42 - Sparkling Wines of the World Flashcards
how many appellations in Champagne?
only one: Champagne AOC
number of premier cru in Champagne
44
number of grand cru in Champagne
17
are the cru in Champagne own appellations?
- no, it is the whole village that is rated & not the specific vineyard sites
- the growers in these villages are not required to meet stricter production requirements such as lower yields
sub-regions in Champagne where there are major concentrations of vineyards
- Montagne de Reims
- Vallée de la Marne
- Côte des Blancs
- Côte de Sézanne
- Côte des Bar
what/where is Montagne de Reims
- sub-region in Champagne (not appellation)
- east of Valée de la Marne
- north of Côte des Blancs
- between Reims & Épernay
- 49 N
what/where is Vallée de la Marne
- sub-region in Champagne (not appellation)
- along the River Marne
- around & west of Épernay
- 49 N
what/where is Côte des Blancs
- sub-region in Champagne (not appellation)
- south of Épernay
- 49 N
the 3 most famous sub-regions of Champagne
1. names
2. close to the major production centres of … & …
- Montagne de Reims
- Vallée de la Marne
- Côte des Blancs
- close to the major production centres of Reims & Éperney
what/where is Côte de Sézanne
- sub-region in Champagne (not appellation)
- approcimately 30km south-west of Épernay
what/where is Côte des Bar
- sub-region in Champagne (not appellation)
- over 100km to the south-east of Épernay
Champagne (region) is currently reviewing the delineation of the appellation
- the appellation is made up of hundreds of villages but not all the surface area within each village is entitled to grow grapes for Champagne production
- the current review aims to assess all the surface area within these villages to see if any extra suitable land can be brought into the appellation
- this was land that was either overlooked in the original classification or that was never originally nominated for the appellation as the landowner at the time had no interest in producing Champagne
- this revision was still ongoing at the time of publication
climate of Champagne
Cool Continental
hazards in Champagne
- winter freeze
- spring frost
- rainy, cloudy weather
why is the Champagne region ideal for sparkling wine production
- even in the warmest years grape sugar levels remain very low & acid levels very high
in order to minimese the threat of frost in Champagne, most vineyards are planted …
on slopes
the soils in Champagne
dominated by chalk, which provides good drainage after rain storms but retains a sufficient quantity of water in dry periods
sustainable agriculture in Champagne
Champagne’s producers are now fully committed to sustainable agriculture & have ambitious targets to reduce their use of man-made fertilisers & pesticides
grape varieties in Champagne
- Chardonnay
- PN
- Meunier
in Champagne, Chardonnay is most widely planted in … & …
- Côte des Blancs
- Côte de Sézanne
Chardonnay in Champagne compared to Burgundy
- much lighter-bodied wines
- high acidity with a floral & citrus fruit character
In Champagne, PN dominates in … & …
- Montagne de Reims
- Côte des Bar
what does PN bring to a wine or blend in Champagne?
- produces wines of greater body
- provides the structural backbone to most blends
- give a red fruit character
In Champagne, Meunier predominates in …
Vallée de la Marne
why does Meunier predominate in Vallée de la Marne?
buds late, protecting it from the spring frosts that occur more frequently in this area
what does Meunier give to a wine/blend in Champagne?
- fruity flavours
(is especially important for wines that are made to be enjoyed while young)
Winemaking in Champagne
- picking & pressing
- base wine
- blending
- ageing
- the traditional method
Pick & press
- grapes must be hand-picked to allow selection in the vy & retain whole, healthy bunches
- the pressing process is highly controlled
–> the first liquid to come off the press is called the cuvée, which contains the purest juice, and the remainder is called the taille
–> the best Champagnes will be made solely from the cuvée
Depends on house style:
- primary fermentation can be carried out in ss vats, oak barrels or a micture of the two
- MLF can be encouraged or prevented
- the base wines can be aged briefly in oak or stored in inert vessels only
Blending
- the weather in Champagne can vary significantly from year to year
–> blending is incredibly important
- wines may be fermented in small parcels to allow a greater number of blending options
- large Champagne producers will use dozens of wines in their blends to achieve their house style year on year
Ageing
- the length of time that the wine is aged, including its time on lees, is dependent on the style of wine being made
- non-vintage wines must be aged for a minimum of 15 months, including at least 12 months on the lees
- vintage wines must be matured for a minimum of 36 months (no extra requirements for lees ageing)
- in practice the winemakers frequently mature their wines for considerably longer
Winemaking in Champagne
- picking & pressing
- grapes must be hand-picked to allow selection in the vy & retain whole, healthy bunches
- the pressing process is highly controlled
–> the first liquid to come off the press is called the cuvée, which contains the purest juice, and the remainder is called the taille
–> the best Champagnes will be made solely from the cuvée
what is cuvée vs taille?
-> the first liquid to come off the press is called the cuvée, which contains the purest juice, and the remainder is called the taille
–> the best Champagnes will be made solely from the cuvée
Winemaking in Champagne
- base wine
Depends on house style:
- primary fermentation can be carried out in ss vats, oak barrels or a micture of the two
- MLF can be encouraged or prevented
- the base wines can be aged briefly in oak or stored in inert vessels only
Winemaking in Champagne
- Blending
- the weather in Champagne can vary significantly from year to year
–> blending is incredibly important - wines may be fermented in small parcels to allow a greater number of blending options
- large Champagne producers will use dozens of wines in their blends to achieve their house style year on year
Winemaking in Champagne
- Ageing
- the length of time that the wine is aged, including its time on lees, is dependent on the style of wine being made
- non-vintage wines must be aged for a minimum of 15 months, including at least 12 months on the lees
- vintage wines must be matured for a minimum of 36 months (no extra requirements for lees ageing)
- in practice the winemakers frequently mature their wines for considerably longer
how long must a non-vintage Champagne be aged vs a vintage Champagne?
- non-vintage wines must be aged for a minimum of 15 months, including at least 12 months on the lees
- vintage wines must be matured for a minimum of 36 months (no extra requirements for lees ageing)
quality & style of Champagne
1. generally
2. non-vintage
3. vintage
4. rosé
5. BdB
6. BdN
- comes in a range of quality levels & styles
- all have high acidity & some autolytic flavours
non-vintage
- lighter in body
- more fresh fruit flavours
- finest: some complexity from the use of reserve wines
vintage
- made in the best years
- often more concentrated
- more toasty & biscuity notes from longer lees ageing
rosé
- can be made in both non-vintage & vintage styles
- best: delicately balance aromas from autolysis with subtle fruity red berry notes
Blanc de Blancs
- light- to medium-bodied
- citrus primary fruit
Blanc de Noirs
- fuller in body
- more red fruit flavours
quality & style of Champagne
1. generally
2. non-vintage
3. vintage
4. rosé
5. BdB
6. BdN
- comes in a range of quality levels & styles
- all have high acidity & some autolytic flavours
non-vintage
- lighter in body
- more fresh fruit flavours
- finest: some complexity from the use of reserve wines
vintage
- made in the best years
- often more concentrated
- more toasty & biscuity notes from longer lees ageing
rosé
- can be made in both non-vintage & vintage styles
- best: delicately balance aromas from autolysis with subtle fruity red berry notes
Blanc de Blancs
- light- to medium-bodied
- citrus primary fruit
Blanc de Noirs
- fuller in body
- more red fruit flavours
what is a Prestige Cuvée in Champagne?
- many Champagne houses now make a Prestige Cuvée that represents the finest wine in their range
- often, but not always, vintage wines
- made from the best parcels of grapes
- many of these wines can be closed & austere in their youth
- can repay several years cellaring before drinking
- command premium prices
what is a Prestige Cuvée in Champagne?
- many Champagne houses now make a Prestige Cuvée that represents the finest wine in their range
- often, but not always, vintage wines
- made from the best parcels of grapes
- many of these wines can be closed & austere in their youth
- can repay several years cellaring before drinking
- command premium prices
sweetness levels in Champagne
- Champagne is made in a range of sweetness levels, but Brut is by far the most popular style
- a trend has been the rise of Brut nature wines, but they still represent a very small proportion of the market
the most important crémant sparkling wine ACs
- Crémant d’Alsace
- Crémant de Bourgogne
- Crémant de Loire
production method used for crémant
the traditional method
ageing requirements on lees for crémant
must spend a minimum of 9 months on the lees
grapes used in crémant
- grapes used for making the still white wines of the region
- aromatic grape varieties such as Muscat & Gewurztraminer are not permitted for crémant wines in Alsace, while Chardonnay is allowed
the next biggest centre of sparkling wine production in France
Loire
3 appellations for sparkling wine in Loire
- crémant de Loire
- Saumur
- Vourvray
grapes used in sparkling Saumur
- can be made from a range of local varieties as well as Chardonnay, which, with Chenin Blanc & Cabernet Franc, is an important ingredient in the best wines
- sparkling red wines are also made, using Cabernet Franc
sparkling Vourvray is made in … volume than still Vouvray
greater
grapes used in sparkling Vouvray
the vast majority is made solely from Chenin Blanc
- why is Chenin Blanc well suited to sparkling wine production
- autolytic character
- has a naturally high acidity
- autolytic character:
- does not take on as much of a bready biscuity character as Chardonnay or PN
- the autolytic character, when present, tends to be more smoky & toasty
- method used to make sparkling Saumur
- minimum time on lees
- the traditional method
- must spend a minimum of 9 months on the lees
- method used to make sparkling Vouvray
- minimum time on lees
- the traditional method
- must spend a minimum of 9 months on the lees
how is Cava an unusual DO
as it covers a number of different, non-contiguous, geographic areas across Spain
the vast majority of Cava comes from
the Catalan vineyards centred on the town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia
notable areas where there are vineyards permitted to make Cava
- the Catalan vineyards centred on the town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia (the vast majority)
- Navarra
- Rioja
- Valencia
- method used for Cava
- minimum on lees
- the traditional method
- 9 months
traditional grape varieties for Cava (5)
White
1. Macabeo (Viura)
2. Carel-lo
3. Parellada
Rosé
4. Garnacha
5. Monastrell
most Cava is … with … acidity & … character from …, although these … can differ in nature from … found in …
- dry
- medium acidity
- some character from yeast autolyses
- flavours
- the bread & toast character
- Champagne
more recently added to the permitted grape varieties of the Cava DO
Chardonnay & PN
what can Chardonnay & PN add to Cava
many producers have found that these varieties can add an extra level of both fruit & acidity to the wines
why has the use of Chardonnay & PN in Cava caused controversy in the region?
some producers believe it detracts from Cava’s point of difference
most Cava is …
non-vintage & is ready to drink on release from the winery
acid in Cava compared to Champagne
the wines are generally lower in acidity than most Champagne, giving them an approachable, easy-drinking style, which is extremely popular with consumers
lees ageing in Cava
- minimum 9 months
- there are a few producers making premium Cavas that have undergone extensive lees ageing
where is Asti DOCG?
in Piemonte in north-west Italy
grape in Asti
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
method used for Asti
the Asti Method
characteristics of Asti
- grapey character
- best: pronounced, fruity aroma of peach & grape overlaid with floral notes
- sweet
- low in alcohol (approximately 7% abv)
- made without any autolytic characters, which would detract from the fruitiness of Muscat
ageing of Asti
does not benefint from ageing & should be drunk as young as possible
where is Prosecco made
in north-east Italy
regions for Prosecco
- 2 delimited regions
1. Prosecco DOC: covers a wide area of the Veneto & Friuli
2. Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG: higher quality
–> fruit must be grown between the two towns of Conegliano & Valdobbiadene on the steep limestone hills north-west of Venice
vineyards for Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG
between the two towns
on the steep limestone hills
what does the term Cartizze and Rive indicate?
indicate a wine from an exceptional vineyard site
grape in Prosecco
Glera
production method of Prosecco
typically produced by the thank method
characteristics of Prosecco
- medium acidity
- fresh aromas of green apple & melon
- Brut, Extra-Dry & Dry-styles
- slightly higher levels of residual sugar than would be found in most Champagne & Cava
any residula sugar in Prosecco is usually a result of
interrupting fermentation by chilling & filtering
ageing of Prosecco
meant to be consumed when they are young & fresh & do not benefit from bottle ageing
country with the highest per capita consumption of sparkling wine in the world
Germany
- most sparkling wine consumed in Germany is …
- method used
- Sekt
- virtually all of which is made using the tank method
the base wines of Sekt
- generally come from france or Italy
- turned into sparkling wines within Germany
what is the difference between Sekt & Deutscher Sekt?
Sekt: the base wines generally come from France or Italy, but are turned into sparkling wines within Germany
Deutscher Sekt: made sparkling in Germany, & must also only use grapes grown in Germany
the best Sekt is made from
Riesling
Sekt:
if all the grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (ie Mosel), then the wine can bear the superiour appellation of …
Deutscher Sekt bA
what is Deutcher Sekt bA?
if all the grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (ie Mosel), then the wine can bear this superiour appellation
If all the grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (ie Mosel), then the wine can bear the superiour appellation —.
Some of the — will produce such wines from —, using the —, although these — are —.
If all the grapes for the wine come from one of the quality wine regions (ie Mosel), then the wine can bear the superiour appellation Deutcher Sekt bA.
Some of the top estates will produce such wines from individual vineyards, using the traditional method, although these premium Sekts are rare.
styles of sparkling wines in Australia
- generally
- cool & moderate regions (incl. ex)
- inexp. (incl. ex)
- red
- Australian sparkling wines are made in a wide variety of styles
cool & moderate regions
- such as Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills & Tasmania
- are capable of producing complex, elegant traditional method wines
- usually from Chardonnay & PN
- made in a multitude of styles including non-vintage, vintage, rosé, BdB & BdN
inexpensive sparkling wines are typically produced in
- warm regions
- such as Riverina
- generally produced by tank method or carbonation
- fruity in style
- come in a range of sweetness levels
- many different grape varieties may be used
sparkling red
- not unique to Australia
- but the country where they have had most commercial success
- there has been a significant decline in the sales of these wines over recent years
- best: typically made from Shiraz but some wineries have produced excellent examples from CS & Merlot
- inexpensive wines are made by carbonation or tank method
- better examples are produce by transfer or traditional method
- full-bodied, with red berry fruit, smooth tannins & some residual sugar
styles of sparkling wines in Australia
- cool & moderate regions (incl. ex)
- such as Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills & Tasmania
- are capable of producing complex, elegant traditional method wines
- usually from Chardonnay & PN
- made in a multitude of styles including non-vintage, vintage, rosé, BdB & BdN
styles of sparkling wines in Australia
- inexp. (incl. ex)
inexpensive sparkling wines are typically produced in
- warm regions
- such as Riverina
- generally produced by tank method or carbonation
- fruity in style
- come in a range of sweetness levels
- many different grape varieties may be used
styles of sparkling wines in Australia
- red
sparkling red
- not unique to Australia
- but the country where they have had most commercial success
- there has been a significant decline in the sales of these wines over recent years
- best: typically made from Shiraz but some wineries have produced excellent examples from CS & Merlot
- inexpensive wines are made by carbonation or tank method
- better examples are produce by transfer or traditional method
- full-bodied, with red berry fruit, smooth tannins & some residual sugar
New Zealand has an established reputation for … sparkling wines made from …
- high-quality traditional method
- the classic Champagne grape varieties
why is New Zealand good for sparkling wines
- its relatively southerly position in the Southern Hemisphere & maritime climate with cool sea breezes means that it can ripen Chardonnay & PN slowly enough to produce elegant sparkling wines
styles of sparkling wines in NZ
a range of styles is made including
- non-vintage
- vintage
- rosé
- BdB
- BdN
grapes for sparkling wine production on NZ is grown in …, with the exception of …; however, … produces the highest volumes
- all the wine regions
- Auckland
- Marlborough
- style of sparkling wine on the North Island compared to the South Island (NZ)
- how can producers take advantage of this
- NI: richer style
- making cross regional blends
grapes used for sparkling wine on NZ
- Chardonnay
- PN
- SB
production method used for sparkling SB on NZ
usually by carbonation or the tank method to retain the intense aromas & flavours of this grape variety
traditional method in South Africa
Méthode Cap Classique
what is Méthode Cap Classique
wines in South Africa made by the traditional method are labelled Méthode Cap Classique
fruit for South African sparkling is sourced from …
& the best wines are made using …
- throughout the Western Cape
- Chardonnay & PN
what is important for sparkling wines in South Africa, and why?
- site selection is very important because of the warm climate
- the best sites are found on hillside slopes with a south-eastern aspect, or near the coast
many premium producers of sparkling wine in South Africa belong to …, which recommends that …
- the Cap Classique Producers Association
- its members age their wines on lees for a minimum of 12 months
what is the Cap Classique Producers Association?
- an association in South Africa
- recommends that its members age their wines on lees for a minimum of 12 months
- it is not necessary to be a member of the association to use the term Cap Classique
- producers outside of this association only need age their wines for 9 months to call their wines Cap Classique
there is also a large domestic market in SA for sparkling ….
off-dry to sweet carbonated sparkling wines
there is also a large domestic market in SA for sparkling ….
off-dry to sweet carbonated sparkling wines
… is responsible for the vast majority of sparkling wine production in the USA
California
the best sparkling wines in California come from
cooler locations, such as Los Carneros AVA & Anderson Valley AVA
premium sparkling wines in California (typically)
1. method
2. grapes
3. lees
4. char.
- the traditional method
- PN & Chardonnay
- extended ageing on the lees (5 years is not uncommon)
- concentrated complex flavours balanced by high acidity
large volumes of inexpensive sparkling wines in California
1. method
2. grapes
3. char.
- tank method or carbonation
- a range of grape varieties, grown in warmer, high-yielding regions such as Central Valley
- fruity & often medium-sweet to sweet in style
