“…the one thing that gives me zest when I feel tired,” brigitte Bardot in 1984, six months before her 50th birthday.
Legend has it that the French monk Dom Perignon, a wine devotee, sampled his first festive glass of bubbly and sang, “I’m drinking stars!”
Indeed, this frothy blend of Chardonnay, lightly pressed Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, in various combinations, has inspired and lubricated many a celebratory occasion. Food wise, it is quite versatile, playing with almost anything from caviar to pate to smoked salmon.
As an aside, there is a way to properly open bubbly. Many of us recall rowdy championship locker rooms in which cheering victors pop bottles of bubbly, rejoicing as the fizzy beverage erupts from the merrily swaying bottles. Champagne or sparkling wine should be held at a 45-degree angle, with one hand holding the bottle firmly while the other carefully (avoiding one’s friends, chandeliers, lawsuits, etc.) removes the wire cork-holder. After that is completed, hold on to the cork firmly while gently twisting the bottle. The forty-five degree angle works perfectly here, as the surface area of the wine is properly aligned so it won’t burst forth from the bottle when it is opened. As you gently coax the cork from the bottle, try not to let it explode with an echo, as many say this is poor form. Rather, there should be a faint whistle of air gently escaping, as the cork has fully exited the bottle.
Many years ago, I was approached by the Champagne producers’ alliance, which wanted to introduce a sword-wielding gentleman to our wine class. With great flourish, he would deftly and gracefully open bottles of Champagne. Not for the faint of heart, we decided.
In France, the dryness or sweetness of Champagne is classified as follows: Exttra Brut (bone dry), Brut (quite dry), Extra Dry (off dry), Sec (slightly sweet) or Doux (very sweet), with the majority of sales happening in the Brut category.
Many Francophiles have claimed that no one (Sacre bleu!) can make wine like Champagne, especially those upstarts in California. In the mid-1890s, it should be noted, three Czech brothers named Korbel made California’s first sparkling wine. The industry exploded from there, even though California’s relatively paltry production of two million cases pales annually in comparison to France’s 20.5 million cases.
Seeing the growing trend in California, many French producers took positions there: Moet et Chandon makes Domaine Chandon, Laurent Perrier makes Iron Horse, Remy Martin makes Piper Sonoma, and Taittinger makes Domaine Carneros.
Today’s trivia: The average bottle of bubbly holds approximately 56 million bubbles (wonder which lunatic counted?). And one wag even wrote that Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in 350 bottles of beautiful Champagne. Hope it wasn’t too chilled.
One final thought: “And we meet, with Champagne and chicken,” Lady Mary Wortley Montague, 1689-1762, The Lover (1748).
Cheers!
