Sparkling wine was firstly produced in a monastery in Limoux, France, in 1531. Through over 400 years of development, more and more kinds of sparkling wine have emerged, many of which are of superior quality. Sparkling wines are usually white or pink, but there are also red sparkling wines produced in Italy and Australia. Different producing area has different local conditions, and the grape varieties and brewing techniques used are also different, so their wine styles are different too.
When it comes to sparkling wine, many may think of champagne fi rst. A lot of people like to use the word "champagne" to refer to all sparkling wines. In fact, Champagne is just the name of a place in France. According to the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) system in France, only wines produced in Champagne and made from certain grape varieties through certain methods and processes can be labeled as “champagne”. French champagne is regarded as an aristocrat of sparkling wine. Highly expensive and popular, champagne can be seen in occasions ranging from the banquets of the 18th century to the celebrations of the 21st century. Champagne is brewed by the traditional method. The main grape varieties used for making champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
The cool climate in Champagne makes the grapes have good acidity. The base liquor is usually high in acidity and mediumbodied with low alcohol strength. Champagne has a minimum age requirement. Wines must be aged in cellars for at least 15 months, during at least 12 months of which they have to be in contact with wine lees. Champagne therefore has complex aroma, full body and dynamic bubbles, often accompanied with the flavors of cheese and toast. Most champagne is non-vintage and the base liquor is a mixture of several vintages for the purpose of ensuring the stability of the style and quality of the brands. In good years, most wineries produce vintage champagne, which has higher quality and highlights the style characteristics of a particular year. The alcohol content of most dry champagne is about 12% and the color is mainly white, but there is also some pink champagne.
Cremant refers to a kind of sparkling wine made in France (excluding Champagne) by the traditional method. Although similar to champagne, this kind of wine cannot be called champagne because it is not produced in Champagne. The grape varieties used for Cremant, often different from those used for champagne, are generally grown in the local areas.
(1) Cremant d'Alsace: Cremant d'Alsace refers to the AOC grade sparkling wine produced in Alsace, France. The main grape varieties used for making the wine are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Reisling, Auxerrois and Chardonnay. These grapes can give the wine beautiful bubbles. Blanc de Blancs Brut, brewed by Lucien Albrecht in Alsace, is beautifully bubbly, with the sweet aroma of peaches and the salty taste suitable for meals.
(2) Cremant de Bordeaux: Very few wineries produce Bordeaux, and the output is very low. The grapes used for making Bordeaux are mainly Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. If you try Bordeaux, you will find that its taste is unique. But it is difficult to find a high-quality Bordeaux.
(3) Cremant de Bourgogne: This is an excellent sparkling wine produced in the region very close to the champagne producing area and the grapes used are very similar as well.
(4) Cremant du Jura: Cremant du Jura made from Savagnin and Poulsard is frothy and interesting. But most of the better quality Cremant du Jura is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which features a tough, mineral flavor.
This article is from Food2China.
