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SPARKLING WINES

Champagne and other types of sparkling wine, which make up the bubbly category, are different from varietals: in addition to being effervescent, these wines are almost always blends rather than single-grape (varietal) bottlings. And they are fantastic with food! But unfortunately, most of us reserve our enjoyment of these bubblies for celebrations or drink them like cocktails, without food. We should consider these sparklers more frequently, because they have an amazing affinity for many dishes.

Where do the bubbles come from? When grape juice is fermented into wine, the yeast organisms convert sugar into alcohol. In the process, carbon dioxide gas is released. In the making of still wines, this gas is allowed to dissipate into the air. In sparkling wines, it is retained. To make Champagne and Champagne-style wines, still wine is placed into a bottle with a small amount of sugar and live yeast. The carbon dioxide produced from this second fermentation is trapped in the bottle as effervescence. In other styles of sparkling wine, the carbon dioxide is trapped at other stages, using different processes.

WINE-GROWING AREAS

Most people believe that all sparkling wines are Champagne. This belief is true only to the extent that the region of Champagne, in northeastern France, is universally revered as the spiritual home of bubblies. It is the birthplace of the “Champagne method” (the méthode champenoise, pronounced “me-tud cham-pen-woz”)—the production process by which a secondary fermentation is induced in the same bottle in which the still wine is bottled after blending. The result is a sparkling wine of complexity and great elegance.

You can say that all Champagne is sparkling wine (virtually all of it is), but you cannot say that all sparkling wine is Champagne. In order to be labeled as such, it must come from this prestigious appellation.^* In other parts of France, sparkling wines are produced using the same method (identified on the label as the méthode traditionnelle). However, these producers often use different grapes, and the wines don't have Champagne's uniquely layered character of toasted brioche, hazelnuts, tart citrus, and chalky earth, rooted in the holy trinity of Champenois grapes from which the wines are produced: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and the indigenous Pinot Meunier. Many of the other French sparkling wines, labeled as Crémant (for example, Crémant de la Loire, Crémant d'Alsace), are nevertheless excellent. The Cava appellation in the Catalonia region of Spain produces more méthode traditionnelle wine than any other country in the world; it bears the eponymous name of Cava. More rustic, uniquely savory, and with flavors of mineral, spice, and earth, Cava makes use of the indigenous Spanish grapes of Xarel-lo, Viura, and Parellada and is always a great value. Italy's sparkling wine industry is based in the northwestern region of Piedmont surrounding the town of Asti; its Muscat-based wine is known as Asti Spumante (spumante simply means “sparkling” in Italian). Asti Spumante is almost always sweeter than other sparkling wines and redolent of the flavors of white Muscat grapes: lychee, apricot, and ripe tangerine. It is also based on a different method of production, by which the wine achieves its effervescence within a pressurized, closed tank: this is the cuve close, Charmat, or bulk process, which preserves all the fresh, primary fruit flavors. A slightly less bubbly relative, Moscato d'Asti, has a similar flavor profile but less prickle on the tongue and makes for enjoyable summer al fresco dining. Italy's other celebrated sparkling wine is Prosecco. Made from the eponymous grape and produced primarily in Veneto but also in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige regions, Prosecco utilizes the same bulk method as Asti Spumante, but produces a wine slightly drier to the tongue, with earthy nuances and more apple and pear notes.

Other countries and regions around the world make sparkling wines using the méthode traditionnelle with excellent results: the United States (with California leading the charge), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, the rest of Italy (primarily Lombardy's Franciacorta region), and less obvious places like Portugal (which also utilizes the continuous method, described below) and even India. Although the flavor profiles (and in some cases, the grapes) vary from country to country, all these wines share a level of complexity that results from the traditional production method, which adds a creaminess and sophistication to the wine.

There are two other important methods for getting bubbles into the bottle. A process called the transfer, or Kriter, method, named for the German winemaker who invented it, is similar to the méthode traditionnelle, except that the wine is moved from the secondary fermentation bottle into a larger tank to filter out the yeast sediment before being returned to the bottle. Commonly used for speed and efficiency in the past, it is less frequently used today. More common in modern sparkling wine production is the continuous method, by which the secondary fermentation occurs in a series of pressurized tanks, to which additional live yeast is continually added to keep the fermentation going. It is fast, efficient, and economical. This technique is employed increasingly in Germany and Portugal.

In Germany many grapes are used, notably Riesling for the best-quality wines. Alas, most German bubbly is simply labeled as Sekt (which can be produced from grapes from any country), produced inexpensively from a mélange of grapes utilizing the bulk method, and is inexpensive and of fair quality. The best German sparkling wines are labeled as Deutscher Sekt, which must be made from grapes grown in Germany.

Some inexpensive wines are not made according to any of the traditional methods but are simply carbonated (just like soda pop). These have little to offer. Fortunately, by U.S. law, they must be labeled as “carbonated wine,” so if you see those words on a bottle, avoid it.

A table of principal wine-growing regions for sparkling wines appears on pages 263–64.

VINTNER CHOICES

Early or late picking; method of production; vintage or nonvintage; style of wine—brut, blanc de blancs, rosé (blanc de noirs), or prestige cuvée; length of time “on the yeast” (tirage); oak or no oak; dosage level (dry, off-dry, or sweet)

Several winemaking decisions determine the style of the final effervescent product. Although practices vary by region and country, in general the grapes for sparkling wines are picked earlier and slightly less ripe than those intended for still wine, for two reasons. First, sparkling wines are in part defined by sharper acidity levels, which make them tart but also carry and help sustain their delicate flavors and lingering aftertaste, or finish, as well as define their character. Second, because the secondary fermentation increases the alcohol level by a percentage point or so, starting out with grapes that are less ripe, and therefore lower in sugar, helps control the alcohol content.

Many different sparkling wines result from using various permutations of grape types and production methods (see the table on page 35). The most complex wines are those employing the méthode champenoise or traditionnelle. Around the world, the countries that emulate the model of the Champagne region and employ the classic blend of grapes produce multifaceted sparkling wines. In this classic blend, Pinot Noir adds the spice, red fruit flavors (strawberry, raspberry, cherry), and complexity, while Chardonnay contributes backbone (acidity) and sharp fruit nuances (green apple and citrus). Pinot Meunier adds texture and ripe fruit and fills in any flavor gaps; it's almost like a winemaker's spackle. Wines using local fruit (French Crémant wines and Spanish Cava, for example) have different flavor profiles and terroir nuances. Wines made using the bulk, or Charmat, method, most notably Prosecco and Asti Spumante, do so not to save money or time (though the method does both) but because this is the best method for showing off those grapes. Finally, the continuous process, utilized in Germany and Portugal, is unique, quick, and cost-effective, too.

PRODUCTION OF CHAMPAGNE AND OTHER SPARKLING WINES

Most sparkling wine is nonvintage, that is, produced from grapes from more than one year's harvest. The reason for this goes back, like so many traditions in bubbly, to Champagne, where the unpredictable weather forced vintners to save still wines from prior years in case Mother Nature decided to be uncooperative in a given harvest. Still wines from that year's vintage were then blended with some of the older still wines to produce a cuvée (French for wine blend) that conformed to a consistent flavor profile or signature house style. Because these wines contain less than the 95 percent of a single year's grapes that is required for a wine to qualify as a vintage, the resulting wine is labeled a blended nonvintage (or multivintage, as it's now fashionable to say). What matters is that the wine be consistent in taste from year to year. In exceptional years a vintner may choose to capture the vintage's personality in a bottle by declaring a vintage, that is, making a sparkling wine exclusively out of grapes from that year's harvest. These wines are the only sparkling wines that bear a year on the label, and that is the year in which the grapes were picked.

Besides the country and region of origin, the choice of production method and grapes employed, and the decision to make a nonvintage or vintage wine, sparkling wines also vary in style. Almost all are of the nonvintage brut type. Brut suggests wines that are dry to the palate and blended according to regional grape varieties and specifications; they are frequently a blend of red and white grapes. Some wines, however, have additional information on the label. Blanc de blancs (literally “white of whites”) are made exclusively from white grapes (most often Chardonnay). They are delicate and citrus-flavored with racy acidity and a zesty vibrancy, and they are very light in appearance. Rosé wines are primarily made from red grapes and are either a blush or rosé color. These wines, although most often spicy, rich, and dry, can also be slightly riper or sweeter, in which case they are often labeled “blanc de noirs” (“white of darks”). Blanc de noirs wines are produced almost exclusively in the United States.

The Rolls-Royce of any given winery is called its prestige cuvée, or tête de cuvée. Included in this category are Möet et Chandon's Dom Perignon and Roederer's Cristal from France; Schrams-berg's J. Schram from California; Bellavista's Gran Cuvée Pas Opere from Italy; and Rimarts' Cava Uvae from Spain. These are always vintage wines and represent the best and most distinctive of what a house can make. While there are also prestige cuvée wines that are rosés and a few blanc de blancs, most are very high-end, classic brut interpretations.

SPARKLING WINE STYLES AND DOSAGE

STYLE (LABELING)	PERCEPTION	APPROXIMATE DOSAGE (SUGAR AS % OF 750 ML BOTTLE)
Brut zero or sauvage	Bone-dry	0.0-0.5
Brut	No sweetness	0.5-1.5
Extra dry	Off-dry	1.2-2.0
Demi-sec	Slightly sweet	1.7-3.5
Sec	Sweet	3.3-5.0
Doux	Very sweet	More than 5.0

In the méthode champenoise, once the wines are produced, but before they are corked and sold, they spend time resting on their spent yeast deposits (a by-product of the secondary fermentation in the bottle). During this time the wine is said to be en tirage (on its yeast). The amount of tirage time will add personality to the wine as the dead yeasts break down and their amino acids are absorbed into the wine, a process called autolysis. The remaining yeast deposit is removed by a process called disgorging (in French, dégorgement) before the wine is considered finished. In general, the longer the tirage time, the more complex and creamy the wine is, and the smaller and more refined the bubbles are. Some wines are known for their extended tirage times, and the label may make reference to this with terms such as RD or late disgorged.

Although almost all sparkling wines and Champagnes are made without any aging in wood barrels or casks, some noteworthy exceptions are made with oak-aged still wines. The great Champagne houses of Krug and Bollinger are respected advocates of the judicious use of wood, and their wines are known for the resulting roundness and richness.

The style of a sparkling wine is ultimately determined by the amount of sweetening (sugar) added after disgorging and just before the wine is cork-finished (see the table above). This step determines how dry or sweet the wine actually is. In wine lingo this addition is referred to as the dosage (doh-sahj), and it is important in determining personal tastes as well as wine and food pairing. (For more on the sweet styles of sparkling wine, see the dessert wine journey.)

FLAVORS

Fruit: Cherry, lemon, lime, citrus (grapefruit, citron), apple (green, yellow), pear, pineapple, passion fruit, lychee, raspberry, strawberry, cucumber

Floral: Honeysuckle, rose, gardenia, freesia, apple blossom, lime blossom, mint

Earth: Mineral, chalk, dust, mushroom

Extended age (tirage): Toast, brioche, French bread (baguette), biscuit, hazelnut, almond, walnut, vanilla wafer, nougat, gingerbread, dried fruit (fig, raisin), coffee

Other: Yeast, dough/raw bread, soy, cream, Vegemite, plain yogurt, vanilla, honey, blond tobacco, melted butter

WINE AND FOOD PAIRING

Sparkling wine is like Rodney Dangerfield: it gets no respect, at least when it comes to pairing wine and food. I strongly believe that sparkling wine has a bigger role to play at the table than simply being sipped for a toast. Its brilliant combination of effervescence, ample acidity (tartness), and lighter weight (low alcohol) make for beautiful pairings. Add the dimension of the dosage, and bubbly can offer a range of pairing options.

At bottom, sparkling wines are all about the fizz. The bubbles can contrast beautifully with the textures of deep-fried foods, puff pastry, or phyllo dough. The tactile play of the food's crackle and the wine's effervescence is satisfying in the mouth. And many pastry items incorporate plenty of butter, an ingredient that works well with sparkling wines. Additionally, the bubbles can counterbalance spicy heat (peppers).

Next, the sharpness (acidity) is the perfect foil for preparations that are salty, thick or rich (such as cream sauces and many soft cheeses), or a little oily (fish, caviar, and fried foods). The nutty and toasty aromas that predominate in French styles and more developed or aged American and antipodean examples are excellent with sautéed dishes and those with “toasty” elements, such as grains, nuts, and especially corn.

Sparkling wines that are more fruit-driven (especially those that come from the United States, Australia, and New Zealand) are very compatible with exotic and Asian cuisines such as Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Singaporean. Finally, if you're serving a dish that is relatively spicy, off-dry bubblies can be very enjoyable and help tame the heat.

The fact that virtually all sparkling wines are produced without any oak makes for tremendous all-around flexibility, and the lighter weight and lower alcohol content also allow for a wide range of matching options.

PAIRING POINTERS

Bubbly works well:

• To counterbalance salt, moderate heat, richness and cream, and grease, butter, and deep-fried foods.

• To replace any other highlighting acid (citrus) with fish or shellfish.

• To accompany raw fish—sushi, sashimi, oysters, ceviche, and some caviars.

• To match tart foods: citrus and other tart fruits, vinegars, pomegranate, dill, capers, tomatoes, leeks, and zucchini.

• To match many Latin dishes (such as empanadas, ceviche, and mole), and the cuisines of Florida, the Caribbean, and Hawaii. Especially successful are the fruit-forward styles from the United States, New Zealand, and Australia.

• To match many Asian cuisines (Japanese sushi, tempura, and gyoza; Chinese deep-fried dishes, seafood dishes, and some poultry; Thai crepes, fish cakes, and some coconut-milk-based curries; Indian samosas and papadams). Again, the fruit-driven New World styles work best here.

• To accompany many cheeses, especially hard cheeses like Parmesan, really rich cheeses (like triple-cream St. André) and salty cheeses (such as Greek or Bulgarian feta).

• To match dishes with crunchy texture (phyllo pastry and deep-fried foods such as Southern fried chicken, tempura, and Italian fritto misto).

• To harmonize with dishes that have an inherent toasty character, like the bubbly itself (toasted canapés or puff pastry dishes).

• To accompany dishes that imply sweetness or have lightly sweet condiments or treatments. Again, New World styles work best.

• To accompany foods difficult to match with other wines, such as egg dishes and soups.

• To pair with rustic or coarsely textured foods: polenta, pesto, hummus, and baba ghanoush. Sparkling wine goes well with Middle Eastern foods in general.

Bubbly isn't good with:

• Extremes. Dishes that are too rich or flavorful squash its subtlety. Dishes that are too spicy eviscerate the wine.

• Dishes that are too sweet (unless they are paired with the sweeter styles of wine).

• Some strong-tasting fish, other strong flavors, and certain vegetables, especially bitter vegetables, which can make the wines taste metallic (broccoli, escarole, and radicchio).

• With rich red meats. Many chefs pair rosé styles with these foods, but they are not always complementary.

* Until recently, all U.S. producers of sparkling wines could legally use the term Champagne, but, counterintuitively, it usually denoted a cheap product. Under the terms of a 2005 U.S.-E.U. trade agreement, U.S. producers who have historically called their product Champagne may continue to use the term, but new producers may not. Almost all of the best U.S. producers who use the méthode traditionnelle label their wines as “sparkling wine.”