerve cells and reduce plaque, which experts believe could help with neurological diseases with as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, or Parkinson’s.

Prevention Against Cancers — Researchers have also seen some benefits from wine consumption with regards to some types of cancers such as stomach, colon, and ovarian.

Diabetes — Some studies have shown that resevatrol can work to lower blood sugar levels, and also effects insulin levels as well.

Healthier Weight — Did you know that people who consume one glass a day have a lower body mass than people who indulge occasionally? It’s true. If one is going to indulge, it might as well be a relatively low-fat drink instead of, say, a Big Mac.

Wine and Dieting

If you’re more concerned about keeping your heart healthy by watching your weight you be interested in knowing how many calories are present in a glass of wine. After all, most diets explicitly prohibit alcohol due to the sheer number of calories usually present in most alcoholic drinks, most especially mixed cocktails and beer. However, if you’re reading this blog you’re probably of the persuasion that a nice glass of wine is something that should be enjoyed every once and a while. So why set yourself up to fail? Instead of feeling guilty about a glass of white or red, why not just incorporate it into your diet? Anything in moderation, and we’re going to go over the specifics on how to moderate those hidden calories.

There are approximately 25 calories per ounce of red wine; with the standard glass of red wine being 5 ounces, each full glass has approximately 125 calories per glass.

We’re focusing on red wine here because if you’re dieting, that is generally what is recommended. Red wine contains fewer calories than white wine, and this is because whites generally retain more sugar during the fermentation process, and therefore contain more calories.

Some “trendy” diets refer to a glass of wine as being 4 ounces—this is more what you would expect ordering a glass of wine at a restaurant. It is a strict pour, and as a wine enthusiast you may be more accustomed to something in the 5–6 ounce range. If you’re trying to tighten the belt on your caloric intake, one way to indulge in that extra ounce or two while still keeping the weight off is to simply cut out some the accompanying sweets from your diet. After all, if you’re enjoying a nice Pinot do you really need to add any more flavors into the arrangement?

While on the point of sweets, it’s important to note that different wines obviously vary in terms of how much alcohol is present. It’s important to keep in mind that the higher the alcohol content, the higher the calories are going to be. So while dessert wines are usually consumed in a smaller serving, the amount of calories consumed is going to be around the same as a full glass.

If you’re somewhat partial to beer and are curious as to which is healthier, the answer is wine. Wine has fewer calories than a regular beer, and on average less preservatives.

Well, hopefully you’re feeling a little bit better about your applying the wonders of wine to your health. Stay tuned for our next blog on

How does it work?

The diet encourages exercise, eating lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts, olive oil instead of butter, herbs and spices instead of salt, eating red meat sparingly, eating fish and chicken regularly, and, last but not least, drinking red wine in moderation. The Mediterranean diet suggests 5 ounces for women, and 10 ounces for men; that is approximately one healthy-sized serving for a woman, and two for a man. Men are able to drink more because women retain less water than men, so the concentration of blood alcohol is higher.

It is now commonly accepted that moderate consumption of red wine is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. If you want, check out our blog post on Healthy Reasons to Drink Wine for more information.

It is important to talk to your doctor before trying out any new diet, but if you are interested in the Mediterranean diet there is lots of information available online.

The Sonoma Diet

The Sonoma is what is otherwise known as the Mediterranean diet, but through a Californian style approach.

Just like the Old World, a glass of wine daily is actually encouraged in the Sonoma diet, which seeks to focus on ingredients like phytochemicals, micronutrients, and antioxidants as the basis for healthy eating. The menu consists of plant-based foods, nuts, fruits, vegetables, olive oils, whole grains, fish and poultry, and limiting your red meat intake. The diet takes place over the course of 3 “waves,” or stages.

If either of these two diets appeals to you, try one, or some combination of the two out for a week and see if you don’t feel better all-around. Experiment with what works and get healthy and happy. The beauty of both these diets is that they seek to lower your carbon footprint so you can feel good about your health knowing that you’re keeping the earth in good health as well.

Some basic guidelines to follow when pairing chocolate with wine are seen below. Like all the guidelines offered on this site, feel free to venture beyond them if you palate prefers different taste profiles, but the following three suggestions can be taken as a rule(s) of thumb:

1. The wine should be sweet, or sweeter than the chocolate you are serving.
2. The body wine and richness should match body and the richness of the chocolate.
3. Try to match the flavors of the wine with the flavors of the chocolate.

Chocolate and Wine Pairing

White Chocolate — Contains cocoa butter, but no other cocoa products. In order to actually qualify as “white chocolate” it must contain a minimum of 20% cocoa butter, 14% milk solids, and a maximum of 55% sugar. Since white chocolate is so light, the wine must be as well. White chocolate pairs the best with Champagne/Sparkling wine and Muscat with a hint of orange or sherry flavors.

Milk Chocolate – Contains cocoa butter, chocolate liquor and either has condensed milk or dry milk solids. In order to be classified as milk chocolate it must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor, 3.39% butterfat, and 12% milk solids. Milk chocolate is sweet, and light in color. The best wine pairings are Tawny Port, Pinot Noir, a light body Merlot, Riesling, and Champagne/Sparkling.

Dark Chocolate — Contains chocolate liquor, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin. It does not contain any milk solids and it comes in a variety of different styles, sweet, semi-sweet, bittersweet or unsweetened. A bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, shout-at-you California Zinfandel or even a tannin-highlighting Cabernet Sauvignon. The darker the chocolate the more tannins it will display.

Sweet Dark Chocolate —Is the sweetest dark chocolate, and contains usually about 30% to 50% cocoa. The best wines to pair with sweet and semi-sweet wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Bordeaux blend, (Some of the grapes in Red Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere), and Ruby Port. There are many other wines from other regions that would work with this pairing.

Semi-sweet Dark Chocolate — Is very similar to sweet dark chocolate, but it contains more cocoa, 40% to 60%. Just like with sweet dark chocolate the best pairings are Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Bordeaux blends, and fuller bodied Merlot and Ruby Port. Again, buy a wine that works for you and try to match that wine with the weight of the chocolate.

Bitter-sweet Dark Chocolate — Is less sweet and can contain 60% to 90% cocoa. The higher the percentage usually the less sweet it is. The best pairings for a bitter-sweet chocolate is richer wine like a Red Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Syrah or Grenache.

So with the above in mind, if you’re looking to really wow your lady this year with your expansive knowledge of varietals and cocoa, then try something along these lines

Make it a Taste Date

Set your date up with a taste selection of 3 different wines and chocolates, preferably white, milk, and dark, and then match those up with three different wines that you both enjoy that pair with the richness of the chocolate. Start with the lightest chocolate, having her take a sip of the wine followed by allowing her to melt the chocolate in her mouth, followed by a another sip of the wine. Proceed through the chocolates, infusing the rich, velvet cocoa with the complex flavors of the wine. The result of these two components is a taste greater than the sum of its parts—kind of like your relationship, right? By the time you’re finished enjoying these wonderful treats you should be well on your way to a pleasant valentines evening.

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

Like Hamlet, some wine enthusiasts consider decanting wine to be a tragedy of the Shakespearean order; however, others say it’s great, as it helps to bring out the flavors of the wine. In this blog post will go over the benefits and drawbacks of decanting.

What is Decanting?

Let’s start with the basics. Decanting is simply the process of transferring the wine from the bottle to another bottle, craft, or jug.

“OK, but why?”

There are two main functions for decanting. It is sometime used to remove sediment from old aged wines, but primarily it is to allow the wine to breathe.

Decanting was originally discovered in Ancient Roman times when the Romans used decanters to serve their wine from barrels. The preference was glass, but after the fall of the Roman Empire, when glass was no longer available, they switched to alternatives materials like bronze, silver, and gold.

Removing Sediment

Wines that are older than 5 years might form some sediment; in other words, the remains after the wine have fermented. In most occasions wineries will filter this out before bottling; however, some makers believe that filtering takes away from the flavors of the wine as it ages. So in that sense, decanting helps to separate the developed tastes from the unneeded physical catalyst, so that when it’s served it is smoother, and less bitter.

Aeration

The primary purpose here is to allow and help the flavors to open up. So it’s fairly common to decant younger wines that are also full-bodied. You can decant older wines, and it does help them to open up, but be careful not to leave the wines too long as the structure might collapse. Most experts will tell you not to decant an aged wine for longer than 2 hours.

How Do You Decant Wine?

It’s really pretty straightforward: you open the wine up, and pour it into the decanter. Use your judgment and the preferences of your guests as a guide, but simply allow it to sit until it has reachedthe desired state. Older wines require much less time before their flavor profile begins to break down completely. For any wine with sediment, you will need to ensure that you remove the sediment at some point in this process. There are multiple ways to achieve that, including allowing the sediment to simply gather at the bottom or neck of the wine bottle, but the easiest way is to just use a filter. If you choose to do a free-pour be sure to be in a well-lit area such that you can see the sediment, and when to stop pouring.

Can You Decant White Wines?

I get this question a lot—the answer is yes. Really, you can decant anything that you want.

My advice for pursuing this avenue for whites, however, is to be somewhat careful with how long you leave it exposed to air. White wines will lose their structure quite quickly, so while it’s fine to decant a rich Chardonnay to soften some of the bold flavors, one should be somewhat careful about light whites like Sauvignon Blanc.

What is the Best Wine Decanter?

Choosing a good decanter is much like choosing glassware. There are many options for shape, sizes, finish, etc. Crystal is arguably the best option out there, as it is more breathable than most materials. That said, you do not need to spend a lot on a decanter, as almost every type will serve its purpose.

When it comes to cleaning, if you find that you cannot get the red stains out, try some ice and salt, and this should remove them quickly.

That’s about it for decanters. Hopefully this knowledge will help your enjoy your next wine experience a little more. Perhaps you have one already, and this will be the reason you break it out from its hibernation. Or maybe you’ll pick one up, allowing you to open up a flavor profile in one of your favorite reds you never knew it had the potential for!

In China, they have a saying, “A thousand cups of wine is not too much when the bosom of friends meets together.” In other words, wine brings people together, and a close friendship means happiness. Just like many other places in the world, the Chinese use wine to celebrate many different occasions.

There are fifty-six different nationalities within China, and nearly all of these have their own distinct customs and traditions with regards to the consuming of spirits.

Festive Moments in Chinese Culture

For example, in Mongolia residents will give three cups of wine to a guest, and will go on singing about wine until the guest finishes their wine.

A popular time to drink wine in China is, of course, that time that day that we find ourselves on today, the Chinese New Year! It is a time for familiars to get together and have some social drinks. Another big celebration is Double Ninth Festival, or recently more colloquially called “Senior Citizens Day.” However instead of drinking table wine they drink and traditional wine called Chrysanthemum wine, which is done to prevent disasters and pray for blessings. During this, the children will toast their parents as a way of saying “Thank You” for carrying for them when young.

Another Chinese celebration that uses wine is the celebration to mark the 100th day following a birth, as wine is seen as a gift of longevity, as well as a transfer of love and well-wishes. For this reason younger person will bring wine and join the elderly for a drink.

The Chinese Etiquette

1. The Guest’s Glass should always be full of wine.
2. Older and important people should be served first.
3. A toast represents esteem and is seen as impolite if you don’t participate.
4. A toast is represents esteem and is seen as impolite if you don’t’ participate.
5. If you don’t drink you must find someone else to drink for you.

Stay tuned. The next blog is Year of the Dragon: 2012 – Traditional Foods for New Years and some wines to accompany.

The Rise of Chinese Wine

When you think of Chinese wine, think of Chilean or Argentinean wine ten or fifteen years ago. China’s wine production and quality of wine is growing at an enormous speed, probably even faster than South America was over ten years ago. In 2007, wine writer Tom Cannavan expected Chinese wine production to grow seven times faster than the rest of the globe. In 2008, wine merchant Berry Brothers and Rudd predicted that within 50 years the quality of Chinese wine will rival that of Bordeaux.

The big reason for this enormous growth in Chinese wine is because of their growing economy, and the (consequent) fact that wealthy businessman see the potential for wine production in China. With expert old world winemakers leading the charge with their expertise, China is poised to make a serious statement towards the industry.

There are around 400 wineries in China starting to the produce locally grown wines. Of these wineries, there are a few who have gone on to gain some notable recognition globally.

In this blog we’re going to take a look at some of these tastes.

The Big Five: Chinese Wine Distributors

1. Changyu Pioneer Winery

This is the oldest vineyard in China, established in 1892. In 2007 it was ranked the 10th largest winery in the world, and it is the first Chinese vineyard to make the global top ten wineries list.

They produce a variety of different styles of wine: ice wine, sparkling wine, red and white table wines, and even brandy. They are most well known in North America for Cabernet Sauvignon, which is similar to Bordeaux style of Cabernet Sauvignon: a wine with a medium body with dark cherries.

2. Dynasty Winery

This vineyard has been in operation since 1980 and was formed through a partnership with the Tiangjin City Grape Garden and the well-known Remy Martin (producers of fine Cognac.) Just like Changyu Winery they produce ice wine, red and white table wines, sparkling wine and brandy. They tend to use high quality Muscat and Riesling graes to give their whites a more refreshing fruit taste. Their dry red wines have a rich Cabernet Sauvignon flavor and are by far their bestselling wine.

3. Dragon Seal

Somewhat similar to the Dynasty Winery, Dragon Seal is a result of the experience of French wine making. Dragon Seal has had many milestones including producing the first sparkling wine and creating the first regional wine—a dynasty in its own right, and if the luck of the dragon is on their side, we may see better things from them this, the year of the dragon. In any case, they have developed a large following in Chine for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, the latter of which has a nice balance between fruit and oak.

Dragon Seal had had a lot of success with their wines in China, and are slowing breaking into the North American market. The two wines you may have come across are the Dragon Seal Chardonnay and Dradon Seal Hualilai Reserve. The latter is a regionally grown wine.

4. Jia Bei Lan

Like the mythical dragon, this winery is somewhat mysterious. Information regarding Jia Bei Lan is hard to come by, but what we do know is intriguing to say the least. Just recently four wines from this region took part in a blind French Bordeaux tasting and took home top honors. We’re not talking premium Bordeaux like Chateau Lafite, but we’re still dealing with some good French Bordeaux. So hats off to Jia Bei Lan. If you’re wondering, the award-winning blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Gernisch, which is similar to Cabernet Franc—these grapes are handpicked and aged in French oak.

5. Dragon’s Hallow Winery

Dragon’s Hallow is the first winery to produce high quality wine in China, and that is because unlike other wine producers in China, Dragon’s Hallow had set out to be an international brand rather than a local brand. Their winery and vineyards are located on the same parallel as Bordeaux and The Napa Valley, as well as their winemaker from New Zealand. They produce a variety of wine including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Riesling; the latter two of these wines has received a fair degree of success in North America. The Merlot has hints of spice and has similar characteristics to a nice Italian Chianti, and the Riesling has a nice buttery, honey flavor.

Next Chinese New Year…

You may see even more Chinese wine than this year. It is a trend which is definitely growing, and soon enough we’ll begin to see more examples of great wine emerging from the orient onto the world scene.

Stay tuned for our next blog about Chinese culture and wine!

Now, onto the different types of sparkling wine found not only in France, but around the world.

Vintage Champagne

In the Champagne region the wines are separated into the non-vintage and Vintage classifications. The non-vintage Champagnes are considered entry-level, whereas the vintage Champagnes are considered to be the premium sparkling wine from that particular house. The most common grapes used for Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The Champagne Houses can use the three grape varieties in a number of combinations, but in most cases you will only usually get Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the Vintage Champagnes.

The following is a quick list of some of the more common Champagnes that you would expect to find in the French valley.

• Blanc de Blancs – Champagne made from all white grapes
• Blanc de Noirs – White Champagne made from black grapes
• Brut – Is a dry Champagne and is most common Champagne on the market
• Demi-Sec – Is a sweeter style of Champagne
• Extra Dry – Actually slightly misleading as these Champagne styles taste kind of sweeter.
• Rose – They will leave the skins in contact with white juice during the first fermentation to create the color.

At this point you may be wondering the following: “So, what about the other regions in France? Do they produce sparkling wine as well?” The answer is a resounding yes! The legacy and terrior of Champagne overshadows other notable regions like Alsace, Burgundy, Loire and Limoux.

Here is a quick sample of some of the sparkling wines found outside of the Champagne region:

• Cremant d’Alsace – made from Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. You will also see some styles made with Riesling and Chardonnay. These sparkling wines are made in traditional method, just like Champagnes.
• Cremant de Bourgogne– Is a white or a rose sparkling wine from Burgundy that is usually made with mostly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and sometimes some Gamay Noir.
• Cremant de Limoux – Is a white sparkling wine made from Mauzac, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Majority of the blending for this sparkling is Mauzac and Chardonnay.
• Cremants of the Loire – These sparkling wines come from three different regions in the Loire Valley; Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. Chenin Blanc is primary grape used in these Sparkling wines, but you will also see some common grapes from Loire used in the blends. They are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.

It wouldn’t be a comprehensive list of sparkling wine without taking a quick trip outside of France to explore a couple other countries who make sparkling wine extremely well. We’ll do that now.

Spanish Sparkling Wines

Spain is the second largest producer of traditional method sparkling wine and it known as Cava. Most Cava is dry with a little acidity, but this can change based on the grapes that are being used. In recent years more and more producers of Cava are using Chardonnay because of its fruit and acidity.

Cava is available in a variety of different styles, and they are broken down here according to their sugar/sweetness levels: Extra Brut – 0 – 6 grams per litre; Brut – 0 – 15 grams per litre; Extra Seco – 12 – 20 grams per liter; Seco – 17 – 35 grams per liter; Semi-Seco – 33 – 50 grams per liter; Dulce – 50+ grams per liter.

Italian Sparkling Wines

Italians have been making sparkling as long or longer then the Champagne region. Italy calls its sparkling wines Spumante, which means “foaming”. Most the Italian sparkling wine comes from Northern part of Italy: Piedmont, Veneto, and Lombardy.

There are three different styles of sparkling wine from Italy that all use the tank method:

• Prosecco – Is considered a summer sipper and often dry. That, however, is changing and you now see some dry styles on the market. Prosecco is also very commonly used to make Bellini’s, a popular fruit cocktail in Spain.
• Asti – Asti is made from the Muscat grape and comes from Piedmont area of Italy. It is a light, white sparkling wine that is off dry and has lots of good acidity—this makes it good for food pairing. My favorite pairing for this sparkling wine is a waffle breakfast with whip cream and strawberries.
• Moscato d’Asti – Is similar to Asti, but has less muse (bubbles) and is lighter in alcohol.

Sparkling Wines From The New World

There are many New World countries making sparkling wine including North America, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and many more. In terms of the method of production, most of these countries are using traditional or transfer methods. As in France, the most common grape varieties being used are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; however, mostly in Australia there is a newer trends with sparkling reds made from Shiraz. (Trust me, they are delicious.)

So with New Years on our doorstep, and family and friends gathered, it’s time to start the celebrating. Pop a bottle and let those corks fly.  That concludes our three-part series on Sparkling Wines and Champagne. Thanks for reading!

More Wine Information To Come:

Be sure to stay tuned for our upcoming blogs:
1. A lesson on sabering Champagne.
2. Wine Glassware
3. Decanters and Aerators
4. Corkscrews

With regards to the approaches used today for making sparkling wine, there are three methods: the traditional, transfer, and tank methods. In this blog we’ll take a quick look at each method and explore the differences between the three.

Traditional:

• The first step is to create a variety of still wines with high acidity, moderate alcohol, and some crispness. This is what is known as first fermentation. Some of the more common grapes used for making sparkling wine would be Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.
• After the initial still stage, it’s up to the winemaker to create the style they are going for by blending different varietals. The combinations are endless, but a couple styles that represent the polarities would be a “Blanc de blanc” (sparkling wine made from all grapes) and “Blanc de noirs” (made from all black grapes.)
• At this stage the wine maker will add a wine cocktail of sugar, yeast, and a clarifying agent into the empty wine bottle. Then they add the wine blend to the bottle which starts the second fermentation. This is what inspires the presence of the muse (bubbles.)
• The bottles will then be stored horizontally in order to allow the sediment to fall to the base of the bottle. Eventually the bottles are rotated in a 45 degree angle forcing the sediment to the neck of the bottle. This process can take anywhere from 16 months to more than 10 years depending on the quality of sparkling wine.
• Once the sediment is in the neck of the bottle then they will freeze the neck of the bottle in order to capture all of it. Since the bottle has a lot of pressure in it, once they open it the frozen sediment will shoot out of the bottle. They will then top up the bottle, cork it, and ship off to stores.

Transfer Method:

• The transfer method is exactly the same as the Traditional method except they don’t try to capture the sediment in the bottle; instead they put all the sparkling wine in a pressurized tank and transfer it to new bottles.
• This method is a cheaper process and usually found in more affordable sparkling wines.
• The muse (bubbles) is usually not as elegant and fine as the Traditional method.

The Tank Method:

• This is the most common way most sparkling wines are made in the world.
• In this process the second fermentation takes place in a tank versus a bottle.
• The sparkling wine is filtered under pressure before going into bottles.
• Larger producers of sparkling wines use this method as it’s more affordable for mass production.
• Usually find this type of method is used for fruitier styles of sparkling wine such as Italian Prosecco.

All three methods produce good quality sparkling wine. The differences come down to the subtleties surrounding the bottling process which in turn affect the minute differences in taste. Like Dom, experiment with a few different techniques to see which one works the best for your palate.

Next Blog…

On that note we’re going to move onto the third blog in this blog series, 3. Champagne in France; Sparkling Wine Around The World, in which we will explore the different styles in which you can expect to see Champagne on the racks of a cellar, wine store, vineyard, or amidst the flying confetti of a New Years celebration, be in Champagne, an other area of France, or anywhere else in the world.

…Bubbly. Champers. Fizz. Champanky. Carbonated wine has many different names, but inevitably shows up at any party indicating the same thing: celebration. It is the definitional drink to ring in some form of good news or cheer. Sparkling wine is highly carbonated and full of a fun, rich history. When you hear that loud ‘pop’ and a bulbous wine cork goes flying across the room on Year Years, chances are it came from a bottle of sparkling wine.

However, what does one mean when they say ‘sparkling’ wine? Put simply, sparkling wine is wine that has undergone a second fermentation which gives it carbonation. If you get your hands on the bottle and it happens to say “Champagne” on the side then you know you are enjoying one of the best, and definitely the most well known sparkling wines in the world.

Champagne actually refers to an area in France that has exported this premium sparkling wine since the Seventeenth Century. The wine in question is only Champagne if it comes from that region of France–that region, and only that region. Why? In the early 1900’s, before World War I, winemakers from outside of the region were dragging the Champagne vines through the consumerist mud by selling low-quality wines under the Champagne name. These wines reflected relatively little (if any) of the distinctive tastes and flavors found within the Champagne valley. Consequentially laws were enacted to preserve the name and quality of the wines grown in the Champagne region. Wines not grown in Champagne are classified as “Sparkling Wines”, or other territorial equivalents like “Spumante” (Italy), “Cava” (Spain), or “Sekt” (Germany). In correctly labeling a wine not produced within the Champagne region faces penalty of prosecution from the French government.

This is not to say some wines, although not classified as Champagne, are not themselves of a premium quality. A good example of a non-French sparkling wine would be the wines produced by the Louis Roderer family estates: they produce Cristal Champagne in France, but also other premium sparkling wines in their estates located in California.

Sparkling wines like Champagne have enjoyed a rich, interesting tradition. Let’s first take a look at where, exactly, sparkling wines such as Champagne originated.

The Origin of Champagne

The short answer is that no one really knows for sure. The earliest records indicate that the Romans were growing wines in this region as early as 79 AD. (In fact, the caves that they dug in order to access limestone for building were later turned into some of the first wine cellars!) The generally accepted theory is that sparkling wine was, through an ongoing process of trial and error, invented first by Frère Jean Oudart (1654 – 1742) and then later perfected by the experiments of Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639 – 1715). Both of these men were Benedictine monks and cellar masters at the respective abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Châlons and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers. (It is also worth noting that Dom Perignon is also responsible for the introduction of using cork as a bottle stopper.) Where Frere Jean Oudart played around with simply prolonging the first fermentation to achieve the effects of a second fermentation, Dom experimented with the latter. In fact, he originally added sugar in an attempt to reduce the carbonation; Dom later realized that by adding sugar he was actually making the bubbles, and soon resigned to embrace this effect rather than try to fight it.

Whoever the actual credit should go to, Dom Pérignon definitely takes them in the opinion of most people. To point, the Moët and Chandon house bought the rights to use the name of Dom Pérignon and well, as you see from the success of the Dom Perignon Brand, the rest is marketing history.

In the following centuries Champagne went on to enjoy great success, indulged in by Russian Czars, Kings and Queens. Napoleon, the famed war general, loved to celebrate so much it is rumored that he only went one battle without stocking up on some more of his tactical bubbly.

More To Come…

Alright, now that we know the basic history behind Champagne, in the next blog in the series, 2. How To Make Champagne, we’ll be looking at how sparkling-wine-making has evolved since the trial-and-error days of Seventeenth Century monks to a the highly specialized art form we all celebrate (with) today.