Celebrate with Champagne
Think 'Champagne' and the
first thing that comes to mind is celebration. No other wine is so associated
with joy and gaiety as is Champagne. This drink has toasted millions of
weddings, launched thousands of ships and attended an innumerable number
of parties.
So what is champagne
anyway?
Champagne contains about
12% alcohol, and is actually a form of sparkling wine. However, all
sparkling wines are not Champagne. Only those which are made in the Champagne
region, in the northeast of France, are called Champagne. The Champagne
region was once an important trade centre because of its easy accessibility,
and as commercial activity increased in this region, the wines of Champagne
gained in popularity.
However, in the earlier years,
till the mid-1600s, the drink 'Champagne' was as yet non-existent. Wines
were all in their still form, and they were a favourite amongst the nobles
and aristocracy of that time. During their making, wines had a tendency
to bubble, and most winemakers spent a lot of their time trying to contain
these bubbles. Wines with bubbles were considered to be of poor quality.
Dom Perignon, one such wine maker, also spent most of his time trying to
figure out a way to contain these bubbles. In doing so, he stumbled upon
an art of blending the grapes to such perfection, that the resultant drink
was nothing short of brilliant. Thus, champagne was born. So while Perignon
was not the 'inventor' of champagne, as the bubbles were always there,
he was the first 'master blender'. Before long, this drink became the preferred drink at aristocratic parties in France and England, and eventually the production of Champagne became a full fledged, organized industry.
American Champagne
For a long time, only the
French had the right to bottle Champagne. According to the Treaty of Madrid
and the Treaty of Versailles, a sparkling wine had to be produced in the
Champagne region to be labeled 'Champagne'. (This is perhaps what led Winston
S Churchill to proclaim, during World War I, "Remember gentlemen, it's
not just France we are fighting for, it's Champagne!") However, as the
United States was in the midst of Prohibition in 1919, it did not enter
into this treaty. The minute Prohibition was lifted, America took advantage
of this loophole and came out with their own version of Champagne. Thus,
the American Champagne was born. However, such Champagnes must make a mention
of the region they were produced in, on the label of the bottle.
Making Champagne
As everyone knows, or should
know, wine is made from grapes, and conclusively, so is champagne. Three
types of grapes are used in the wine making process: Pinot Meunier, Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay. Of these, Chardonnay is the most expensive and provides
for a very fine quality of champagne. Blanc de Blanc champagnes are made
exclusively with Chardonnay grapes, and are the most delicate of all champagnes.
Blanc de Noirs, on the other hand, are white in colour, but are made from
black grapes, and have some Chardonnay in their blend. They are fuller
and heavier than pure Chardonnays.
Toasts
Which is the best champagne
to toast with? Most wine experts recommend Blanc de Blanc, because it is
light, crisp, and goes well with light foods. On the other hand, if you
are looking for a champagne to go with a meal, go in for a Blanc Noir,
which is heavier and can stand up to richer food.
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