|
When life was easy, customers strolled
up to the bar and asked for a glass of Champagne. The
bartender would pour a rather fizzy white wine from a thick bottle
into short and wide glasses and everyone was happy. If a
toast was the task at hand, the bottle was shaken, the cork
carefully aimed, and with the thrust of the thumb a loud pop would
be followed by a cascade of wasted wine.
Today life is not so simple, ever
since patrons started asking questions. Do you serve
Champagne or sparkling wine? Do you have any Champagne
flutes? What grapes are used in Champagne? The most
often asked question about sparkling wines remains: Where do the
bubbles come from? If you can answer these questions with
relative ease, you are excused; if not, you owe it to your
customers to read on.
Champagne may only be
called Champagne when
it is produced within the Champagne region of France.
Champagne may only be called
Champagne when it is produced within the Champagne region of
France. Simply put, there is an actual place called
Champagne located in northern France, and only the sparkling wines
produced from this small region are entitled to be called
Champagne. Champagne's precious limestone and chalk soils
combined with its unique climate are not duplicated anywhere else
in the world, and many professionals feel that neither can its
products. All sparkling wines produced outside the
geographic boundaries of the Champagne region are not Champagne.
Champagne by law can only
be produced from three grape types.
Champagne by law can only be
produced from three grape types. Two grapes, Pinot Noir and
Pinot Menuir are red, while Chardonnay is white. Most
sparkling wines, on the other hand, can be produced using any kind
of grape.
|
Page 2
