Many believe that French monk Dom Pérignon invented Champagne. After all, a brand does carry his name. However, it was the British that created this highly favorable treat. Confused?

 

The British imported wine from many different countries, including the Champagne region in France. The wine they imported from Champagne wasn’t bubbly but still. The British would add sugar or molasses to the imported wine creating second fermentation. This process created sparkling wine. The first mention of this process in England was in 1662, several decades before the French claim. Dom Pérignon was born in 1639 so that would have made him 23 at the time of the British claim, possible he was the inventor but not likely.

 

On a side note, strong glass bottles were needed to store the Champagne and prevent explosions. This may seem silly today, but in the 1600s it was a concern. In 1615, the English discovered that burning coal produces higher heat which in turn produced stronger glass. Problem solved.

 

As it turns out, Dom Pérignon was a fine winemaker, pruning vines, blending flavors and taking accurate notes of his work. However, other aspects about his life were greatly exaggerated, for example he was not blind. In the 18th century, Champagne gained popularity from celebrities who promoted the beverage and claimed only to drink certain brands. Ah, the birth of marketing.

 

Since sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region can only be labeled as Champagne, other countries designate several terms to describe their sparking wines. For example, Spain uses Cava, Italy designates sparkling wine as spumante and South Africa uses Cap Classique. In Germany, the term Sekt is commonly used. Even in France, the term Champagne cannot be used in other regions. Burgundy and Alsace produce Crémant. The United States is allowed to use the term “champagne” as long as the origin accompanies it, for example, California champagne or New York champagne. A loophole the U.S. discovered because of The Treaty of Versailles was never ratified by Congress. Sparkling wine that is mislabeled is seized and destroyed by legal authorities.

The California wildfires earlier this summer have had an adverse affect on some vineyards. Winemakers report smokey smells eminating from their grapes and juice. The largest problem area seems to be Mendocino County. The ramifications this will have on wine production is unknown. There are various techniques winemakers can use to eliminate some of the smokey smell and taste.

One reason for the uncertainty, research has shown that the compounds that cause smoke taint can bind to the sugar in a grape and these aren’t fully released until fermentation. I’ve included an article from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat discussing the smoke concerns.

While Alice Feiring, recently blogged about tasting smoke tainted batches and reports a, “definite fumatory quality.” She called the taste and smell nice. Read her blog here.

Winery:  Château Laronde Desormes

Wine: Red Bordeaux 2005

Location: Bordeaux Supérieur, France

Purchased: Friar Tuck

Price: 15.99

 

This was an interesting pick for us. We’re trying to drink more Bordeaux style wines in an effort to broaden our palate before a trip to France and Spain next year. I say it was interesting because the method we used for choosing the wine was unconventional. We set a price range at the store, and then looked to see which wine had the emptiest bin. We thought this meant that most people liked this wine. For us, we were half right.

 

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Wine Spectator Free Access

Enjoy free access to winespectator.com until October 1 as they celebrate their 200,000 wine rating. By just entering your e-mail address, guests have full access to the entire site and 20% off a subscription to the magazine for one year. Go ahead and spend a few hours looking up your favorite wines.

 

Champagne Grapes

Imagine my surprise yesterday at the grocery store when I found Champagne grapes. I completed a post just moments earlier about the Champagne region, and knew it was fate. I grabbed a package to try and even the bagger was intrigued by my purchase. My grapes actually hail from California so they’d be sparkling wine grapes, but they still resemble Champagne grapes. Champagne grapes are small, tiny grapes that pack a punch.

 

Harvest in Full Swing

It’s that time of the year; wine country is busy harvesting grapes. I’ve found a few articles that give a rundown on the harvest and expected wine production. “Low-quantity, but high-quality,” was how one article described this year’s harvest. The Zinfandel crop is as low as growers have ever seen, but the intense flavors and colors are striking. Winemakers expect the same for most of the grape varietals.

 

Napa Valley Register

Los Angeles Times

 

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”

            ~Dom Perignon upon making Champagne

Champagne, a sparkling wine, provides the perfect accessory to a celebration or just an evening at home. It is produced exclusively in the Champagne region of France, all other bubbly is labeled as sparkling wine. In order to qualify as sparkling wine within the Champagne region a wine must:

1. Be produced within the Champagne district.
2. Be produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier grapes grown there.
3. Get its bubbles via the méthode champenoise.

Lying just 90 miles Northeast of Paris, Champagne is one of the most well know appellations in France. However, the grapes of this region struggle to reach maturity and are extremely acidic. The factor that makes this region stand out is its sparkling wines. The soil contains deep layers of chalk, and both the soil and climate are similar to Southeast England. Champagne grapes are picked later in the year because the region has a colder, shorter growing season.

 

Champagne production occurs through a method called méthode champenoise. After primary fermentation and bottling, a second fermentation occurs in the bottle. This fermentation is induced by adding grams of yeast and rock sugar to the bottle. Maturation can last from 1.5 years to three years depending on the harvest. At this time, the Champagne bottle is sealed with a crown cap, similar to those used on beer bottles. CO2 is created through the fermentation process and dissolves into the liquid. Each bottle then goes through a process called remuage to remove the deposits of dead yeasts cells or lees. In this process the the bottle gradually goes from horizontal to upside-down, capturing the lees in the neck of the bottle. The necks of the bottle are frozen, caps removed and the gas pressure shoots out the frozen lees. The bottles are topped off with reserve wine and corked, ready for consumption.

 

Champage varies on level of sweetness and style. Below are a few basics:

 

*Brut: Very dry, usually the best quality and good with food

*Extra Dry: A little more sweet than Brut, just off-dry

*Sec: Medium-dry, good for parties

*Doux: Sweet, dessert style Champagne

*Non-Vintage: Blend of two or three vintages

*Vintage: Made from a single harvest and the best grapes

*Blanc de Blancs: Made only from Chardonnay, usually fruity and creamy

*Blanc de Noirs: Made only from the two Pinots. Full-bodied

*Rosé: Made by blending some red wine into the Champagne.