| Many people around the world will be tilting a glass | | | | bottle. |
| of bubbling champagne, as we countdown the end | | | | Actually, champagne is formulated no differently |
| of the audits. As the 2010s is welcomed, many | | | | than any other wine. Harvested grapes are |
| toasts will happen with a bottle of sparkling wine, | | | | pressed before the initial fermentation. The acidic |
| such as champagne or prosecco. | | | | yield is blended and bottled with yeast and sugar, |
| Champagne, prosecco, asti, or whatever you call | | | | to create a secondary fermentation within the |
| the sparkling beverage in your glass, is raised to | | | | bottle. It is this second fermentation that creates |
| celebrate the moment as we embark on a | | | | the bubbles through carbonation. |
| journey into a new year (December 1st / January | | | | Once the yeast has performed its magic on the |
| 1st). | | | | sugar, the yeast dies and becomes lees. The |
| Champagne is not only a beverage, but a region in | | | | bottles are stored horizontally to allow the wine to |
| France where some of the best sparkling wine is | | | | "age on lees" for a minimum of 15 months. Then |
| produced. According to the Treaty of Madrid, a | | | | the winemaker turns the bottles upside down so |
| bottle of sparkling should not be labeled | | | | the lees settle to the bottom. |
| 'champagne' unless it originates from that region. | | | | Less Expensive Champagne: At this point, when |
| Most sparkling wines are a combination of grapes | | | | the dead yeast has congregated on the bottom, |
| over several vintages (crops within a specific | | | | the bottles are opened, the lees removed, and a |
| year). High-end champagnes contain grapes | | | | bit of sugar is added. The bottles will be corked. |
| harvested from one single year, such as Dom | | | | High-End Champagne: The lees are not removed, |
| Perignon. | | | | and the bottles are carefully rotated on a |
| Bubbly Terms 101: | | | | schedule so the lees settle in the neck of the |
| Prestige cuvee: This is a proprietary blended wine, | | | | bottle. This process can range over a period of 18 |
| and is usually considered to be the top of a | | | | months to five years. This process produces |
| producer's range. | | | | complexity through the additional contact with the |
| Blanc de noirs: This is a white wine that is | | | | lees. The time required to capture the complexity |
| produced entirely from black grapes (white of | | | | will produce a high-end champagne and a higher |
| blacks). | | | | price tag. |
| Blanc de blancs: This type of wine is made | | | | At this point, it might be of interest that aging and |
| exclusively from Chardonnay grapes (white of | | | | the amount of sugar added to sparkling wine |
| whites). | | | | after the second fermentation dictates the |
| Rose champagne: Commonly referred to as pink | | | | beverages level of sweetness. Some terms you'll |
| champagne, this beverage is derived from soaking | | | | see on bottle labels, and their meaning: |
| black grape skins in the wine, and/or blending small | | | | 1. Brute Natural/Brut Zero: Less than 3 grams of |
| amounts of red wine. | | | | sugar per liter. |
| However, price is most likely one of the driving | | | | 2. Extra Brut: Less than 6 grams of sugar. |
| factors people consider when choosing with | | | | 3. Brut: Less than 15 grams of sugar. |
| champagne to serve at a New Year's Eve | | | | 4. Extra Sec/Extra Dry: 12 to 20 grams of sugar. |
| celebration. But, if you're not familiar with sparkling | | | | 5. Sec: 17 to 35 grams of sugar. |
| wines, choosing which champagne to purchase can | | | | 6. Demi-sec: 33 to 50 grams of sugar. |
| be an intimidating task. As you stroll along the | | | | 7. Doux: More than 50 grams of sugar. |
| shelves in liquor stores and some grocery chains, | | | | Some people think pink champagne is sweet, but |
| the offerings seem endless. Often, people, | | | | they would be wrong. If you're looking for a |
| unfamiliar with sparkling wines, end up choosing a | | | | sweet champagne, look for the term "doux" on |
| champagne that is packaged in an attractive | | | | the label. |