Bubble Nucleation...
Simply said, Carbon dioxide from the second fermentation of wine creates the bubbles in a French style sparkling wine.
Champagne is a place, a region in France where the grapes used in making sparkling wine grow. It is not a grape and yes the old French Monk (Dom Perignon) is credited with inventing it quite by accident but in truth sparkling wine was done by the English years before the Monk did it. Typical grapes used in making French style sparkling wine (often referred to as Champagne) are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier but other less known varietals are sometimes used. Labels of French style sparkling wine may also say "Blanc de blanc" which means it is made with mostly Chardonnay grapes. "Blanc de noir" means it is made with more Pinot Noir grapes and gives a beautiful rose color to the wine and happens to be my favorite! A label that says "Brut" means it is dry (sugar fermented out) vs a label that says "Sec" means it is slightly sweet.
There is a HUGE difference between a French style sparkling and just a sparkling bottle of bubbly. I'm talking HUGE and I will go further and say that there is no comparison as to which is better. The label will tell you what exactly you are buying for that special occasion. If the word "Champagne" is on the label the grapes grew in France and the wine was fermented a second time while in the bottle creating the wonderful bubbles. A label that says "Methode Champenoise" or "Methode Traditionnelle" on it is telling you it too was fermented in the bottle. This second fermentation that happens in the bottle occurs over many many months and yes, sometimes years. While it is in storage it is actively creating carbon dioxide and this takes time.
Now....labels that just say "Sparkling Wine" are NOT French style but plain wine that has been fermented in tanks, placed in the bottle and squirted with carbon dioxide and is on the shelf in the store in a matter of a few weeks. I might also add that to me, it is a headache in a bottle.
Having been fortunate to be able to watch the French style of making this nectar of the gods, I found myself in awe of the hands-on intensive process. From the second fermentation that takes so so long to the daily riddling (done now by mechanical platforms, twice a day) to move the yeast through each individual bottle into the neck is worth the wait. Finally the day comes when it is ready to be disgorged (yeast plug removed from the bottle neck) and labeled. This Methode Champenoise process is painstakingly done to perfection. These bottles are much thicker than a normal wine bottle and have punts (indentations on the bottom) to give the glass more stability. When I would conduct my wine training classes and give tours to witness this process I would always tell them that there is enough pressure created in a French style sparkling wine to blow up a tire on a city bus!! This is why it is so so important that when opening a bottle of French style sparkling you keep it upright and hold the cork, towel over it, and twist the bottom of the bottle, gravity will begin to release the cork slowly. Never ever twist the cork!! Absolutely do not try to put a cork screw into a cork that is in a bottle of French style sparkling because when it lets go you can't hold it back. I have seen split lips and injured eyes. I have seen many people spray sparkling wine over people, places and things. If it is a French style sparkling I don't want that precious liquid hanging off anything except my lips!
I could go on and on about bubble nucleation, this joy in a bottle. I don't just wait for New Years, I can find a reason to pop and sip this just about anytime; first Wednesday of the week, the dog is house broken, a belated birthday, they all work for me! I can say that flutes help to keep the bubbles erupting, particularly flutes that have a tight point in the bottom. My expectation is that my flute of this delightful treat will continue to erupt bubbles into my mouth until the glass is empty and that my mouth will feel like the party is going on!
If you love bubbly, get the real deal and enjoy. It's Not Just For New Years!!
CHEERS!
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