Learn the difference between them, so as not to refer incorrectly,
for the various sparkling wines that exist
Sparkling wines are a worldwide symbol of celebration. Every celebration, be it a simple dinner for two, end-of-the-year gifts, or a toast to the fact of reaching an objective, some success, such as a promotion at work, or passing a competition, etc., is associated with opening a copy of drinking.
The main characteristic of good sparkling wines is precisely the presence of bubbles, which must be continuous, fine and numerous – “perlage”.
How bubbles form – PERLAGE?
The word perlage comes from the French “perle”, or pearl, and is used to refer to the bubbles of sparkling wines, champagnes and sparkling wines. First, to understand the processes involved in the production of sparkling wines, it is interesting to know how bubbles form in the drink.
Sparkling wines are products of two fermentations. IN First, becomes the base wine, which foams when mentioned. IN Monday fermentation, a chemical reaction occurs to convert grape sugars into alcohol. One of the products of this reaction is precisely carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the liquid and is released only when the bottle is opened. In addition, ethyl alcohol and other higher alcohols are formed that contribute to the flavor of sparkling wine.
Carbon dioxide has a simple and slightly acidic taste, which adds a great gustatory and tactile impact to the drink.
or the amount of this gas contributes to the vitality and freshness of the sparkling wine, increasing its tannic flavor and decreasing its sweet taste. As we can see it is very wrong and harmful to the quality and taste of the drink, shaking, shaking the bottle before opening … as we see in many films and places, … , as this will reduce its perlage, the bubbles of the drink, modifying its taste and the sensations caused.
CHANGING
It is very common to hear that they will be serving or drinking champagne… but are they really drinking champagne? People call every sparkling wine champagne, but the vast majority are not. To be champagne, certain requirements must be met.
What would these requirements be? It happens that in addition to having exclusivity in production method, the grapes must be from the “Champagne” region of France. We should all pay attention to the fact that there is no single category of sparkling wines… Sparkling wines differ from each other in terms of taste, fermentation process and grapes used.
In fact, as we shall see, the region of its production also intervenes. Let’s differentiate here the three most popular sparkling wines in the world:
– in champagne, – or prosecco and – in cava.
Champagne
Champagne is the most popular sparkling wine in the world, when we talk about it, and it is repeated that its name is the most cited, as a synonym for sparkling wine.
In fact, only sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of France can be called champagne. They should be made from some types of grapes, that are:
– Pinot Noir, – Pinot Meunier or – Chardonnay,
– or often, from a combination of all three.
Champagne is produced through “Champagne Method”a method comprising for one called a monk Dom Perignon (today one of the most famous champagne houses – hallowed brand) and refined by the widow(s) Click (one of the most famous champagne houses).
methods
The champenoise method consists of adding more yeast and sugar to the wine base, and then bottling the sparkling wine for a second fermentation. During this second fermentation process, the wine is placed on a table with holes (invented by Madame Clicquot) that allows the ideal inclination of the bottle, so the drink is purified, which when manually rotated and held at an angle, eliminates peaks and residual sediments. From there, the bottle is lifted and opened (eliminating waste through the expansion of gases) and then recapped.
IT IS AN EXCLUSIVE PROCESS DEFINED BY LAW
Due to the exclusivity defined by law, in the harvesting methods and region, Champagne has a greater added value than Prosecco and Cava.
Prosecco
Prosecco is flashing in Italian better known and competes directly with champagne in popularity.
Real Prosecco, like Champagne, must be made in Veneto region in Italy. In addition to the geographical difference of the grape, its production differs from champagne, also in the method.
It happens that in its second fermentation, (the one that creates bubbles – perlage), this is done in steel tanks than inside the bottles themselves. This makes its aroma Procheco softer and less fermented.
Prosecco is generally sweeter than Champagne or Cava, with larger and more diffuse bubbles, with notes (taste perception) of apple, pear, lemon, floral and tropical.
Cava
Originally from Catalonia, east of the Iberian Peninsula, this sparkling wine dates back to the 19th century, when, in 1872, the first bottles were made in a small town in the province of Barcelona.
First it was called champagne or champagnethe aim was to emulate the wines made in the Champagne region of France.
But, over the years, the Spanish realized that their product had high quality but different features AND French drink, and found in the word cava — meaning VINERY or cavern — the best definition of it.
or Designation of origin was created only in 1972when, like champagne, it became necessary to follow some the rules for printing this name in your tags
According to the current legislation, the authorized geographical areas includes 106 cities (of which Penedés stands out) spread over seven autonomous communities:
– CataloniaNavarra, Aragon, Rioja, Extremadura, Valence e Alava.
Its characteristics are that it is produced with the following grape varieties: – Macabeu;
– pairs;
– and Xarello;
– and in some cases with Chardonnay and Pinot.
Despite the different grapes and the geographical problem, the method used to produce Cava is very similar to that of Champagne. Like champagne, the second fermentation of Cava takes place inside the bottle itself, however, because it is outside the French region, the method is known as “méthode traditionalelle”.
Once done fermentationthe process of payback
No. What does this recovery consist of?
It consists in setting BOTTLE on a pedestal with strait down, where for several days they rotate in 1/4 turncausing the sediment to settle on the cap.
Once this is done, the block is frozen with liquid nitrogen and the solid part is removed. Only after these steps the drink receives the expedition liqueur and cork.
What is it expedition drinks? It is the tool used to perform sugar distribution of the final product, where the final characteristic of the product is determined by the presence of sugar.
This division takes place in:
– Extra-crude: at 6 g/L.
– Gross: 6.1 to 15 g/L.
– Seco: 15.1 to 20 g / L.
In addition to the fact that the processing method is necessarily traditional, in order to receive this designation, even sparkling wine should stay in contact with the yeast for at least nine months after fermentation.
What distinguishes Cava from champagne are: – the grapes, – the region where it is produced, – and the mechanization of the second fermentation process. Another small difference between the two is the fact that for champagne, the technique of rotating and tilting the bottles is done. with handthe one for Cava is made from cars.
Lemon yellow in color, pits it can range from elegant and subtle to heavy full body
Staying for less time in the second fermentation, Cava has notes of citrus, melon, pear and a pleasant acidity.
Due to the strong sunlight in the producing regions, its taste and perfume are much more FRUIT. The mild winter brings a humility to the grapes produced there, a characteristic transferred to these labels.
VERY BRILLIANT
Sparkling wines, like wines, must be served in a suitable way and in suitable glasses, so that we can get the most out of their sensations, such as taste, appearance and aroma.
or CUP fit to enjoy a sparkling wine is the one who has elongated body and narrow cup, flute style.
What is the reason for this? This choice should be made because, when followed, it becomes ideal for the visual analysis of the perlage, as well as to preserve the delicate aromas and flavors of the drink, which gradually open.
When serving or serving, hold the glass at an angle so as not to cause loss of foam or perlage and wait for it to fill up to 2/3 of the volume of the glass.
TEMPERATURE
A good sparkling wine should be served at very low temperatures, preferably between 6°C and 8°C.
HOLDING THE CUP
There are labels in the wine world, among them, a very important one, No. keep the cup from the bowl.
Much more than formal etiquette, this rule has one practical purposebecause when you hold the cup from the bulge (body), it will probably lead to the fact that warmed your drink, your wine. (and we don’t want that, especially in white or sparkling wines).
To prevent this from happening is simple. Just always keep it on the bottom of the cup, that is, on its stem. Another way to prevent, avoid this unpleasant consequence (warming of the drink) is, if you prefer, to keep the bottom of the glass.
