What can be better than sipping a glass of perfectly chilled champagne on a hot sultry day? It will simply delight you. Isn’t it? Many of us truly love to savor the distinctive taste of champagne. Now how many among us exactly know about this exotic drink other than its bubbly, rich taste? Read on to learn more about champagne.
An extremely popular drink, Champagne is a variety of sparkling white wine, widely produced in the Champagne region of France. It is typically produced from few varieties of grapes. Though champagne is typically a white wine, the grapes used to produce the drink are all not white. It develops the white color due to the method of extraction that minimizes the contact between the juice and skin.
Grape Varieties
Champagne is mainly prepared from three varieties of grapes:
Pinot Noir (red variety)
It is the chief grape variety used to prepare finest champagne adding body, structure, flavor and a distinctive aroma.
Pinot Meunier (red variety)
This robust variety of grape lends a floral and fruity aroma to the blend. Used extensively in producing the champagne, it makes the drink supple.
Chardonnay (white variety)
This white variety of grape produces fresher and lighter juice, producing the most perfumed and honeyed champagne. It contributes delicacy, freshness and elegance to the beverage.
Types
Different types of champagne are available for consumption.
One of the ways to distinguish different types of champagne is by vintage. It is determined by the year, the grapes were produced. The term “vintage” is commonly used while discussing types of champagne or wine. The term is simply used to refer to the year in which the grapes used in creating the beverage were grown. It is prepared by using grapes from a single year’s harvest, yielding finest quality drink. Non-vintage champagne is produced by blending wines made from grapes harvested in different years.
Champagne is also categorized based on its level of dryness, which refers to the content of sugar and its sweetness. Dry champagne tastes less sweet. Dry champagne is referred to as brut and the driest variety produced is called brut natural. Sweet varieties are known as sec or demi sec. The sweetest type is called doux.
The beverage is also classified based on the types of grapes used in its production. When white champagne is prepared using black grapes, it is known as blanc de noirs, which stands for “white of blacks” in French. This type is quite rare. The more common variety is blanc de blanc, which means white of whites. Light and delicate, it is created using white
Chardonnay grapes. Another variety is “rose champagne”, which is pink in color. It is produced using small amount of red wine mixed with the white variety to create a sweeter taste.
Why Champagne is Served Cold?
The essence of this exotic drink is the bubbles. No one likes flat champagne. We all like to see those bubbles gushing out of the bottle as you open the cork. Now, to enjoy those bubbles, a bottle of champagne should be thoroughly chilled before popping the cork. Chilled champagne retains the maximum amount of carbon dioxide. And when more carbon dioxide get dissolves in the drink, more pressure is created above the wine. So, as you open the cork, gushes of bubbles are released. The colder the drink, more carbon dioxide is dissolved and more bubbles are released.
A glass of champagne is great to boost your mood. And you will enjoy the true essence of drinking champagne when you pop open the bottle with a group of friends and cheer as bubbles gush out. So visit a fabulous bar tonight and enjoy a glass of chilled champagne.
Jason Bowman
