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Champagne more than just for celebration.

By Boutique Liquors
Its very name “Champagne” denotes celebration. We serve it at weddings to celebrate newlyweds. We launch ships with it, not to mention ringing in the New Year!

Champagne is much more than a beverage. It comes in many styles, and from many places around the world. But the true wine drinker, will tell you the french make the best Wine in the world…

The finest French Champagne’s come from the same region that the fine wine got its name, Champagne. Even though Wines are produced throughout the world, French champagne still holds its long reputation for being the best in the world.

The Champagne Region is a mere 90 miles north of Pairs. This northern region of France is known to have the worlds most ideal climate, and soil for growing grapes. Grapes that produce some of the finest Wine in the entire world. The Champagne region has optimal conditions for vine cultivation. The mild weather and temperate climate makes this ideal for wine and Champagne production.

The unique climate and soil condition have made this region second to none. This soil being much like fertilized topsoil, drinks in sun light and water. With Champagnes natural slopes that face the South and Southeast, the very region its self protects the vines from the northern winds, and exposes the vines to the warm sun. With the exceptional sun light, and rich soil, and perfect climate, it is the best place in the world to produce Champagne grapes.

The grapes used in making Champagne are, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. These three grapes blended in different amounts make the base wine that is used to produce the finest Champagnes. Pinot Meunier grapes makes up 40% percent of the blend. This grape is the easiest to grow, and is resistant to cold temperatures, so can do well longer into the winter months. numerous varities are grown exclusively to the region.

Pinot Noir being the second highest percent of grape used in making Wine. Pinot Noir adds fruity flavor to the Champagne, and is 35% of most blends. Chardonnay accounts for the remaining 25% of the blend. Chardonnay adds the lightness to the wine. Champagne is almost colorless, this is due to a process that gently presses the grapes, to extract the juice, without the color.Who invented Champagne? There is much controversy in regard to this question. The first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux area of Langue doc France, in the mid 1500s. While the true origin remains a mystery, no one actually knows exactly who created Champagne.

Contrary to legend, it would appear that the French monk Dom Perignon did not actually invent Champagne? But in his life time he certainly developed many advances in the production of fine Wines. He has certainly earned a wonderful reputation for all of his efforts in making fine Champagne. Dom Perignon became well known not only for his expertise in blending wines to create fine tasting champagne’s with superior flavor.

But also for his studies that lead to the prevention of champagne bottles and corks exploding. He discovered that by using a thicker bottles, and tying the corks down to the bottle with string, kept the bottles from exploding. This creation has led to exceptional Champagne.

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JoeBlack posted:


Spill champagne on my white carpet. How I go?

Varietal Wine

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Many Fruit Wine lovers view wine reviews much the same way as they consider movie reviews. They consider a difference in taste as well as a difference of opinion as to what makes a wine taste better than others. However, if a person happens to agree with the author of several wine reviews, the reviewer will build their reputation and be trusted with future purchases.

Like anyone offering an opinion, there is no guarantee that it will match the opinion of the user. In some circumstances a person may read wine reviews about a specific brand and based on the review go ahead and buy a bottle of that wine. Once it is open they may find themselves at odds with the opinion expressed in the review. However, buying based on the opinion expressed by one person in wine reviews is going to be a dangerous experience because everyone has slightly different tastes.

When considering buying a rather expensive bottle of wine, you shouldn’t take one person’s word as being gospel. Reading wine reviews by several different tasters may provide a better overall picture of what the bottle holds. Once you have experienced a positive outcome based on the review by one taster, there is a good chance your taste will be in agreement in the future.

Becoming Wine Expert Is Acquired Taste

Most people may enjoy the taste of a good Citrus Wine and can tell the difference between good and bad wines. A few others will have no idea what they are drinking and believe that all the wine reviews are unrealistic expectations furthered by the wineries to sell more wine. The reality is there are more types of wine than just red and white, or a rose that is somewhere in between.

Red wines, stored in woof barrels have a heavier flavor while white wine, left out of the wood, usually have a lighter, more drier taste. The types of grapes used, the source of the grapes and the fermentation process can create dozens of varieties of wines and wine reviews help potential wine drinkers learn about the new blends of wines that mix the juice from different grapes.

While blended wines are just beginning to be mass marketed, the push for most wineries to remain consistent in their production so that the Rose Wines in every bottle has a consistent taste, texture and aroma. One of the key aspects found in wine reviews is how well the winery maintains the consistency of their product from year-to-year as well as through annual crop changes.

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Storing Champagne underground has been a good idea for thousands of years. A few historical highlights illustrate the long-standing tradition:
A family living in northern Iran 7,000 years ago used what may be one of the world’s earliest known Wine cellars. Archaeologist Mary Voigt discovered half a dozen 2?-gallon pottery jugs containing wine residue; they were “embedded in the room along one wall of a ‘kitchen’ of a Neolithic mudbrick building.”

“Romans would store their wine in the conveniently located catacombs,” according to Champagne Cave History. France’s first underground wine were abandoned crayeres, from which Roman builders had excavated limestone blocks. “From these early discoveries, it was only a short step to dig caves for the specific purpose of Cellering and preserving,” the article continues. “Caves were dug throughout Europe.”

Wine makers in the New World brought Old World knowledge. For example, Brotherhood Winery, America’s oldest winery, was founded by European immigrant John Jaques. The Washingtonville, New York, facility has been in continuous operation since 1839, staying open during Prohibition to produce sacramental wines for churches. It still uses underground cellars dating to the mid-1800s.

Especially in modern times, California vintners lean more to aging their wines in caves rather than cellars. A few wine caves, notably those of the Schramberg and Beringer Wineries, were hand-dug in the late 1800s by Chinese laborers who had honed their pick-and-shovel skills building the transcontinental railroad. In 1919, Prohibition put an end to wine cave construction. In 1934, following Prohibition’s repeal, Beringer Vineyards welcomed the public into its facilities for the country’s first wine cave tours.

Beginning around 1970, increased demand and improved excavation techniques sparked a new wave of wine cave construction in California, which produces more than 90 percent of US wine. By 2003, about 115 of the Champagne Cave man-made caverns have been built in Napa and Sonoma Counties. They range in size from a few thousand square feet to around 50,000. The caves are used primarily for aging wines, but some wine press them into service for public relations purposes by conducting tours.

Some use portions of the tunnel-shaped caves as dining rooms; others have built more spacious underground rooms specifically for special events like concerts, weddings, and corporate seminars. At least three (Jarvis Winery in Napa, White Rock Vineyards in Napa, and Staglin Family Vineyard in Rutherford) operate their entire wine production cycle underground.

How Are They Built?

Particularly in California’s wine country, where the geology consists largely of volcanic rock, modern wine caves are usually dug with roadheaders. Consisting of a rotating array of cutting bits, these machines grind away the earth at rates ranging from 2 feet to 15 feet per day, depending on the site’s specific makeup. Typically 13 feet in diameter, the tunnels are laid out in various configurations such as rectangular grids or wheel spokes. The inner surfaces of the caverns are usually covered with sprayed-on concrete for waterproofing and structural stability. Further information on the subject can be found online as well.

Where harder rock obstructions are encountered, Explosives and hard work remains an option for excavating wine caves. Another technique that can be used to remove embedded boulders is to drill holes in them and fill the holes with a chemical compound that expands and fractures the rock.

In softer soils, especially those that easily cave in around an excavation, cut-and-cover construction is the preferred method. A large hole is dug out of the ground, a concrete structure is built in the hole, and soil is replaced over the area. This technique is proving popular in Oregon and Washington, where the soil is much softer and wetter than in California’s wine basins.

Why Are They Built?

Subterranean facilities naturally provide ideal conditions for aging wine: consistently cool temperature, constantly high humidity, low levels of light, and no vibration. While this can be a costly experience the rewards are great. Furthermore, the lack of need for artificial heating or cooling saves substantially on energy costs. Placing storage spaces underground leaves valuable surface space free to be used as vineyards that are both productive and scenic. The slience of the wine cave allows for parties, weddings, or any special event to be contained leaving pastoral scenes undisturbed.

For more information on Champagne Cave and wine please visit here: Champagne Cave and wine.

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