Not All Sparkling Wine is Champagne
Contributor: Tersina Shieh
Champagne is a sparkling wine that is commonly chosen for special occasions and celebration. However, there are plenty of good quality sparkling wines other than Champagne that one can enjoy all year round without breaking the bank.
The bubbles in sparkling wine are carbon dioxide created during secondary fermentation in the same bottle (called the Traditional Method). The wine is then aged on lees, a procedure called yeast autolysis, to develop the bready and biscuity notes. The longer this period is, the more pronounced the yeast autolysis characters. By law, non-vintage champagne has to be aged on lees for a minimum of 12 months and vintage champagne for at least 36 months (and often much longer). The time required to produce Champagne is one of the reasons why it is expensive.
The other reason is marketing. Only sparkling wine produced within the Champagne region can be called Champagne, and this helps build the aura of exclusivity around it. A lot of sparkling wine outside Champagne is produced using the same Traditional Method but only costs a fraction of the price. Admittedly, a fine Champagne often has more finesse because of the marginal climate, complex blending and use of reserve wine that set it apart from the rest, but one should not dismiss the other sparklers as lesser quality.
In my view, the two outstanding sparkling wines outside Champagne are English sparkling wine and Franciacorta DOCG from Italy. Both have the elegance and finesse of Champagne. Southern England has similar soil to Champagne and climate change now enables England to ripen Champagne varieties reliably to make top quality sparkling wine. Cava, a sparkling wine from Spain made in the traditional method, has distinctive earthy notes. Cap Classique from South Africa follows the “champagne” method and uses mainly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc.
The New World, including Australia, New Zealand and the US, also produce good quality sparkling wine using Champagne grape varieties in the traditional method. A lot of them display riper fruit characters but a less defined structure than Champagne. Nevertheless, there are some top quality New World sparkling wines that can rival Champagne.
Sparkling wine can also be produced using the Charmat or Tank method, meaning secondary fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank rather than in bottle. This method is particularly suitable for aromatic grape varieties where wine reflects the varietal aromas rather than the yeast autolysis characters. The most popular in Hong Kong is the Italian Prosecco with fresh aromas of apple and melon. Priced at about HK$100+ per bottle, it is definitely value for money, particularly the DOCG which is of better quality.
The rising stars among sparklers are Asti and Moscato d’Asti from Italy with only one fermentation. They are highly aromatic with lower alcohol (7-7.5% and 5%), medium sweetness and less pressure, popular among young consumers.
With so many choices and reasonable prices, bubblies do not need to be saved for celebrations only. Enjoy one now.
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A marketer turned winemaker, Tersina's mission is to promote a stronger wine culture in Hong Kong and China, explaining wine in a no-nonsense way.
This post was created by a Jubee contributor. Views represented are not affiliated with Jubee. Photo by Gerd Altmann and Matej Tomazin.