P. 10 - LA PLAYA
WWW.PLAYACOMMUNITY.COM
DECEMBER / DICIEMBRE 2013
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPARKING WINE AND CHAMPAGNE By M. Stefan
formula for fermentation (sugar +
yeast = alcohol and CO2), and not
allowing the resulting gas to
escape. When you ferment wine in
a closed or sealed environment,
the CO2 returns into the wine, only
to be released in the form of tiny
bubbles after opening.
“Sparkling Wine” is made throughout the world. We’ve had incredible
examples recently from Chile,
Austria, California and Washington
State. There are also many
bubblies produced in France but
outside the Champagne zone,
including gems made under the
“Cremant” designation. But there is
only one true Champagne, from
the beautiful region near Paris,
France.
A
s we roll into the holiday
season here at the “playa”,
we’ll hear more of the
**pop-pop-pop** of sparkling wine
bottles being opened. A question
often comes up: what is the
difference between “Sparkling
Wine” and “Champagne”? Here’s
an easy and short answer for you:
A sparkling wine should only be
called Champagne if it comes from
the region of Champagne, France.
Period.
Some California producers still
attach the word Champagne to
their products, but when you think
about this it’s odd: if somebody in
France produced a wine called
“Napa Valley Merlot” it wouldn’t
make any sense, would it? Well, a
“Champagne” produced just north
of San Francisco is just as guilty.
In other words, all Champagne is
sparkling wine, but not all sparkling
wine is Champagne. Sparkling
wine is made by taking the simple
Jacqueline Brut Blanc de Blanc,
(France, Cremant) $6.25 BEST
BUY: Nice tiny bubbles with a fruity
& citrus nose. In the mouth it has a
creamy feel with hints of green
apple.
Interesting nutty finish.
Simple and clean. Excellent value.
I recently tasted seven sparkling
wines available at Felipe Motta
Wine Store in Coronado. These
range in price from $6.00 to
$64.70. And I found some real
knockout values. There actually
was only one I wasn’t real fond of.
Below are my notes, including the
pricing. All the wines are regularly
available at Felipe Motta in
Coronado as well as their other
stores.
Codorniu
Classico
(Spain)
$13.00: Earthy nose and taste.
Full bodied. Notes of earth, fig,
almond yeast and mushrooms, but
all in harmony. Very well balanced.
Goes great with food.
Jacqueline Brut Rose, (France,
Cremant) $6.00: Nice bubbles.
Hints of strawberries & peach.
Slightly sweet, simple with a sharp
finish. Not as good as the brut.
Martini Prosecco, (Italy) $11.25:
Good bubbles. Nose of citrus. In
the mouth it shows citrus, green
apples, mandarin orange and
earth. Off-dry style. Will hold up to
Asian food and other spicy meals.
Chandon
Brut
(Argentina)
$13.50: Good color with a nose of
fruit. In the mouth it is rich, creamy,
dry and earthy. Full bodied but not
overly complex.
Gloria Ferrer Sonoma Brut
(California, USA) $19.95 BEST
BUY: Mostly Pinot Noir. Excellent
color & bubbles. Nose with yeast
and deep fruit. In the mouth it
shows full flavors of mango, citrus,
honey, spices and earth. Excellent
with spicy foods, rich sauces and
other full main courses.
Moet & Chandon Rose’ Imperial
(Champagne, France) $64.70:
Truly elegant and complex. Lovely
pink color.
Long lasting, tiny
bubbles.
Elements of smoked
salmon, strawberries, blueberries,
cherries and a hint of wood. When
you want one of the best, you can’t
go wrong here!
______
M. Stefan has over 20 years
experience in the wine trade and
has
traveled
extensively
throughout the wine producing
regions of the world.
His
column is a regular feature of La
Playa Community.