Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine
Does Sparkling Wine measure up to the iconic bubbly of Champagne?
A closer look at the techniques that define each style of wine.
Champagne is a drink that carries a certain panache, a poshness that elevates it to superstar status and only the very rich can afford to drink it on a daily basis. However, the world’s population seems to be drinking more of the intoxicating bubbly than this small region in France can make available, hence the increased popularity of sparkling wine.
Why Champagne?
For a bottle to bear the word ‘champagne’ the wine has to originate from a small region of France near Paris of the same name, Champagne. Also, there is a very intricate, time-consuming and expensive method by which champagne is made that dates back to 1638 and a monk named Dom Perignon who has been attributed with its creation.
The original technique of making champagne is known as the ‘Traditional Method’ (once called Méthode Champenoise but this was forbidden by the European Union in 1994 as it was considered confusing). This includes a secondary fermentation that takes place in the individual bottles and requires constant movement or ‘riddling’ to gradually coax the spent yeast cells to the neck of the bottle where they are eventually removed.
Three main grape varieties contribute to the blend of Champagne, they are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Menieur (the latter two are dark-skinned grapes). However, there are cuvees available that are 100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs) or without any Chardonnay (Blanc de Noir) or even a blend of just Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
How does Sparkling Wine Compare?
The use of word ‘champagne’ may be restricted to the certain region of France, but not the technique by which the wine is made. Excellent wines are produced by the same meticulous method from many regions around the world, but by law, must don the moniker of ‘Sparkling Wine’.
Due to the popularity of Champagne and all the associations that go along with it, sparkling wine is too often looked down upon as a product of lesser quality, however this is simply not the case. Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain and several of the producers rival those of their French counterparts. In Australia, Tasmania and the Yarra Valley are renowned for their versions of sparkling wine as is California, Oregon and Marlborough in New Zealand.
While several of these regions use the traditional grapes of Champagne, many use their own national varieties in the blend. Cava is a blend of Maccabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo; while Australia makes a sparkling Shiraz.
The Last Sip
In any wine shop there is a large disparity among the bottles of bubbly and their respective price tags. This has to do with region of origin and the method by which the wine was made. When choosing a bottle from any region other than Champagne, be sure to look for the words ‘Traditional Method’ on the label. Among other techniques of making sparkling wine are the Transfer, Tank and Asti methods, none of which involve the care, time and precision of conventional process.
With today’s range from around the world at all price levels, every day can be celebrated with a bit of the bubbly. As Napoleon Bonaparte said “In victory you deserve Champagne, in defeat, you need it”.
