What’s a Sparkling Wine?
Sparkling wine is one of the few types that can be drunk from the beggining to the end of a meal. We can start having it as an apetizer or having a desert with it.
It is a wine made from a normal wine (white, red or rosé) and it has more acidity and less alcohol content than a table wine. Its gas is due to a second fermentation that can occur using different methods:
Classic, Traditional or Champagne Method – after its normal fermentation, the wine has a second fermentation inside the bottle.
Charmat Method – because of its cost, it is used for bigger scale productions and the second fermentation occurs in bigger tanks.
Old Method – wine is bottled before the fermentation is finished. Sugar and natural yeast stay in the bottle, where they finish the alcoholic fermentation.
Continuous or Russian Method – the second alcoholic fermentation is made on the base wine after the yeast being added. It is a process that takes about one month, it is made in tanks with controlled temperature and pressure.
Where was it born?
The legend says that it was over 300 years ago that a religious monk named Dom Perignon discovered it. Trying to find a way to allow the fermentation to occur inside the bottle without breaking it, he started to use stronger bottles and to tight the cork.
He also had the idea to make the Assemblage (mix white and red wines). Having controlled its effervescence he improved the wine and made it more pleasant to drink. When he drank it he said “I am drinking stars”.
But there was still a problem. The sediments from the second fermentation were staying in the bottle, giving the wine a bad appearence. That is when the Clicquot Widow found techniques that allow to eliminate it (the Remuage and Degórgement), contributing for the improvement of the sparkling wines.
Nowadays there are no celebration without its presence.
In France, sparkling wines are known as Crémant or Champagne (the last when produced in the region that name it). In Italy, it is denominated Prosecco, in Germany it is Sekt, and in Spain it is called Cava.
In Portugal, due to great natural conditions of some regions, are produced some of the best sparkling wines in Europe.
Cheers and a Happy New Year!
