From the wine…
Makes me happy…
Makes me feel fine…
Since we’re well into the holiday season, what better
beverage to celebrate with than Champagne? From a well-aged Tete de Cuvee like
Cristal or Dom Perignon to the minerality of a Blanc de Blanc to the richness
of a Blanc de Noir or the fragrant fruit of a Rose… What? A nice bottle of
Champagne a little out of your price range? Or perhaps you don’t mind spending
a little during the holidays but realize that that one bottle of Krug won’t go
very far with 20 guests. Then how about purchasing some of Champagne’s foreign
cousins, sparkling wine?
What’s the
Difference?
For starters, “true” Champagne is only produced in the 76,000
or so acres in two regions in Northern France. Even within France, any
sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region cannot be labeled as
Champagne. And of course, just because a sparkling wine is made within the
region and is “true” Champagne, it doesn’t mean it will be of exceptional
quality. There is one big difference with Champagne. Because the name is
readily identifiable, true Champagne usually carries a higher price tag even if
the quality is the same as an American, Spanish or Italian sparkling wine. And
if you’re hosting a party for 20 to 30 guests, that price difference can be
quite a wallet breaker.
How About
Sparkling Wine?
Other than the “name”, the same quality and production
methods can be found in sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region. The
best sparklers from America and Spain also are made in the Methode Champenoise
or “in the method of Champagne” though you won’t see it listed as such since
Champagne also has a monopoly on designating sparkling wine as produced in the
Methode Champenoise. Even if other sparklers in Europe use the same methods of
production, they have to label their sparklers as produced in the Methode
Traditionnelle which follows the same procedures. Basically, still wine is
bottled with added yeast and sugar that creates a secondary fermentation in the
bottle. Since the bottles are sealed, the carbon dioxide formed during
fermentation dissolves in the newly formed wine (and bubbles come out of
solution when the bottle is uncorked). Most of the best Californian sparkling
wines are produced in this manner – of course, many of the Golden State’s
sparkling wine house are offshoots of their famous French founders. The same
goes for Cava from Spain where the only difference in Spanish sparklers are the
grape varieties which use Xarello, Parellada and Macabeo instead of Pinot Noir,
Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
There’s also Prosecco from Italy which is made using the
Charmat process where the secondary fermentation occurs in large stainless
steel tanks. This process is a lot cheaper so even good Prosecco only costs a
fraction of what a good traditionally produced sparkling wine would cost.
However, the Charmat process isn’t just to reduce production costs, the Charmat
process allows the finished sparkling wine to retain its fruity and fragrant
qualities which would dissipate with the longer processing of the traditional
methods.
Then there’s one of my new favorites, sparkling sake. And since both sparkling wine and sake have a place at the Tatsumoto
holiday table, why not combine the two? Still one of the beverages of choice
with sushi and sashimi but now also with the effervescence to cleanse the palate
of richer flavors and textures. So along with being a perfect partner to amaebi sushi, the effervescence in the
sparkling sake can also refresh your
palate after consuming those fried amaebi
heads. Or tempura. Or refresh your
palate after rich ankimo or uni. And there are several houses that
produce a sparkling sake like
Mizbasho, Shirakabe Gura’s Mio and Gekkeikan’s Zipang.
Doesn’t have to be
Straight Up
Since these non-traditional sparklers usually don’t carry
a king’s ransom for a price tag, you also won’t feel the pain if they are mixed
with other flavors like…
Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
I first saw this several years ago at my neighborhood
gourmet shop. About 11 flowers are packed in syrup that’s meant to adorn the
bottom of a sparkling wine fluted glass. The syrup sweetens the wine a little
and the vivid red color enlivens any toast. Add a green garnish and you have
Christmas in a glass. I normally fill the glass with Prosecco which usually is
off-dry anyway.
The French 75
Combining two of my favorite libations, gin and sparkling
wine. Add a couple of dashes of simple syrup (equal parts of sugar dissolved
into water), 1 part lemon juice, 2 parts gin and shake over ice until cold and
frosty. Add to a fluted glass then top with 4 parts sparkling wine with a lemon
zest twirl to garnish. I usually use domestic sparkling wine like Domaine
Chandon or Mumm Napa.
The PearSecco
Mix 1 part pear brandy and 4 parts pear nectar over ice
until cold and frosty. Add to a fluted glass then top with 5 parts Prosecco.
Off-dry (slightly sweet) Prosecco works better than dry Prosecco.
Kir Royale
Add 1 tablespoon of crème de cassis to the bottom of a
fluted glass. Top with chilled sparkling wine. I prefer domestic sparkling wine
but Prosecco also works for this libation.
You can substitute almost any fruity type of liqueur for
the crème de cassis such as framboise (raspberry liqueur), Midori (melon
liqueur), Extase (orange liqueur with cognac) or strawberry liqueur (add a strawberry
garnish).
Lychee Fizz
Add 1 tablespoon each of St Germain (elderflower liqueur)
and Soho (litchi liqueur) to a fluted glass. Top with sparkling sake.
The Everyday
Libation
So while Champagne is usually associated only with
special occasions and celebrations, there’s no reason to just limit it to a
once-in-a-great-while type of libation. And perchance cost is the main reason
you’ve limiting your “cork popping”, look to Champagne’s affordable and lesser
known cousins that can also be enjoyed on their own or crafted into festive
cocktails. So as Don Ho might have said…
Tiny bubbles…
Make me warm all over…
With a feeling that I'm gonna
Love sparklers till the end of time…
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