Thursday, December 12, 2024

Our Simple Champagne and Sparkling Wine Buying Guide

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Bubbles We’re Loving Right Now

Recaredo Cava Brut Nature Terrers, Penedès, Spain ($38)
Full-bodied, mineral, green apple

Falconry Pink Smash Chenin Pét-Nat, Margaret River, Australia ($30)
Lush, velvety, grapefruit zest

Cruse Wine Co. Tradition Sparkling Wine, NV, California ($45)
Structured, creamy, lemon zest

Champagne Telmont Réserve de la Terre, Champagne, France ($106)
Toasty, citrus, almond

Champs de l’Abbaye 2021 Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France ($28)
Nimble, fresh pastry, jasmine blossom

Wine Glossary

Blanc de blancs and blanc de noirs refer to the grapes used in the wine: Blanc de blancs refer to white grapes, whereas a blanc de noirs is made with red grapes exclusively.

Dosage refers to the amount of sugar added to bottles during their second fermentation. The less sugar added, the drier the final wine will be.

Frizzante and spumante designate the strength of carbonation in Italian sparkling wines. The former is gently sparkling, whereas the latter features stronger, more persistent bubbles.

Pétillant naturel, often shortened to pét-nat, is an ancient method of winemaking unattached to a specific grape or region. Additionally referred to as “méthode ancestrale,” these wines see only a single in-bottle fermentation, where naturally occurring yeasts which are left inside the bottle to continue fermenting. The result is a gently sparkling wine, which can express funkier flavors thanks to the natural yeasts.

Nonvintage bottles use a blend of grapes from several different years unlike wine from a specific vintage, which refers to grapes of one single harvest.

Forced carbonation is the practice of using machinery to carbonate a still wine instead of letting yeasts do the heavy lifting.

Secondary fermentation is one process by which a wine transforms into sparkling. First it ferments in a barrel or steel tank, then it’s bottled, where remaining yeasts activate the second fermentation.

The Charmat method is a less-expensive way to complete a second fermentation. Wines made with the Charmat method, like most proseccos, undergo their second fermentation in a large-format steel tank.

Méthode champenoise, or méthode traditionnelle, is how all Champagnes are made—it refers to the practice of completing the second fermentation in the bottle.

A cuvée is each Champagne house’s proprietary blend of grapes they mix into their specific expression of Champagne.

Lees are the spent yeasts left inside bottles during their second fermentation. “Resting on the lees” refers to the amount of time the wine matures in contact with these yeasts before disgorgement—the longer the wine rests, the more toasty flavors you’ll taste.

Image may contain Glass Goblet Alcohol Beer Beverage Food and Honey

Photograph by Suzanne Saroff, Food Styling by Maggie Ruggerio, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran

Tasting Notes

Toasty sparkling wines are typically those that have been aged—they have a distinctly bready, brioche aroma or flavor that comes from the yeast used to make the wine.

Fruity is often used to describe aromas or flavors of, well, fruit in a sparkling wine. Often these are citrusy, like lemon or grapefruit, but notes of orchard fruits, stone fruits, and berries appear as well.

Structured sparkling wines deliver a bit more vim on your palate. A wine’s structure refers
to its balance of taste, texture, aroma, and acidity. A well-structured wine will have an impressively subtle balance of everything all at once.

Mineral or minerality describes chalky or flinty flavors. These notes can help to balance sweetness and acidity.

A golden champagne drink on a blue background

Pleasantly bitter Suze pairs with ginger syrup, sparkling wine, and a piece of candied ginger that fizzes and bubbles from the bottom of the glass.

View Recipe



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