At the last round of writing and social media workshops I delivered to Community Futures South Fraser in Abbotsford, I was inspired to do two things by the clients who attended.
Here is one of them: A new wine word every Wednesday.
I'm not sure if we'll continue with the title, "Wednesday's wine word," or if we'll use some other configuration of the three Ws—Wednesday, wine, word. Time, as they say, will tell. Or, maybe, you will tell because you have a better idea for the regular wine-word-explanation feature on Wednesdays. Please share if you do.
Champagne
While Champagne is a sparkling wine, not all wine that sparkles is actually Champagne. Make sense? I didn't think so.
In order for a sparkling wine to be called Champagne, it must come from the area in France also called Champagne. And, it must be made in the traditional method from any combination of these three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. If the wine is made from Chardonnay exclusively, then it is called a Blanc de Blancs; if it is made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or a combination of the two, it is called a Blanc de Noirs. And, yes, you can have a rosé Champagne.
There are different levels of sweetness, from bone-dry to very sweet:
- Brut (very dry)
- Extra dry (just off-dry)
- Sec (medium dry)
- Doux (sweet, dessert-style sparkler)
Champagne is a delicious, albeit costly, wine that is perfect for celebrations. However, since we like to celebrate often at our house, we usually count on a much more wallet-friendly sparkling wine made in the traditional method: Cava from Spain.
I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty.
~Madame Lily Bollinger on Champagne
Cheers to you!
Copyright © 2011 Kathleen Rake. All rights reserved.
