Champagne

A glass of Champagne, showing its characteristic bubbles.Template:Photo

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the French region of the same name. Because of its perceived scarcity and expense, its name has come to denote luxury, festivities, celebrations, and well-being. While other similar wines are produced throughout the world, such as Asti Spumante in Italy, they may only be called "Champagne" if they are produced in this particular region of France. The European Union has officially given Champagne "protected designation of origin" status (PDO), which restricts the use of its name within Europe. The correct spelling of the word in English is with a capital C.

Champagne is typically made as a white wine, but can also be rose-colored. The bubbles are formed by the yeast, which makes carbon dioxide as a by-product of the fermentation. If stored in wooden barrels, the gas naturally escapes. However, Champagne is bottled before the fermentation process has completely used all the sugar in the wine (taking advantage of a slowing of fermentation during the cold winter months to perform the bottling). The second stage of fermentation occurs inside the bottle, which does not allow the gas to escape, crating a sparkling wine. The pressures caused by the production of the gas means that the wine must be stored in specially designed, high strength bottles. These distinctively shaped bottles are stoppered with over-sized corks, allowing the bottle to be opened by hand without use of a cork screw. A wire cage is placed over the cork and tightened to the bottle neck to secure the cork. The top of the bottle is then usually covered with foil.

A bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.Template:Photo

Uncorking, serving and drinking champagne

Although popular culture celebrates the loud popping sound which can accompany the opening of a bottle of champagne, some care is required when opening a bottle of champagne, as the high pressure within the bottle can cause the cork to fly out at high speed. Deaths have been recorded as a result of such free flying corks and eye injuries are not infrequent. The correct way to open a bottle is to remove the wire cage first. The with the top of the cork firmly grasped in the palm of your hand, and the bottle pointing well away form anyone, twist the cork within the bottle neck. The pressure inside the bottle will push the now loosened cork out and your firm grip with prevent the cork becoming a dangerous projectile bouncing off the walls and ceiling. Care should be taken not to shake the bottle prior to opening. If a bottle is accidentally shaken, it should be left to settle for some time before uncorking. If a foam spray is desired, this can be achieved by shaking the bottle after it has been uncorked, not before. Popping and foaming are considered declasse at formal occasions. This method is the most traditional.

Alternatively, there is a method known as sabering, in which a sabre is used to cleanly "slice" off the top of the champagne bottle. The force produced by the champagne upon its opening is exerted in such a way that the cork, glass ring, and any fragments or shards of glass that result are blown clean away at approximately 100 psi. Sabrage should not be attempted unless one is an expert. There are several caveats that must be taken into consideration: The bottle type, some bottles of champagne do not sabrate as well as others (the density and thickness of the glass is critical); and the type of seal, a screw-top or rubber cork may result in bottle integrity failure

Champagne should always be served chilled. A tulip-shaped glass known as a cup was once the usual glass and is still the glass most often associated with champagne, particularly at weddings and other social occasions. Among aficionados the flute has overtaken the cup in popularity. During the 19th Century, it was popular to use a shallow Champagne saucer or coupe. One of the more spectacular ways of serving is the Champagne fountain. The glasses are arranged in rings stacked one atop the other to create a wedding cake like structure. The Champagne is poured into the top most glass. This glass is allowed to overflow into the ring of glasses blow which in turn will overflow into the next tier and so on until the bottle is exhausted.

After use, Champagne glasses should not be cleaned with soap. Instead they should be rinsed and wiped clean then allowed to drip dry. An overly clean glass will not allow for the formation of the bubbles and so reduce the sparkle of the wine. The bubbles in the wine require a nucleation site on which to form. It used to be thought that slight deformations in the glass itself formed the basis of the nucleation sites. However, studies have shown these to be to small to allow for the bubble formation. The bubbles actually nucleate on dust and dirt particles left over from cleaning or from airborne deposits. It is recommended, if bubbles are desired, that the glass should be wiped with a dry cloth just before use. This will deposit some cloth fibers onto the glass which can then act as nucleation sites.

History of champagne

Wine has been produced in the Champagne region of France since before there was a France. After his conversion to Christianity, Clovis, King of the Franks, was anointed with wine from the Champagne region on the Christmas night of 496. However, it was not until near the end of the 17th century that the wine got it's sparkle. It was at this time that at this time that bottling wine came into fashion. The advanced technology required to produce the high strength bottles was a English invention. This has lead some people to suggest that it was the English, and not the French, who originally produced champagne style wines. However, this claim is disputed.

Production

There are several factor that go to make Champagne special. The soil and climate of the region, referred to as the XXX is important. Champagne region represents the Northern boundary for the production of the gape vines used. The vines are very susseptable to late frosts. However, it is the slow development that the colder weather brings that helps make the grapes just right for Champagne production. Also the chalky soil and the position of the vineyards on hillsides tends for excellent irrigation and bountiful sunlight.

There are three varieties of grape used for producing Champagne: Pinot noir, Pinot meunier and Chardonnay. Each variety brings distinctive characteristics to the finished product. From flowering to harvest takes approximately 100 days. Harvesting is done by hand. Only the best quality grapes are selected and gathered carefully so as not to damage the fruit.

The grapes are crushed within a few hours of harvest. Care must be taken not to crush too soon as the grape skins would then colour the juice. The process of crushing is carefully monitored and regulated to control flavour and appearance: 160kg of grapes produces 102 litres of must. This means that the average bottle of champagne requires one whole vine's grape harvest to produce it.

The must is placed into vats or barrels for fermentation. Traditionally wooden vats were used, and still are by many producers who claim it gives a rounder flavour to the wine. Many vineyards have switched to using stainless steel vats which allow for a more consistent product. After the first fermentation come the blending. Several wines form different vineyards and even different years harvest are used to blend the Champagne. A great deal of skill is required. The blender seeks not only to make a excellent tasting wine, but also one that is consistent with the tradition of their brand. It may take as few as 3 wine or as many as 50 to achieve the perfect blend.

After blending, the wine is bottled. Normal, non sparkling, wines will have completed it's fermentation and used up all it's sugar content prior to bottling. In the case of sweet wines, the yeast is killed to prevent fermentation from continuing. If the fermentation was allow to continue inside a normal glass bottle, the pressures would break the glass. However, the champagne bottle is specially designed to withstand the high pressures. During the cold of winter, at the end of the first fermentation, the blended wine is transferred to bottles. There is still some sugar remaining so the fermentation continues when the weather warms again in spring. The carbon dioxide gas that forms the bubbles is a byproduct of the fermentation process. Since the wine is now inside the sealed bottle, the gas cannot escape and the pressure causes the gas to dissolve into the wine.

Wines are aged inside the bottle. The minimum aging required by the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne is fifteen months for non vintage and three years for vintage Chamgagnes. It is not uncommon for longer aging periods. Sometimes aging lasts for decades.

The final stages in the process are the remuage and disgorgement. The purpose of this is to remove the sediments that have formed in the wine bottle during fermentation and aging. The wines, which have been aged with the bottle held horizontally, are gradually rotated and tilted into the vertical. Traditionally this was done by hand, each bottle was given a quarter turn then the rack tilted slightly, another quarter turn each then another tilt. This process has now been automated by mechanised racks that turn the bottles and tilt at exactly the right rate. This process of turning and tilting draws the sediments into the neck of the bottle.

Disgorgement involves removing the temporary cork used for aging, the pressure inside the bottle pushes out the unwanted sediments. This used to be done by hand but like the remuage, the process has now been mechanised. Finally the wine bottle is topped up to full using some other champagne or some sacrificial stock of the same blend. This gives the wine maker one last chance to alter the flavour of the wine. The disgorged wine is then finally corked, the metal cage attached and foil wrapper and labeling put on.