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| Traditional bubbly gets the thumbs
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Supping a good bottle of champagne is like drinking
the stars, said Dom Perignon. We gave our panel the tough task
of putting tradition against innovation
Corks will be popping around the world this weekend but champagne
took many years to develop into the fizzy treat we know today.
Champagne is produced in the most northern wine region in France
and centred around the towns of Reims and Epernay.
In cool climates wine can stop fermenting before all the natural
grape sugar is transformed into alcohol. Once bottled, the wine
can resume fermentation if conditions become warmer.
The carbon dioxide created by this secondary fermentation is trapped
inside the bottle and becomes bubbles. These generated a tremendous
pressure causing 17th-century French bottles to explode. In London,
where stronger bottles were used, the wine became foamy and society
acquired a taste for this bubbling beverage. Back in France, a Benedictine
monk called Dom Perignon wrestled – without success –
with the problem of the foamy wine and exploding bottles.
Finally he embraced the bubbles, improved the fermentation, bottling
and corking and while sipping a glass of his new drink, he famously
declared “I am drinking the stars”. It was the birth of
champagne.
At first only a few thousand bottles were produced, until in the19th
century some young Germans arrived and began to dominate champagne
production. Their names Krug, Bollinger, Roederer and Deuth still
resonate and in 2000 champagne reached an annual peak in sales of
300 million bottles. At the heart of this success has been the unity
between the growers – often small farmers – and champagne
houses.
This social cohesion is now under attack from two very different
directions, first globalisation and the march of market forces which
decree that champagne is a method of production and can be produced
anywhere. At the moment – within the European Union –
only sparkling wine made in Champagne can carry the name.
Soon this may change and coming to supermarkets could be cheap ‘champagne’
made in China.
It is not only the big corporations who are threatening the old
system. Some of the growers have spotted a potential earner and
seek to emulate the top Bordeaux chateaus, whose wine can sell for
hundreds of pounds a bottle. They have begun producing single estate
champagnes and are experimenting with new grape growing and wine
production techniques.
We placed four bottles of sparkling wine – three champagnes
and one English sparkling wine – before 14 members of our wine
panel. Could they spot the differences and which of the styles would
they prefer?
1. Heidsieck & Co, Monopole, blue top, Champagne, regional blend,
France. Sainsbury’s £10.99.
A traditional style champagne produced in the usual way using grapes
from all over the Champagne region. The grape mix is also traditional.
Toasty and creamy is how it is described.
2. Andre Simon Champagne, brut non vintage. Regional blend, France
12.5 per cent. £15.99. A dry champagne produced in the traditional
manner with a smooth biscuity flavours.
3. Thierry Lesne NV Champagne, single estate, 12.5 per cent, Laithwaites,
£15.83. Minimum purchase mixed case.
An example of the new wave single estate champagne makers who grow
their own grapes and produce their own style of champagne.
A blend of all the traditional grapes is used, to produce a wine
that is fresh and lively, with a peach and biscuit character.
4. Carr Taylor reserve brut, sparkling wine. Single estate, Sussex,
12 per cent. £9.99 in mixed case.
Experienced English second generation single estate winemaker, this
wine is made from a blend of champagne-style grapes using the champagne
method. Sweeter than brut champagne with a honeyed full flavour.
n Most of the participants had no trouble separating the single
estate wines from the regional blends.
The runaway winner was the traditional Andre Simon champagne which
picked up seven first preferences. Three went to the new style single
estate Thierry Lesne champagne, while the Heidsieck and the English
Carr Taylor picked up two each. The Heidsieck got the most second
preferences – 10 in total. This has to be seen as a victory
for the traditional champagne houses.
But the big surprise was the English, Carr Taylor, which held its
own against tough opposition. On the bubble front, the Carr Taylor
continued to pump bubbles long after the others had died.
– wine@camdennewjournal.co.uk |
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Traditional bubbly gets
the thumbs up
Supping a good bottle of champagne is like drinking the stars, said
Dom Perignon. We gave our panel the tough task of putting tradition
against innovation...
FULL STORY
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