Pop into the New Year!
The New Year is just around the corner! <Insert really excited face here!>
The question is.. are we celebrating 2022 and all its glory and greatness OR are we celebrating what is to come in 2023? Either way – let’s get out those flutes and celebrate.
Now! Do you have your bubbles for a toast? If you haven’t – read this blog and go out now (Or maybe delivery? Ha!)! For all of you that are prepared (we commend you!), enjoy and maybe we’ll spark new ideas for those bubbly choices this coming year!
Before we dive in (getting Great Gatsby vibes now)… First, did you know the New York Post just stated.. in 2022 – consumers paid $6.5B for bubbly wine this year alone! Read – here. Clearly, we all do enjoy celebrating!
Ok. Are you going to choose (or did you choose?!) …a Champagne? Prosecco? Cava? Sparkling? What is the difference?
A Champagne can only be called a Champagne if the grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier) are grown, produced (secondary fermentation must take place in the bottle, i.e. Méthode Champenoise – we’ll explain that soon!) and bottled in Champagne, France.
A Prosecco is to Italy as Champagne is to France. Prosecco is an Italian white wine named after the village of Prosecco but produced in a larger area spanning throughout nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions.
A Cava is to Spain as Prosecco is to Italy. Cava is called its namesake only if grown, produced and bottled in Spain. About 95% of Cava is produced in the Penedès area of Catalonia, Spain. It, too, is done in Méthode Champenoise as it’s neighbor Champagne but traditionally sells at a lower price point.
A Sparkling wine is basically everything else.
How is this wine made and why do we need to know?
There are 4 main methods to produce a bubbly wine.
1. Méthode Champenoise. The first method is by way of turning inverted bottles and disgorging frozen yeast from the neck of the bottles. This process is time consuming, costly and labor intensive. Champagne will always be made in this method which is why you typically find these wines at a higher price point.
2. Charmat. The second method and traditionally the most common in the marketplace. This method is done by way of making the wine in a specialized, pressurized, stainless steel tank to hold CO2. Disgorging of yeast is done in tank versus per bottle as in Méthode Champenoise. Charmat will be at a mid-range price point.
3. Forced Carbonation. The third method is exactly what you think of first – soda. But, folks, there is some bubbly wine that is made with Forced Carbonation or adding CO2 while bottling. Maybe we are just old souls – but we do not like this newer development for sipping on its own. For a quick (maybe a mix-in to a cocktail?) and inexpensive bubbly – this is a great option. Just remember, heavy bubbles and will quickly dissipate.
4. Pétillant Natural. (Pét Nat) The fourth method, we are seeing an uptick of this ‘new way to sparkle’ in the marketplace. Pét Nat is bottled before primary fermentation is finished without secondary additions of yeast and sugar. What does this mean? From a winemaking standpoint – great news. The winemaker would need to ‘babysit’ to make this happen.. but!.. No additional additives. No special equipment is necessary. If you’re looking for a softer bubble or ‘effervescence’ – pick the Pét Nat!
There are a few variations and different tricks of the trade to make wines sparkle in just their unique way – but this hopefully gives you a glimmer into what to look for while shopping. The method by which it is made is ALWAYS on the bottle. Check it out!
So, how are you going toast this New Years? What is going to bring sparkle to your night of celebrating? Curious what we are going to do? Follow us on social to find out how we’re going to ring in the New Year!
Happy New Year to you and yours!
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Brian and Sara
