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Sparkling Wines
Sparkling wines differ from still wines in
their effervescence or presence of bubbles.
These bubbles are caused by the escape of
carbon dioxide gas from the liquid and come
either as a by product of the natural fermentation
of sugars in the juice after bottling or
from the introduction during bottling of
carbon dioxide gas much the same way as any
carbonated soda.
While frequently called champagne regardless
of origin, only sparkling wines produced
in the Champagne region of France are real
Champagne, while the others are Asti (from
Italy), Sekt (from Germany), or sparkling
wine (from California, Spain, or even other
regions of France). While there may be nothing
quite like real Champagne, excellent values
and pleasurable drink come from many areas
around the world.
Sparkling wines may range from sweet to off-dry
to exceedingly crisp. There are two main
varieties, the regular straw yellow color
and pinkish rose.
In France, sparkling wines may be Demi-Sec
(Dry), Sec (Extra Dry), and Brut. Dry often
is not very much so, and the bulk of great
Champagne is Brut. The regular white variety
is made of a mixture of chardonnay, pinot
meunier, and pinot noir grapes fermented
without skins; when in contact with skins,
the dark pinot noir, of great Burgundy fame,
produces a rose. An extremely elegant version,
called Blanc de Blanc, consists only of chardonnay
grapes.
Most sparkling wine is non-vintage and remarkably
consistent from one year to the next because
it is a blend of many individual vintages
and vineyards designed to achieve a certain
style reflective of the producer. Non-vintage
sparkling wines are marketed when they are
ready to drink, and although there is some
difference in opinion with Champagne due
primarily to taste, they do not benefit from
further aging. Vintage Champagne can benefit
from some time in the bottle, and the greatest
of them can age as remarkably, though at
some cost to their sparkle, as any great
still wine.
In general, non-vintage rose
costs more than
the regular non-vintage, vintage
more than
non-vintage, and special bottling
vintage
rose most of all. In the mid-price
range,
differences tend to depend more
on the winemaker’s
style than quality. The cost
of the step
from non-vintage to vintage Champagne
is
enormous and not in any way proportional
to the improved quality of the
drink; it
is not unusual to find non-vintage
Champagne
that is superior to vintage Champagne
at
a quarter or a third of the price
though
the greatest wines tend to command
the greatest
sacrifice to own. Enjoyable sparkling
wines
may be purchased for $12 to $18,
memorable
Champagne beginning at $25, and
extraordinary
experiences at $125 and up. |
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