Wine tasting for dummies

by Sara Missaglia

Mesmerized by the light and charmed by its purity, it's impossible not to toast, especially during important moments. Learning to taste champagne and Metodo Classico like sommeliers enhances the pleasure.

Champagne and Metodo Classico, two ways to say "bubbles" and toast with a cheers. It's not a celebration without perlage, foam, and, above all, elegance. Champagnes and all sparkling wines are celebrations by definition, accompanying the most beautiful moments of our lives. Fashion, glamour, appealing, and catchy: that's exactly what bubbles are. Never run out. As Lilly Bollinger famously said: "I drink Champagne when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it mandatory. I sip it when I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise, I don't touch it, unless I'm thirsty." But even Napoleon (or perhaps Winston Churchill, as the attribution is disputed) wasn't far behind: "I cannot live without champagne. When I win, I deserve it. When I'm defeated, I need it." How can you blame them?

Where the bubbles are born

They are among the most technical wines in the world: the famous bubbles don't come from the addition of carbon dioxide, but from a process of secondary fermentation in the bottle. From a base cuvée, which includes still wines from different grape varieties, a blend is created and bottled. Inside the bottle, sugar and yeast are added. Wines can stay on the yeast for extended periods, even over ten years for the more sought-after and mature ones. During this phase, known as "sur lie" aging, the wine is subjected to remuage, a process where the bottle is gently shaken to help the yeast release its aromas uniformly and steadily, transforming the wine into a valuable nectar. With dégorgement, the wine is freed from the yeast that has gone into autolysis, meaning it is no longer active. The wine is then presented completely clear and ready to be bottled, sealed with the familiar cork and wire cage.

The vines used

In Champagne and the Champagne-Ardenne region, the most famous wine-growing area in the world, the permitted grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier, Pinot Blanc, Arbane, Petit Meslier, and Voltis, a resistant grape variety. In Italy, some of these grape varieties are used for sparkling wines, along with others found from North to South, such as Nebbiolo, Negroamaro, Glera, Durello, Vermentino, Torbato, Montepulciano, and even Zibibbo. In the country, there are regions highly suited for sparkling wine production, such as Franciacorta, Alta Langa, Trento DOC, and Oltrepò Pavese. Not to mention the extraordinary Prosecco regions, where sparkling wine is produced through a fermentation method not in the bottle, but in pressurized tanks, known as the Martinotti or Charmat method.

Origins

Marketing and excellence, in a perfect mix. These are the components that have contributed to the extraordinary success of Champagne and the refermentation method. The history is inextricably linked to the Benedictine monk known as Dom Pierre Pérignon, born in the winter of 1638 in Champagne-Ardenne. It is said that during a pilgrimage to the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, Pérignon, perhaps unknowingly, discovered a winemaking method that resulted in sparkling wine. During transport, some bottles reportedly exploded, possibly due to fermentation caused by the sugar and flowers he often added during bottling. Dom Pérignon was not the inventor of the Champagne we drink today, but he is credited with improving its quality. For instance, he was the first to use cork stoppers to seal the bottles. The phrase from 1671 that has been attributed to him clearly testifies to his journey in the pursuit of excellence: One must disregard quantity, as it results in an ordinary wine, and always focus on quality, which demands more effort but yields greater rewards." Champagne is governed by strict rules, the foremost being "Il n'est Champagne que de la Champagne", meaning "There is no Champagne except that which is from Champagne", as established by the French law of July 28, 1824. The grapes used in sparkling wine production come from an area defined by the AOC Champagne, which has a very strict set of rules for production and bottling. Champagne-Ardenne is located about 150 kilometers east of Paris, with a geographical position in the north, between the 47th and 50th parallels. The vineyards are among the northernmost in the world, alongside Moselle and Alsace, at the northern limit of grapevine cultivation. The climate is therefore cold and harsh for viticulture, with oceanic influences that provide water in regular quantities and little temperature variation between seasons. Among the quality factors, the chalky nature of the subsoil stands out, which features a crust of white gypsum, very calcareous and about 200 meters thick, formed by the layering of calcareous skeletons, marine fossils from the Cretaceous, and unicellular algae dating back 75 million years. Above the crust, there is lignite, sand, and clay: the soil thus has an extraordinary draining capacity, with permeability and porosity.

Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs

A glass of Champagne or Metodo Classico typically has a pale yellow or golden color, although it can also be made with a majority of black grapes (Blanc de Noirs, as opposed to Blanc de Blancs, which are made exclusively from green grapes). The two Pinots (Noir and Meunier) are vinified in white: during the pressing, contact between the must and the skins is minimized, preventing any color transfer. Another thing is Rosé, made from black grapes: it is the only wine with seductive colors and delicate nuances such as peach blossom pink, coral, salmon, or copper, which are created by allowing the must to remain in contact with the skins for a few days, sometimes hours, so that it acquires the desired color.

What is a Millésimé?

This term indicates the year of harvest of the grapes used for the production of the wine. For a very high percentage (85% in the case of Franciacorta DOCG), vintage Champagne or Metodo Classico are made from grapes from a single harvest: they are precious because they are produced only in the best years, serving as a true snapshot of the vintage. If it is not a vintage wine, the wines are "sans année" (non-vintage).

Longevity

Unlike the common misconception that Champagne should be consumed quickly, it is actually the longest-lived wine in the world. As long as it remains on the lees from secondary fermentation, it can age for over 100 years after disgorging. The longevity is due to the high acidity naturally present in the wine and the pressure that prevents oxygen from entering (the presence of carbon dioxide protects the wine from oxidation).

Tasting champagne like a sommelier

To avoid being banned from any wine experts' club, never swirl a sparkling wine glass to taste it (unlike still wines): people who shake these glasses, spinning them frantically like a nervous tic, are definitely best kept at a distance. Doing this is a good way to lose all the carbonation, diminishing the beauty of the sparkling wine and dispersing its flavor sensations into the air.

Sampling these wines with both your sense of taste and smell will offer you moments of pure joy: sparkling wines are truly a kaleidoscope of rich nuances and sensations. On the nose, you'll find flowers, fruit, salinity, and freshness, with roundness or verticality depending on the grapes, vintages, or time spent on the lees. Glasses that are never standardized: mineral fragrances of rare and striking elegance, finesse, and vitality, with precious citrus notes, juicy, rich, and zesty, alongside hints of pastries, candied ginger, nougat, beeswax, yeasty notes, savory croissants, and nuances of toasted dried fruit. Blanc de Noirs wines have a bright yellow color with predominantly coppery reflections, and a nose that evokes yellow fruits (peach, plum, and dried fruit), red fruits (blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry), citrus fruits (grapefruit, citron, bergamot, and mandarin), elegant spices ranging from pepper to cinnamon, cloves to anise, along with dry leaves, and hints of tobacco and mushrooms. On the palate, the attack is usually powerful and robust, developing smoky notes along with excellent acidity and salinity. Blanc de Blancs, on the other hand, is a more delicate, floral, silky, gentle and fine Champagne, with hints of vanilla, chalk, hazelnut, toasted bread and quince.

The glass

The flute—unmistakably feminine—is the most suitable, appreciated, and widely used glass in the world for tasting sparkling wines. It has an elegant shape, not overly narrow or elongated, which helps maintain the effervescence. The pointed base encourages the rapid rise of the bubbles, while also allowing the amplification of aromas: light and aromas are thus brought closer to our senses. The iconic coupe glass, once used by our grandmothers, is a goblet with a wide, deep base and a limited height. Legend has it that its shape was modeled after the breast of Queen Marie Antoinette. Today, this type of glass is used to serve Moscato Canelli or Asti Spumante, as it not only helps preserve the perlage but also enhances the diffusion and recognition of the intense aromas from aromatic varieties. It is also used for Champagne-based cocktails.

Food pairings

Champagne and Metodo Classico are the most versatile wines at the table: excellent on their own as an aperitif or paired with dishes featuring cured meats, raw fish, and more structured fish and meat courses. They are also excellent with desserts, provided you choose the right Champagne (not brut, but doux, meaning sweet). Try to imagine a terrine of sea bream with tarragon paired with Champagne Blanc de Blancs or turbot infused with sweet spices matched with Champagne Blanc de Noirs. And also a duck in berry sauce paired with a glass of rosé Champagne. To finish, wafers with peach cream paired with Champagne demi-sec and a Tarte Tatin with a Champagne doux. Is your mouth watering yet?

Sparkling wines from around the world

Here is an unusual and curious selection of sparkling wines from around the world, highlighting the universality of sparkling wines—inclusive, democratic (with prices that vary widely and are accessible to many enthusiasts)—and with a language that resonates with a diverse audience.

From France, Le Vigne de Vrigny by Egly-Ouriet, made from pure Meunier from the Premier Cru of Vrigny, and from Portugal, the Sparkling Brut Blanc de Blancs DOC Alentejo Évora by Cartuxa; from Germany, the Riesling Extra Brut VDP SEKT by Barth from the Rheingau; from the United Kingdom, the Langham Blanc de Blancs Vintage; from Spain, the Greco di Subur Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature by Clos Lentiscus; and from California, the Perpetual Reserve Sparkling Wine by Rhys Vineyards. From Slovakia, the Spumante Chardonnay by Hacaj; from Lebanon, the Methode Traditionnelle Brut Unique by Latourba; from Argentina, the Spumante Metodo Classico Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Especial by Zuccardi; from Thailand, the Monsoon Valley Brut Blanc de Blancs by Siam Winery; and from Denmark, the Dons Brut by Skærsøgaard. To conclude, let's return to France with the Crémant Terroir Clos Liebenberg Monopole from Domaine Valentin Zusslin in Alsace.

In 1693, Dom Pierre Pérignon addressed his fellow monks with a glass of champagne in hand, saying: "Come quickly, brothers, I am drinking the stars!" To all wine enthusiasts, both experienced and beginners, the wish for "the love that moves the sun and the other stars." Dante docet, Paradiso.