Do you know Champagne?

Today's posting is about "Champagne."

Everyone seems to be familiar with the words "Champagne," but what exactly does champagne mean? Does it mean sparkling wine? Or, something more? Also, many people think champagne is not an everyday wine but rather a drink for special occasions - but is it true? May I enjoy champagne with a humble dinner? Why is champagne served in a flute? Can I serve it in another wine glass?

Here are some questions and answers on champagne you may find interesting.


Can I call any sparkling wine 'CHAMPAGNE'?

If the wine you are drinking has "intentional bubbles," it is a sparkling wine – if there are signs of bubbles in wines that are not meant to be sparkling wines, the wine is faulty. In many occasions, I find people calling all the sparkling wines 'champagne.' Champagne is actually a name of a region in north-east of France. For a sparkling wine to qualify as champagne, the wine should be made with grapes grown with specific rules and at specific areas in Champagne. Also, the wine maker has to follow certain steps and process to make champagne.

As you see in the map, there are several regions in Europe which are designated to produce sparkling wines. And of course, every region has its own name. Cava is excellent Spainish sparkling wines - Penedes (#2 in the map) is the area where most Cava comes from. Also, Italy produces many different type of Spumante or Frizzante (two words Italians call sparkling wines, depending on how sparkly the wine is) - such as Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Franciacorta. If you find a sparkling wine in German speaking countries, like Germany and Austria, you call it 'Sekt' (pronounced as zekt). There are several regions in France which also produce fine sparkling wines besides Champagne, and these wines are called 'Crémant'.

Some of the mentioned sparkling wines are made in the same way as champagne, which is called the champagne method (méthode champenoise), or traditional method (méthode traditionelle) – Cava, Crémant and Fransciacorta are among them . Making sparkling wines in traditional method requires more time and effort than other methods, and traditional methods creates and brings out the beautiful, brioche-like yeasty flavor.


Is the CHAMPAGNE a pre-dinner drink?

Many of you probably start your former dinner with a bottle of champagne, and then forget about it during the meal. However, champagne is really a food-friendly drink. Its medium to high acidity and effervescent character suits just about any food. From fish to chicken... and especially complex spicy dish like Indian food - you will find champagne pairs very well. Well, maybe you can save your fatty steak for your bold red wine. :)


Drink CHAMPAGNE with dessert or chocolate?

A rule of thumb in dessert and wine pairing is that the wine should be sweeter than food. If not, the sweet flavor from dessert will make the wine taste very acidic and tart.

Champagne can be categorized by its sugar level. Among them, 'demi-sec' can be a good match with some dessert since it contains about 1-2 tsp of sugar per 5oz wine. However, the majority of champagne you drink is probably 'brut,' which contains only a half tsp of sugar per 5oz of wine. It is not a good idea pair it with sweet dessert. Please remember that brut champagne is better with chicken than chocolate.


CHAMPAGNE should always be served icy cold in a flute?

The proper temperature to serve regular champagne is around 45ºF (7ºC). If you are serving a vintage champagne or high quality champagne, it should be served at even higher temperature, around 50ºF (10ºC) to enjoy the complex fragrance and flavor.

The same principle applies when you choose proper glassware for champagne. In most cases, champagne can be served in champagne flute (flûte à champagne), which is designed with narrow opening on top of the glass to minimize the surface exposure to keep the bubbles in the liquid longer. However, due to limited surface exposure, it can be very hard to enjoy the complex fragrance for certain complex champagnes. So when you order an extraordinary bottle of champagne, sommelier might (or should) serve the champagne in a wide, open wine glass like a burgundy glass.


I hope now you understand CHAMPAGNE better, and ready to enjoy CHAMPAGNE more!