By: Chris Cree, MW
Champagne, and sparkling wines, are arguably some of the most celebratory beverages on earth. Just the simple act of popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly, whether it is a bottle of value-priced Cava from Spain or a great old vintage from its namesake region in France, always seems to make the moment that much more festive. Versatile and food-friendly, these wines are the perfect starter to a great meal, great with a wide range of appetizers, and with the right menu and chef, work wonderfully throughout the dinner.
Champagne, after all, is wine. Yet not all that bubbles is Champagne. So what sets these special and magnificent wines apart from the rest of the sparkling wines in the world? The first is what the French call terroir, a term that encompasses all of the elements of climate, soil, exposure, and sun that affect how grapes ripen in a specific region or vineyard. True Champagne must come from the region of the same name. It is one of the most northerly wine regions in the world – if it were in North America it would be on the same latitude, the 49th parallel, as Winnipeg, Canada.
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The region’s cool climate means that the grapes are naturally tart and very high in acidity at harvest. The vineyards are mainly on gentle slopes composed of layers of tertiary soils a few feet deep (washed down over millions of years from the Isle de France, a geological formation that stretches west to the English Channel that also helps moderate the worst of the Channel weather), overlying deep chalk sub-soils. The combination of the cool climate and the geology of the region are in large part responsible for Champagne’s inimitable crisp, complex, racy character.
The second factor is the grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are the major permitted varieties. In this cool climate, they ripen differently than in warmer regions like Burgundy, California, or Oregon. The cool climate allows a long ripening with much lower sugars and higher acidities, in fact so much so that ordinary still wine made here is often so tart that it is actually unpleasant to drink.
Enter the third factor, the method of fermentation, the Methode Champenoise. The magic of Champagne, the bubbles being the most obvious, is created when the wines go through a second fermentation in the bottle, a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that is required for all true Champagne. Less expensive bubblies are often made in stainless steel for their secondary fermentation – a far less labor-intensive and costly process, with a little trade-off in quality.
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In the world of Champagne, the big brands dominate the market, offering mostly good solid quality, but the buzz in the trade is all about the small grower, estate-grown, and bottled wines. These boutique properties often sell for the same or less than the big brands and offer wonderful pure expressions of the villages and sub-regions where they are grown, rather than the “house style” of the big brands.
There are also sparkling wines made all over the world that are far less expensive than those from the Champagne region – but be careful – not all rise to the occasion. Crémant, made in the Champagne methode from regions such as the Savoie (Eugene Carrel $19), Burgundy (Bruno Dangin $27) or Alsace (Barmes Buecher $37) are great affordable Champagne alternatives.
Cava from Spain can be terrific but look for smaller growers like Bertha – Cava Brut Nature 2019 ($15), clean dry, and refreshing with fine bubbles. Follow the same advice for Prosecco – we like Bele Casal from the Asolo region in northern Italy ($18), or for a fantastic dry sparkling rose try Ettore Germano Rosanna ($30), made from the Nebbiolo grape in the Barolo region.
This holiday season makes it a point to add a little sparkle to your life – but don’t forget about the rest of the year! A little bubbly will make even life’s simple moments that much more special – Cheers! Chris Cree, MW
Chris Cree is one of 57 Masters of Wine in the US and Founding Partner of the Cree Wine Company, a Wine Bar, Tasting Room, Event Space and Wine School in Hampton NJ. Visit at CreeWine.Com 