how to drink like a queen...the basics of champagne
A very basic overview of Champagne / Methode Cape Classique
Champagne or sparkling wine originates from the Champagne region in the North of France where legend has it that a little known monk by the name of Dom Perignan accidentally discovered the process of making sparkling wine while making his own still wine. Tasting his accident, he exclaimed "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" although it was probably more like I see stars after emptying his 7th bottle of the day.
1. The only grape varieties permitted in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier (Methode Cape Classique (MCC) allows other varieties).
2. The sparkling wine is made using a secondary fermentation method – basically the bubbles are produced in the bottle. It is called the Champagne Method because the process was pioneered in the French region of Champagne.
3. Many sparkling wines and Champagne are a blend between all three grape varieties or a combination of two, for example Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. A Blanc de Blanc (literally a white from white) means the wine is 100% Chardonnay. Likewise a Blanc de Noir is a white wine from black grapes.
4. Once the grapes have been picked, they are pressed (squished), yeast is added and fermented to turn the juice into wine. This is called the first fermentation.
5. The wine is then put into bottles of thicker glass that are able to withstand the extra pressure generated from the bubbles. Along with the wine, a mixture of wine, yeast and sugar (or grape juice) is added. This is called the dosage (pronounced d’oh – saaaaaagggge).
6. The dosage starts the secondary fermentation. The yeast feeds off the sugar in the wine and creates alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) - just like the first fermentation but only the second time around! It is the carbon dioxide which forms the bubbles in sparkling wine.
7. For Champagne the wine needs to rest for a minimum of 15 months in the bottle after the dosage has been added. For MCC the requirement is only 9 months. The reasoning is: the longer the wine spends in bottle, the smaller and more persistent the bubbles become. For example, bubbles in MCC and Champagne should be very small and form a steady upward stream. These small bubbles are the root cause of giggling girls and burping royalty.
8. During the second fermentation process – dead yeast cells called lees are also produced. These fall to the bottom of the bottle and help to add flavour to the wine. At the end of the secondary fermentation process, the lees are extracted so you have a clear wine.
9. Now the wine is ready to be enjoyed. Pop and drink with someone special!
(winepom note: this is a very basic overview of the Champagne Method / MCC and there are a few more steps involved. However this provides a general overview. You can also produce a sparkling wine in other ways that are quicker and cheaper but these methods tend to produce wines of lower quality and are cheaper.)
Champagne or sparkling wine originates from the Champagne region in the North of France where legend has it that a little known monk by the name of Dom Perignan accidentally discovered the process of making sparkling wine while making his own still wine. Tasting his accident, he exclaimed "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" although it was probably more like I see stars after emptying his 7th bottle of the day.
1. The only grape varieties permitted in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier (Methode Cape Classique (MCC) allows other varieties).
2. The sparkling wine is made using a secondary fermentation method – basically the bubbles are produced in the bottle. It is called the Champagne Method because the process was pioneered in the French region of Champagne.
3. Many sparkling wines and Champagne are a blend between all three grape varieties or a combination of two, for example Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. A Blanc de Blanc (literally a white from white) means the wine is 100% Chardonnay. Likewise a Blanc de Noir is a white wine from black grapes.
4. Once the grapes have been picked, they are pressed (squished), yeast is added and fermented to turn the juice into wine. This is called the first fermentation.
5. The wine is then put into bottles of thicker glass that are able to withstand the extra pressure generated from the bubbles. Along with the wine, a mixture of wine, yeast and sugar (or grape juice) is added. This is called the dosage (pronounced d’oh – saaaaaagggge).
6. The dosage starts the secondary fermentation. The yeast feeds off the sugar in the wine and creates alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) - just like the first fermentation but only the second time around! It is the carbon dioxide which forms the bubbles in sparkling wine.
7. For Champagne the wine needs to rest for a minimum of 15 months in the bottle after the dosage has been added. For MCC the requirement is only 9 months. The reasoning is: the longer the wine spends in bottle, the smaller and more persistent the bubbles become. For example, bubbles in MCC and Champagne should be very small and form a steady upward stream. These small bubbles are the root cause of giggling girls and burping royalty.
8. During the second fermentation process – dead yeast cells called lees are also produced. These fall to the bottom of the bottle and help to add flavour to the wine. At the end of the secondary fermentation process, the lees are extracted so you have a clear wine.
9. Now the wine is ready to be enjoyed. Pop and drink with someone special!
(winepom note: this is a very basic overview of the Champagne Method / MCC and there are a few more steps involved. However this provides a general overview. You can also produce a sparkling wine in other ways that are quicker and cheaper but these methods tend to produce wines of lower quality and are cheaper.)
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This page is dedicated to providing helpful wine tips for your everyday wine trials. Topics such as: how a restaurant wine list works, why should I pay more for wine?, and the tasting tongue map will be uploaded soon. But as this is an ongoing project please bear with the winepom, after all, there is a lot of tasting to do...
winepom rating explained...
Winepom gives two scores to wines it tastes. The first score is a straight forward score out of 10 (all, of course, in the winepom's opinion). The second rating is a special winepom formula which rates the wine quality against its actual value. For instance, 10 on the winepom scale is the control score and is worth every single cent paid for the bottle of wine. As an example, if a wine under R30 is awarded a 10 in the normal rating, the winepom rating will be 20 (the highest winepom rating possible). Comparatively if a wine over R100 is also rated a 10 in the normal score it will score a 9 on the winepom richter scale. This indicates that the wine is very much worth its value but the under R30 wine bottle is comparatively better value in winepom's opinion.
The reason why the R100+ wine can not achieve a rating above 10 is because the wine is penalised for being expensive. Winepom believes that good wine should be available to the masses at an attainable cost, hence the wine is penalised for being more expensive. In a sense it is a socialst form of wine scoring. This is by no means a perfect science but an attempt to rate wines by quality and value.
The songs are just there for your enjoyment! Winepom would love to hear your suggestions for any wines which you taste!
The reason why the R100+ wine can not achieve a rating above 10 is because the wine is penalised for being expensive. Winepom believes that good wine should be available to the masses at an attainable cost, hence the wine is penalised for being more expensive. In a sense it is a socialst form of wine scoring. This is by no means a perfect science but an attempt to rate wines by quality and value.
The songs are just there for your enjoyment! Winepom would love to hear your suggestions for any wines which you taste!