The old year gives way to the new. As usual, we will greet him with unrealistic resolutions, loud gunshots and enthusiastic toasts. And if the toast is known – necessarily with champagne. Because New Year’s Eve without bubbles is like Santa without a sack. But is everything with bubbles really champagne?
Although we like to use this mental shortcut, the truth is merciless – not everything that sparkles and has percentages is champagne. The name of this liquor is reserved and only selected producers can use it. Because Champagne is a sparkling wine made using the Champagne method in Champagne and several other regions of France. A unique wine, very luxurious and, unfortunately, extremely expensive. Fortunately, to celebrate a special occasion, we do not have to make a dramatic choice between a drink from Champagne for a three-figure amount and a sparkling wine from Russia for PLN 10. If we want to taste a good sparkling wine, we can spend several dozen zlotys and enjoy the taste of delicious Italian prosecco or delicious Spanish cava. Bubbles connect them with champagne, and quite a lot separates them.
Sparkling symbol of luxury
It is not without reason that champagne is considered a symbol of luxury. The cheapest champagne costs around PLN 120 – 150 per bottle and it is the lowest possible price. It is not uncommon for champagne to cost several thousand zlotys and the most expensive one has reached the price of 1.2 million pounds! Why is champagne so expensive? Because Champagne is valued, the weather does not spoil the vineyards and the production of champagne is subject to strict requirements and requires a lot of effort. The champagne method consists of a second fermentation, which is carried out in bottles. The wine intended for the production of champagne begins its adventure in a quite ordinary way. The grapes go into vats where they undergo normal fermentation. It is worth mentioning here that only three grape varieties can be used to produce champagne: chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. When the wine seems ready, it does not finish its work. Having reached the alcohol level of approx. 11%, it is poured into bottles. Then grape juice and yeast are added to the wine. Thanks to this admixture, the magic of Mary begins in the bottle closed with a cap – the wine begins to ferment for the second time. The product of this secondary fermentation is (apart from alcohol) carbon dioxide, i.e. our desired bubbles. Bottles with maturing champagne are aged in peace and quiet for at least 15 months. During this time, it acquires the characteristic bread and yeast aromas that make it so unique among all the sparkling company. After the end of aging comes an important moment: you need to get rid of the yeast sediment from the champagne. For this purpose, the bottles are gradually turned “upside down”. The sludge flows into the necks, which are then frozen and the icy sediment adhering to the cork is removed. After these treatments, the bottle is finally corked and the drink is ready to leave Champagne to bring a bit of luxury to the world.
Not only champagne is produced using the champagne method. Spanish cava is also made in the same way. Thanks to its affordable price and quite exquisite taste, cava is an excellent alternative to expensive champagne. The favorable Catalan climate, shorter maturation period and fewer restrictions related to the production of cava mean that we can enjoy first-class bubbles for about PLN 60 per bottle.
The most famous Italian bubbles
If we do not want to overpay for toasts, the famous Italian bubbles come to our aid: prosecco produced in Veneto. The desired effervescence is achieved here by another, less expensive Charmat method. Its secret lies in the fact that the second fermentation is carried out not in bottles, but in vats. Grape juice and yeast are added to the fermented wine and allowed to work until carbon dioxide and additional alcohol are produced. The prosecco is then filtered from the lees and bottled under pressure to preserve those wonderful bubbles. Cheaper, faster, but not bad at all. This method produces wines that are definitely fresher in taste, more fruity and refreshing. Raising a prosecco toast of satisfactory quality costs PLN 45-50.
And how to tell the difference between champagne and prosecco at first glance? Naturally after bubbles. In champagne they are definitely more durable, the wine itself foams less and the bubbles stay in the glass for a long time. In prosecco, the bubbles are lighter, more volatile, and the wine enriched with them foams more. In addition, prosecco is brighter than champagne, more fruity in taste and aroma and devoid of bread and yeast notes.
In addition to the two methods of producing wine bubbles described by us, there is also a third, the cheapest one. It simply injects CO2 or carbon dioxide into rather poor quality wine. We will pay about PLN 10 for such a carbonated drink and its advantages end there. It is difficult to find any taste sensations in such a drink. We recommend that you exercise extreme moderation when making toasts with this kind of invention. To paraphrase the golden thought of Vladimir Lenin: better less and better than more and worse.
Let’s welcome the New Year properly. Champagne, cava, prosecco? The choice is yours. For good health.
Renata Pyskiewicz – Kowalska
