 |
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Sparkling!Ten years ago, we hadn't heard of sparkling wines. They were called Champagne. However, due to agreement with France that French appellation names will not be used on wines from other countries, the name Champagne can only be used on French Champagnes ... made in Champagne. We'll look into this more on another page at another date, but suffice it to say for now that's why the word 'Sparkling' was introduced. This is an interesting style of wine, in that there are several methods used to make those bubbles of carbon dioxide [CO2]that rise to the surface hopefully for the length of time it takes you to drink it. Production of base wines for making this style are pretty much similar to table wines. The difference, and indeed the distinguishing factor for sparkling wines is the source of CO2.
Sparkling Wines -v- ChampagneWhat's the difference? True Champagne ONLY comes from the Champagne region in France. Anywhere else in the world that makes bubbly wine can only call them Sparkling wines, and they can be either red or white. Of all the methods of making sparkling wines, carbonised wines are not only the cheapest, they age fastest, and are generally made from common, multi-purpose grapes varietals. Asti-spumante, the northern italian style sparkling, is aromatic with pungent, rich spicy aromas and is fresh on the palate. Asti-spumante magically retains a fine, delicate structure whilst exhibiting strong flavours. This is not the case with most new world sparklings. German Sekt is made via a little-known about tank-aging process on Sylvaner and Müller-Thurgau grapes. Sparklings come in various styles, depending on level of sweetness:
Viticulture ConsiderationsOnce again we're back in the vineyard to commence our winemaking process. It is said that 50% of the quality of the resulting wine depends on the vineyard. Grapes used for sparklings need to reach flavour ripeness whilst maintaining relatively high acidity and lower sugar levels (less than 11 degrees Baumé). Thus the cooler regions in each country are most suitable for the finest sparkling wines. In Australia, for example, the finest sparklings undoubtedly come from Tasmania - however they are successfully made in other regions. Warmer climates produce fuller-bodied sparklings with broad varietal characters, higher alcohol levels, age quickly, lack delicacy and freshness. So what is it that makes French Champagne so stunning? Well, apart from the prowess of the winemakers, and low solar radiation, it's the 'Continentality Factory'. Continentality refers to the difference between summer's heat and winter's chills. A high continentality factor in Champagne means that vine development takes place slowly during Spring, and ripening happens slowly over Autumn. Grape Varietals used for Sparkling WinesThere's quite a repertoire of grapes going through the sparkling wine processes. Some countries have restrictions on what grapes they can use, and once again Europe is at the forefront of dishing out regulations. France has a selection for each region that makes sparklings, however Champagne itself only uses:
America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Spain have free choice. Click here to see the different methods for sparkling wine production!
|
The Dom himself, Epernay, France
Vineyards @ Epernay, France
 Created: July 2006 Last Updated: 23-Feb-2012 |
 |
