WineInk: A Champagne December
The calendar has turned for the final time this year, and we find ourselves, suddenly it seems, nearing the end of 2024.
December is the time of year to revel in the rituals of celebration and joy that the holidays bring. From the lighting of the candles on the menorah to the opening of gifts on Christmas morning, to ringing in the New Year, these are all a part of our culture and hallmarks of the season of good cheer. Of course, all that requires ample toasting.
And that’s where Champagne comes in.
Few things in life spur our emotions like the sound of glasses clinking and the sight of bubbles rising in a flute at midnight as we ring in the New Year. For some, the emotions may be somber, remembering the trials and tribulations and those we have lost in the year just gone. For others, the optimism and view of a brighter tomorrow is personified by the tiny, shiny bubbles in their flutes. Be it tears or smiles, a glass of Champagne has the power to impact our souls and leave a powerful impression.
While it’s true that there are any number of different wines made around the world that also sparkle (We love our Prosecco and American-made sparkling wines, for example), for the biggest and best celebrations, only the real thing will do.
Champagne has been the beverage of choice for marking special moments and life’s finest occasions for centuries. In 987, when Hugh Capet was crowned as the King of France at the cathedral of Reims, the big town in the Champagne wine region, he insisted that his coronation include what was then a still wine made from pinot noir grapes for the occasion. The tradition continued and the coronations of future French kings crowed at Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims saw wines from Champagne poured for centuries to come. That’s a pretty high bar.
While royalties’ affection for sipping Champagne is well documented, the origins of having a midnight toast to ring in the New Year are a little more murky. Some suggest that the tradition goes back to ancient Roman times and even to pagan rituals surrounding the winter solstice. Others ascribe it to a froufrou French restaurant, Café Martin, in New York in the early 1900s. Regardless, the practice of sharing a glass of bubbles and a kiss as the clock strikes midnight has become one of our society’s most endearing customs.
Years before the Madison Avenue machine learned how to manipulate the masses by making them desire what the wealthy already had, the great Champagne houses of France were promoting their products as part of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Extravagant bottles, limited availability, and celebrity endorsements were all part of the package. To this day no wine, perhaps no other ingestible product in the world is as closely associated with the good life as Champagne, the ultimate symbol of opulence.
But beyond marketing hype, Champagne is also one of the great wine styles. Champagne comes exclusively from a cool climate region in Northern France of the same name. A part of its exclusivity can be traced to the region’s efforts to protect the name and its product. According to law, a law so sacrosanct that it was re-ratified in the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War, Champagne can only be called Champagne if it is made in the region.
Three main grapes are used in Champagne. Two — Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier — are “black grapes” while the third, chardonnay, is a white grape. Most Champagnes are blends of these grapes, but a house (as wineries are called in Champagne) might make a “Blanc de blanc,” or “White of white,” made entirely of chardonnay.
The original Méthode Champenoise, now called the Méthode Traditionelle, is the time-honored way of making champagne. Sparkling wine starts by making still wines without bubbles. The juice from the different grapes is then blended to the wine maker’s specifications.
The blended wines are placed in bottles for secondary fermentation and a mixture of yeast and sugar, called a liqueur de tirage, is introduced to the blend. The yeast and sugar begin to make magic as fermentation begins, carbon dioxide is formed, and the alcohol level begins to rise. The winemaker will leave the wine in the bottles for an extended period, turning the bottles, or riddling them, regularly, and gradually dropping the head of the bottle downward, so that the dead yeast cells will eventually settle in the neck of the bottle.
They then go through a process called disgorgement where the necks of the wine bottles are dipped into a freezing solution separating the used yeast from the now sparkling wine, and when opened, expelling the yeast. It is then corked and, ultimately, sent out into the world to play its special role in our special occasions.
A good Champagne is a celebration in itself. It will be clear and clean in the glass, preferably a tall Champagne flute. The bubbles will slowly spring from the bottom and sides of the glass to the surface. On the nose, you may pick up hints of a variety of fruits. Melon, apricot, and apple may stand out. The first sip, depending on the Champagne, may be bright and light. And a great Champagne will feel creamy on the tongue.
We are all richer when we drink Champagne. Have a great December.
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