Nothing says “New Year’s” quite like a festive flute full of bubbly! Champagne has a heritage of being intricately involved in life’s big events: ringing in a new year, well-wishing at weddings, commemorating anniversaries and a myriad of other hallmark events.

While all Champagne can be tucked under the umbrella of “sparkling wines”, the majority of the world’s sparkling wines are not all Champagne. To earn the esteemed title of “Champagne,” the wine must be produced in the Champagne region of France.

 

French monks were the first to bottle the sparkling form of wine that would be named for the region it originated from. The method of making “mousse” (another name for bubbles) in a bottle was perfected by Frère Jean Oudart (1654–1742) and Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639–1715), Benedictine monks and cellarmasters at the respective abbeys of Saint-Pierre aux Monts de Châlons and Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers.

 

Champagne first gained world renown because of its association with

the anointment of French kings. Royalty from throughout Europe spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power. The leading manufacturers devoted considerable energy to creating a history and identity for their wine, associating it and themselves with nobility and royalty.

 

The Champagne region has a colder and shorter growing season. The grapes have to be picked late in the year, with less time available for fermentation. During fermentation, yeasts are used to convert the sugars of the grape juice into alcohol and cold winter temperatures stop the process. In the 1600s, the monks developed a method of making Champagne wine by using a second fermentation process that takes place in the bottle during the following spring. This second fermentation takes still wine and seals in the carbon dioxide that is formed when yeast converts sugar into alcohol, making for millions of bubbles with no place to go.

 

At its heart, Champagne is truly a wine and is typically derived from a blend of grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Champagnes are categorized as Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec and Demi-sec depending on their sugar levels. An extra brut Champagne will be very dry, while a demi-sec is the sweeter option, with brut (dry), extra dry and sec lying somewhere in the middle with an off-dry to semi-sweet sparkling wine.

 

Champagne is typically light in color even if it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins, which is what gives red wine its colour.

 

Champagnes and many sparkling wines tend to pair well with a variety of appetizers, both mild and strong cheeses, and hold up particularly well with spicy Asian cuisine. Chips and popcorn, pizza that’s light on the tomato sauce, nuts and Mexican food all pair surprisingly well with Champagne due to the salt factor. Bubbly wine is generally more versatile than still wines for pairing with food, making it an ideal celebratory drink that may accommodate occasions ranging from New Year’s Parties to weddings.

 

There is about 80 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure behind the cork, so carefully remove the foil covering and wire hood. To open a bottle of bubbly without the infamous “pop,” you will need to have it properly chilled to about 45ºF (easily accomplished by refrigerating for three hours before opening) and gently ease the cork from the bottle.

 

Fluted glasses are best for Champagne and sparkling wines as they encourage the bubbles to collect and rise to the top allowing the full aroma to concentrate near the surface. Go slow when pouring the bubbly, to avoid frothing, and allow glasses to settle a moment before topping them off.

 

Prices for most Champagnes and sparkling wines can vary from $10 to over $100 for Moet & Chandon (and even higher for a bottle of the infamous Dom Perignon). Many sparkling wines are available from the Niagara region and are certainly worth trying.

 

Here are some recommendations for local sparkling wines:

13 Street Wines: Cuvée Thirteen Sparkling Wine ($22) and 2000

Blanc de Noir ($40).

 

Peller Estates: Signature Series

Ice Cuvée VQA ($29.95)

 

Pillitteri: 2006 Grand Gold Vidal Sparkling Icewine ($60)

 

Jackson-Triggs: Proprietors’ Grand Reserve Methode Classique ($26)