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Bubbles in wine sign of celebration
  
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By Ron Saikowski
Houston Wine Walk
Bubbles put sparkles in wine and signify celebration. For many people, sparkling wines go “hand in hand” with the bringing in of a new year and the related celebrations and hope for a wonderful year. Wines are meant to be shared with friends. Sparkling wines are meant to celebrate with friends.
Sparkling wines actually started in England in the early 1600s, but the methods to produce the best sparkling wines were established in the Catholic Abbey of Hautvillers under the watchful eye of Dom Perignon.
This abbey in Epernay in the Champagne District of France is credited with setting the standards in the 1690s for sparkling wines.
Hence when anyone thinks of sparkling wine, the term “champagne” is synonymous. Over the next several hundred years, the methods of growing specialized grapes and the making of sparkling wines were exported to other areas of Europe with grape varieties modified. The French Champagne wines are made only with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes which are planted at certain spacings.
When the sparkling wines made their way to Spain in the late 1800s, the wines were made from two white grapes, being Macabeo and Xarel-lo which are grown in the northeast region of Spain. Sparkling wines also made their way to Veneto region of Italy which is in the northeast region of Italy with Venice as its capital. The sparkling wines in this area are grown from the Prosecco grapes and hence most Italian sparkling wines from this area are called Prosecco. Sparkling wines are also made in the Piedmont, being the northwest region of Italy. These sparkling wines are made from Nebbiolo & Moscato grapes and are called Spumonte sparkling wines.
Sparkling wines have made their way to our country. California has several wineries (i.e. Domaine Chandon, Korbel, Coppola, Gloria Ferrer, Sutter Home, etc.) which produce sparkling wines utilizing a variety of grapes using the classic grapes of the Champagne region along with Zinfandel and Muscat grapes. Texas also has several wineries (i.e. Messina Hof, Wichita Falls Winery) making sparkling wines from those same grapes grown in California which make sparkling wines.
Sparkling wines have also made their way to the southeast portion of Asia such as Australia (i.e. Jacob’s Creek) and China (i.e. Dynasty).
The great sparkling wines are made from Methode Champenoise which is based on Dom Perignon’s standards.
This procedure was modified around 1801 by Jean-Antonie Chaptal who quantified the amount of sugar in making sparkling vines. Madame Nicole-Barbe Clicquoit, Jules Guoyat, and Adolphe Jacquesson also improved on this method which was quantified into French Wine Law.
This method starts with hand-harvesting of grapes just prior to the grapes bursting out with sugars. The low-sugar grapes produce low-alcohol wines initially in a process called CUVEE.
At bottling, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added which ferments in the bottle in a closed condition to add more alcohol and carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process (called En Tirage). The bottle after this secondary fermentation is positioned at a 45-degree level and turned slightly over several weeks to induce the sediment to fall toward the cork at the neck of the bottle (called Remuage).
Once the sediment is moved by gravity toward the cork, the wine neck is placed in a super-cold brine solution to freeze the wine and sediment in the neck of the bottle. An experienced winery worker removes the cork and frozen wine and sediment and re-corks the wine without losing too much of the bubbly pressure (called Degorgement).
These sparkling wines best show their fine bubbles in tall, fluted clear glasses. Sparkling wines were earlier showcased in round, wide-mouthed glasses because of an edict from King Louis of France. This edict specified during a fit of drunken stupor and passion by King Louis that sparkling wines be drunk in these round, wide-mouth crystal wine glasses shaped like Marie Antoinette’s breasts.
Be careful when opening sparkling wines due to pressures in the bottle. Those sparkling wines are capped with a wire cage because the bottle pressures can reach as high as 150 PSI.
Corks have been measured by scientists leaving a bottle of sparkling wine at over 50 miles per hour. Open only well chilled sparkling wines since the pressure in a cold bottle of sparkly is around 50 PSI. Make sure the bottle is pointed in a safe direction when removing the foil capsule and wire cage. Place a towel over the cork and hold the cork steady while slowly rotating the bottle ... yes ... rotate the bottle and not the cork. Do NOT pop the cork since the beautiful bubbles in the wine will dissipate. Slowly allow any built-up pressure to equalize with the air outside the bottle so the wine will not spew out of the bottle. Next step is to pour and enjoy with your friends!
Sparkling wines have a certain romance and mystic to them. It must be the bubbles, or is it how the bubbles got into the wine. Whatever the lure, a great sparkling wine should be on your shopping list to celebrate the New Year.
As for my friends and me, we will celebrate responsibly with sparkling wines from all over the world, starting off with a Champagne sparkling wine from France, then on to a Prosecco sparkling wine from Italy, followed by a Cavas sparkling wine from Spain, and then concluding with a bevy of sparkling wines from California, Texas and Australia. Make sure you have a designated driver during your New Year’s celebrations.
May your New Year be blessed with friends, health, happiness, and good cheer.
Enjoying your sparkling wine
Sparkling wines best show their fine bubbles in tall, fluted clear glasses.
Be careful when opening sparkling wines due to pressures in the bottle. Those sparkling wines are capped with a wire cage because the bottle pressures can reach as high as 150 PSI.
Open only well chilled sparkling wines since the pressure in a cold bottle of sparkly is around 50 PSI.
Make sure the bottle is pointed in a safe direction when removing the foil capsule and wire cage.
Place a towel over the cork and hold the cork steady while slowly rotating the bottle ... yes ... rotate the bottle and not the cork.
Do NOT pop the cork since the beautiful bubbles in the wine will dissipate. Slowly allow any built-up pressure to equalize with the air outside the bottle so the wine will not spew out of the bottle.
Sparkling wines actually started in England in the early 1600s, but the methods to produce the best sparkling wines were established in the Catholic Abbey of Hautvillers under the watchful eye of Dom Perignon.
This abbey in Epernay in the Champagne District of France is credited with setting the standards in the 1690s for sparkling wines.
Hence when anyone thinks of sparkling wine, the term “champagne” is synonymous. Over the next several hundred years, the methods of growing specialized grapes and the making of sparkling wines were exported to other areas of Europe with grape varieties modified. The French Champagne wines are made only with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes which are planted at certain spacings.
When the sparkling wines made their way to Spain in the late 1800s, the wines were made from two white grapes, being Macabeo and Xarel-lo which are grown in the northeast region of Spain. Sparkling wines also made their way to Veneto region of Italy which is in the northeast region of Italy with Venice as its capital. The sparkling wines in this area are grown from the Prosecco grapes and hence most Italian sparkling wines from this area are called Prosecco. Sparkling wines are also made in the Piedmont, being the northwest region of Italy. These sparkling wines are made from Nebbiolo & Moscato grapes and are called Spumonte sparkling wines.
Sparkling wines have made their way to our country. California has several wineries (i.e. Domaine Chandon, Korbel, Coppola, Gloria Ferrer, Sutter Home, etc.) which produce sparkling wines utilizing a variety of grapes using the classic grapes of the Champagne region along with Zinfandel and Muscat grapes. Texas also has several wineries (i.e. Messina Hof, Wichita Falls Winery) making sparkling wines from those same grapes grown in California which make sparkling wines.
Sparkling wines have also made their way to the southeast portion of Asia such as Australia (i.e. Jacob’s Creek) and China (i.e. Dynasty).
The great sparkling wines are made from Methode Champenoise which is based on Dom Perignon’s standards.
This procedure was modified around 1801 by Jean-Antonie Chaptal who quantified the amount of sugar in making sparkling vines. Madame Nicole-Barbe Clicquoit, Jules Guoyat, and Adolphe Jacquesson also improved on this method which was quantified into French Wine Law.
This method starts with hand-harvesting of grapes just prior to the grapes bursting out with sugars. The low-sugar grapes produce low-alcohol wines initially in a process called CUVEE.
At bottling, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added which ferments in the bottle in a closed condition to add more alcohol and carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process (called En Tirage). The bottle after this secondary fermentation is positioned at a 45-degree level and turned slightly over several weeks to induce the sediment to fall toward the cork at the neck of the bottle (called Remuage).
Once the sediment is moved by gravity toward the cork, the wine neck is placed in a super-cold brine solution to freeze the wine and sediment in the neck of the bottle. An experienced winery worker removes the cork and frozen wine and sediment and re-corks the wine without losing too much of the bubbly pressure (called Degorgement).
These sparkling wines best show their fine bubbles in tall, fluted clear glasses. Sparkling wines were earlier showcased in round, wide-mouthed glasses because of an edict from King Louis of France. This edict specified during a fit of drunken stupor and passion by King Louis that sparkling wines be drunk in these round, wide-mouth crystal wine glasses shaped like Marie Antoinette’s breasts.
Be careful when opening sparkling wines due to pressures in the bottle. Those sparkling wines are capped with a wire cage because the bottle pressures can reach as high as 150 PSI.
Corks have been measured by scientists leaving a bottle of sparkling wine at over 50 miles per hour. Open only well chilled sparkling wines since the pressure in a cold bottle of sparkly is around 50 PSI. Make sure the bottle is pointed in a safe direction when removing the foil capsule and wire cage. Place a towel over the cork and hold the cork steady while slowly rotating the bottle ... yes ... rotate the bottle and not the cork. Do NOT pop the cork since the beautiful bubbles in the wine will dissipate. Slowly allow any built-up pressure to equalize with the air outside the bottle so the wine will not spew out of the bottle. Next step is to pour and enjoy with your friends!
Sparkling wines have a certain romance and mystic to them. It must be the bubbles, or is it how the bubbles got into the wine. Whatever the lure, a great sparkling wine should be on your shopping list to celebrate the New Year.
As for my friends and me, we will celebrate responsibly with sparkling wines from all over the world, starting off with a Champagne sparkling wine from France, then on to a Prosecco sparkling wine from Italy, followed by a Cavas sparkling wine from Spain, and then concluding with a bevy of sparkling wines from California, Texas and Australia. Make sure you have a designated driver during your New Year’s celebrations.
May your New Year be blessed with friends, health, happiness, and good cheer.
Enjoying your sparkling wine
Sparkling wines best show their fine bubbles in tall, fluted clear glasses.
Be careful when opening sparkling wines due to pressures in the bottle. Those sparkling wines are capped with a wire cage because the bottle pressures can reach as high as 150 PSI.
Open only well chilled sparkling wines since the pressure in a cold bottle of sparkly is around 50 PSI.
Make sure the bottle is pointed in a safe direction when removing the foil capsule and wire cage.
Place a towel over the cork and hold the cork steady while slowly rotating the bottle ... yes ... rotate the bottle and not the cork.
Do NOT pop the cork since the beautiful bubbles in the wine will dissipate. Slowly allow any built-up pressure to equalize with the air outside the bottle so the wine will not spew out of the bottle.
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