CHAMPAGNE vs SPARKLING WINE

I had an argument with a friend yesterday about the differences between Champagne and Sparkling wine. To him, both champagne and Sparkling wine are the same, except you can't call Sparkling wine Champagne as it is not from the Champagne Region in France.

He is right on the Champagne naming but it is incorrect to say that  Champagne and Sparkling wine are the same.  Apart from the fact that the final product are both sparkling and bubbly, there is a difference on how champagne is made vs some sparkling wine. 


There are two* key methods in making sparkling wine. They are the TRADITIONAL METHOD (commonly known as the CHAMPAGNE METHOD) and the TANK METHOD. 


TRADITIONAL METHOD

In this method, winemakers allow the second fermentation to take place in the bottle itself. The wine is left to mature for 9 months to 3 years in the bottle to allow the yeast autolysis process to take place.  Thereafter, the bottles are riddled at different time period in a process called Remuage so that the lees will eventually settle in the neck of the bottle. Once the bottle is in an upside down position, the neck of the bottle is frozen in the brine and the crown cap removed. The yeast is ejected due to the pressure. The final step is to fill up the bottle with sweetened wine aka Liquer D'Expedition and  the sparkling wine is finally ready to be corked and dressed.  


Examples of Sparkling wine made using Traditional Method are CHAMPAGNE, CREMANT, CAVA (Spain)

Maturation in an underground cellar

Pupitre - aka Riddling Racks used in making Champagne

TANK METHOD


The key difference between the Tank and the Traditional Method is that the 2nd fermentation takes place in a sealed tank rather than in bottle. Dry wine is placed with sugar, yeast and clarifying agent in a tank. Thereafter, Sendiments are removed by filtration under pressure. Then, it is bottled. This is the most efficient and faster alternative.


Examples of Sparkling wine made using Tank Method are SEKT (German), ASTI/ PROCESCCO  (Italy)

Large Pressurized Tanks

* There is also the Transfer method which is not covered here.

BEST WINE APP

I stumbled upon the BEST WINE APP ever in Korea!!

Produced by NAVER, no. 1 portal in Korea. All you need to do is to use your iphone/smartphone, take a photo of the wine label, press GO and it will automatically scan its database. It will then reveal the VINTAGE, TYPE OF WINE, DESCRIPTION, COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, PRICE and NAME OF IMPORTER. 

Watch the video below:

WINE MARKETING

Front

This is the reason why they say that AUSTRALIANS are the best wine marketers. 


I bought the 2009 YALUMA The Y Series Shiraz at the Duty Free in Singapore Changi Airport recently.

Back

The fact that it has a peel away "To remember" label is priceless! 

As a wine buff, I am thrilled!!!

Also, Let us not forget that the Australians are among the first to introduce varietal labeling and provide information on wine and food pairing.

Keep up the good work!

ARE YOU THERE VODKA?

I had the book "ARE YOU THERE VODKA, IT'S ME CHELSEA" for months!  I had no urge to read it as I really dont care much for Chelsea Handler, American Stand Up Comedian! (I gathered you would know by now that I didnt buy the book!)

One fine day, when drinks run dry, I decided to quench my thirst and read the book because of VODKA!

I was surprisingly humored by it!! It was rude, crazy and abit out of this world!

Below are my 2 favorite drinks excerpts from the book:

"I looked up at the ceiling. "Are you there, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea. Please get me out of jail and I promise I will never drink again. Drink and Drive. I will never drink and drive again. I may even start my own group fashioned after MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, but I'll call it AWLTDASH, ALCOHOLICS WHO LIKE TO DRINK AND STAY AT HOME.

"Someone told me that grapefruit was a great detoxifier and I decided I wanted to start cleaning out my liver while I was having a cocktail."

BOTTLE SHOCK

 

“Bottle-shock aka Bottle-sickness is a temporary condition of the wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken during travel. After a few weeks, the condition usually disappears”

 In 2008, I saw a movie called BOTTLE SHOCK, based on a true event when a California wine defeated a French wine in a blind taste test in the 1976 wine competition termed “JUDGEMENT OF PARIS” or in my own term “A SLAP IN THE FACE for the French wine industry”!

The winning wine was none other than the 1973 CHATEAU MONTELENA CHARDONNAY

The wine almost did not make it. It has turned brown in the bottle (a condition later known as Bottle Shock) and the owner Barrett Sr called for the whole vintage to be dumped. Luckily, his son Bo discovered that the brown color is only temporary and managed to recover the wine and travel to Paris for the competition.  The rest is history!

I am lucky to get my hands on a bottle of 2005 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay after watching the movie. It is crisp, medium body with good acidity. The appearance is golden yellow. The nose and palette have complex hints of honey, sweet oak, citrus and stone fruits. Definitely worth a sip!

THE ORIGIN OF SIP

I first came across the Japanese Manga KAMI NO SHIZUKU (神の雫) aka DROPS OF GOD in 2008 when someone passed me book 1 - 15 of the comics to decide if we should make this into a movie. 

Written by a Japanese Brother and sister duo, the manga series has taken the wine world by storm and has indirectly spiked up the sales of wines featured in the comics! The story combines a mystery plot which involves a competition to find 12 mystery wines known as the "Twelve Apostle" in order to unravel the 13th heavenly wine known as "Drops of God"! All the wine featured in the manga are real wines. The stories are told in a fun and contemporary way which make learning or reading about wine fun!!

Finally, the movie did not get make (much to my disappointment). Instead, it ignited my passion for wine! Like all faithful "followers", I went around looking for the wines featured in the comics! The more I drink, the more addicted I've become. To take it to higher ground, I enrolled in a wine course and currently holds the WSET Advanced certificate in Wine and Spirits! What does that mean?

It means I am now a CERTIFIED DRINKER!