3 facts about Champagne, err, Sparkling Wine
3 Facts about Champagne
by Haydn Adams | Beyond Napa Wine Blog
I have been having a hankering to do a write-up about a few facts and myths about Sparkling Wines / Champagne. So here are 3 mythbusting facts about the bubbly.
1. Can you call a sparkling wine Champagne in the US?
Yes. You can, if it was produced before 2006. Officially the Treaty of Madrid from 1891 designates that only wine from Champagne, France can be called Champagne. Unfortunately the U.S. didn’t get that memo. The United States recognizes the exclusive nature of the name, yet still maintains a legal structure in which longtime U.S. producers can continue to use the term “Champagne”. And you have to wonder why the French don’t like us?
So legally you can call Sparkling Wine Champagne in America. But, out of courtesy to the French, try to use Sparkling Wine.
2. Why doesn’t Champagne have a vintage date? Does having a vintage date on the bottle make it better?
Generally a wine maker will blend various vintages together to make a Champagne. There is nothing special about it. Much like a wine maker might make a Zinfandel with 98% Zin and 3% Merlot. It is just in trying to decipher the right blend to make it work. You’ll know it doesn’t have a vintage date by the indication “NV” on a wine list.
Vintage dates on Champagne bottles are treated as highly as the word “reserve”. Both mean absolutely nothing about the wine. Just like “reserve” (I really don’t like that word) has no set definite meaning, the same applies to a “vintage” sparkling wine. Now that year might be extraordinary and yes, in rare cases, a vintage date might hold, well, bubbles (yes, pun intended), but 98% it is just because they didn’t blend vintages, plain and simple. Sadly I’ve seen people pay a good sum of money for a vintage Champagne.
I can say I’ve had some of the most expensive non-vintage Champagne (yes, from France) and it didn’t have a vintage date and still my knees were about to give out from the exquisite taste.
3. Should I care what the bubbles look like in the Champagne?
Yes. Ladies, listen up. If your date comes over and brings Champagne, err Sparkling Wine, that has bubbles larger than you’d find in a Coke, chances are good to great that he paid about $5 for the bottle. The bubbles are from the yeast cells expiring (blowing up turning to bubbles). Well-made sparkling wines have bubbles the size of grains of sand. As well, small bubbles look so much sexier than big bubbles. And so, in this occasion, size does matter, though in this case, smaller is better.
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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com
