Under the Champagne influence

There’s a reason this region is so famous. Plus: a video!

I’ve spent the last two weeks learning and studying about France. Unsurprisingly, every major wine region has some kind of deep historical impact on France as a whole. Like how Bordeaux was essentially put on the map thanks to Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 12th Century after she originally married King Louis VII of France then divorced him and married King Henry II of England, making her a ruler of both countries, and a ruler who preferred Bordeaux wines from her homeland. Or how Alsace was tossed back and forth between France and Germany depending on the political rule at the time. It’s a French region now, in case you’re wondering.

And then, of course, there’s Champagne.

I admit, I’ve always found Champagne to be a little pretentious, especially with their whole “Champagne can only come from Champagne” motto. Plus, the wine is expensive, and I’ve always wondered if the price really needed to be that steep, or if it was all part of the facade.

Turns out, like many other things I’ve come to learn in this program, I was wrong about a lot of things when it came to Champagne. (For example: I thought coupes were the proper glass for sparkling wine, but Champagne actually says “that’s so old school” and you should use a glass with a smaller opening for longer lasting bubbles. Like, oh I don’t know, a flute.)

Specifically, I was dumbfounded by the way Champagne history has affected not only the history of France (kings were coronated with bottles from Champagne!) but how this region quite literally invented sparkling wine.

More specifically, you can thank a monk by the name of Dom Pérignon.

I’m sure you’ve heard of him. Or possibly the famous wine named after him.

Dom Pérignon traveled through the Loire Valley in the 17th Century, and legend says that he learned of how tree bark (cork) could hold in the flavor and fizz of sparkling wine — along with many other key sparkling wine techniques. Around this time, innovators in Champagne also found that when their bottles sat in cooler temperatures in the winter (slowing down fermentation) then warmed up in the spring (reawakening fermentation) their wines were producing an effervescent quality. (Bubbles!!!!)

With these major innovations, and the use of tougher glass bottles that could withstand that second fermentation process, the production of sparkling wine was born.

Now there has been a lot of innovation that has happened since then, like adding sugar to the wine before second fermentation to help create bubbles, or the use of new yeast strains to decrease the number of breakages (read: explosions) thanks to the pasteurization technique of preserving wine from Louis Pasteur in 1865. But I think the most important thing to note is sparkling wine exists because of Champagne.

There is some debate about this, specifically in England where historians believe English sparkling wine was being made even before Champagne. But the techniques of Champagne — turning the bottles (“remuage”) so you can get rid of the sediment (“disgorgement”) then the added sugar before second fermentation (“dosage”) — are what truly made the practice of producing sparkling wine a reality.

You’ll see this advertised pretty much everywhere. If a producer is making some kind of sparkling wine, whether if it’s with the main three Champagne grapes (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier) or not, the producer might advertise that their wine is “made using the traditional Champagne method.” Meaning they followed the same practices of making Champagne, but they can’t actually call it that because…again… “Champagne can only come from Champagne.”

So English sparkling wine, Spanish Cava, Italian Franciacorta, are all using the same techniques invented by this very famous region in France.

I think it’s fair to say that Champagne deserves the cred (and the price) for their wines. Comité Champagne, the trade association that represents Champagne producers, protects their name so fiercely because it could easily be abused by other markets. Not just sparkling wine, but anything that claims to be a “champagne” flavor. That’s right…you can’t have a champagne-flavored salad dressing. Big no, no.

But honestly? I think it makes sense. If you invented something that is so vital to culture, I think it’s good to have clear distinctions. Especially when it comes to wine, when there are so many different ways to make it.

Note: Pétillant-Naturel, also known as “Pet-Nats,” are a completely different story. We’ll get into that in another newsletter.

Can’t afford Champagne? Look for a Crémant.

Listen, I get it; we all have different price points. A bottle of true Champagne is certainly nice for celebrations, but sometimes you want a bottle of sparkling but can’t afford Champagne, and you’re sick of always buying Prosecco or Cava. Trust me…I’ve been there. I am there.

Here’s what I’ve been doing instead.

Outside of the Champagne, within other major wine regions of France, you can find what’s called a Crémant. Specifically, you can find a “Crémant de [insert your region here],” which means that it is a sparkling wine from that particular region. Some of the most famous are Crémant de Limoux, Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Bourgogne, and Crémant de Loire.

This week, I bought a bottle of Crémant de Loire for £28 (~$36) to practice my sparkling wine opening skills, and to drink some bubbly to celebrate an award my father in law just received over FaceTime. (See my failed attempt at opening it below.)

It’s still a decent price for a sparkling wine; under half of what I would have spent on a bottle of Champagne. So if you are looking for a French sparkling wine, and have around $40, there are quite a few nice ones on shelves that will fit your budget from other famous regions.

My first attempt at properly opening a bottle of sparkling wine

It may look alright on camera, but to my lecturer, I failed for many reasons. A few notes he gave me:

• I didn’t keep my thumb on the cork. Once the cage is released, the cork could fly off from all of that pressure!

• I used the wrong hands. My dominant hand should be on the bottom to twist the bottle, and my left hand should be held steady at the top. That hand should not move at all.

• The cork next to the mirror could have been a disaster had it not gone well. Whoops.

• Too much of a pop, it needs to be more of a “delightful fizz”

Guess I’ll just have to buy another bottle and keep practicing…darn.

Wine of the week

As you can see, the wine this week is sparkling. a Crémant de Loire from the Loire Valley. It’s a Blanc de Noir (white wine made from red grapes) using Cabernet Franc grapes, a Brut (meaning dry), and the vintage is 2021.

My tasting notes

• Appearance: Pale-yellow in color (almost silver), light intensity of color, very youthful

• Nose: Light aromas (more subdued, meaning the fruit is not as prominent) of delicate white flowers and white-fleshed fruit, like nectarine.

• Palate: Lively bubbles, light in body, pronounced taste, and a short-to-medium finish.

Final conclusion

Delightfully delicate with notes of white flowers, white nectarine, and some minerality on the finish. Elegant and fresh on the palate.