By tour number seven, you can run the show. All the big houses explain the same steps in the same way, and it can get a bit tedious sometimes. But we did learn a lot. After our magnum last night, we ran through the steps again, just to make sure we got it.
So, for your reading pleasure, here is how champagne is made.
Champagne only comes from the Champagne region in France. There is a Champagne association of some sort (can't remember the name) that controls all things about this delicious drink.
It can only be made from three kinds of grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. Houses can use whatever combination of these three that they like, but chardonnay and pinot noir seemed to be the most common. All three grapes produce white juice, but pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes have black skins.
Grapes are grown on the Premier cru and grand cru vineyards in the region, which means, basically, the best 20% of vines in the area. The chalky soil of the region absorbs moisture, and then releases it during dry periods, which creates ideal growing conditions.
The grapes are harvested in the fall, on some date that is determined by the association. Apparently they are picked by students, but we didn't really buy that. All the grapes have to be picked by hand, and all varieties are kept separate. Most of the big houses still use the old fashioned hand press machine to gently press the grapes and release the juice.
The juice is then aged in stainless steel casks for two weeks (or some other short amount of time). At this point, the winemaster begins to taste the still wines and begins the process of blending the different champagnes. A house champagne, usually their 'brut', generally has the same flavour every year. Its made with grapes from many different years, and therefore sold without a year on the bottle. The winemaster is responsible for replicating the houses 'signature' style in the taste of the champagne. Vintage champagnes are made with grapes from just one year, and roses get their colour from an addition of red wine.
The wines are then blended and bottled, and yeast is added. The bottles are sealed with a metal cap. These bottles are then stored in the chalk caves (which, because of their porous nature create a constant humid, cool environment, that is perfect for champagne), on their sides. Regular champagne must be aged for a minimum of 15 months. The big houses all aged for at least 30. Vintages are aged longer than that, and apparently Dom Perignon is aged up to 30 years before being sold. As the champagne ages, the yeast reacts with the sugar creating carbon dioxide, which creates the bubbles. As the yeast dies, it sinks to the bottom of the bottle. The bottles are slowly rotated until they are in a vertical position, where the yeast sediment collects in the neck of the bottle. This process takes place on the riddling table, which was invented by Madame Clicquot herself. It used to be done by hand, but nowadays, there are machines that replicate the gradual riddling process on a much larger scale in much less time.
Once the sediment has settled, the tops of the bottles are dipped in a freezing cold brine, freezing the sediment. The bottles are uncapped, and the pressure from inside forces the cube of sediment out. The liquid that is lost is replaced with a mixture of still wine and sugar. The amount of sugar that is added determines whether the wine will be brut, dry, demi-sec, etc. More sugar=less dry. The bottles then get their natural corks and wire cages, and are labelled and ready to be sold. The general consensus that we got was the champagne is sold to be drunk right away. Once the yeast is removed from the bottle, the flavour of the drink doesn't develop any more, and so storing of regular champagnes is not recommended. Vintage champagnes can be kept for a bit longer.
Whew! I think that's it. I think I'm ready for a drink...:)
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