NINO'S COLUMN

PUT A LITTLE POP IN YOUR HOLIDAYS

By Nino Pernetti

Americans love to celebrate the holidays with Champagne. In fact, according to the International Business Times, 25% of all bottles of Champagne, sold in the US, are sold between Christmas and News Year’s Day.

Champagne sales are booming this year, coming off a COVID-induced crash in 2020. Most suppliers are tapping reserves to ensure that enough Champagne will be available this holiday season. Comité Champagne, Champagne’s governing body, reported that total June shipments were nearly 70% higher for this year than they were for the same month in 2020.

All of this is to say, Champagne consumption is popping! Serve Champagne at your holiday gatherings, buy it early, stock up and be flexible, if you can’t find the brand or vintage that you want. Wait, what’s that? You don’t know a damn thing about Champagne? Don’t be embarrassed. Most people don’t. Fortunately, I’ve been buying and selling Champagne for more decades than I care to remember. I’ve toured the great Champagne houses, many times. I am even a card-carrying member of Veuve Clicquot’s Black Widow Society. Actually, it’s not a card but rather a plaque in my office. Here’s a quick refresher on the basics of Champagne.

Champagne versus Prosecco versus Cava versus Sparkling Wine

All three of these are sparkling wines. The difference comes down to three things, where they are produced, the grapes that are used, and some very specific production methods. The labeling of each is strictly regulated. Champagne is produced exclusively in Champagne, France, using mostly Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay grapes. Production methods, including carbonation, follow very specific rules. If you were to grow the same grapes, in say California, and use all of the same production methods, the end product would still not be Champagne. Prosecco is produced in Italy from the Glera or Prosecco grape, and has really gained in popularity ion the US, over the past decade. Cava is produced in Spain, from a blend of Macabeu, Parellada, and Xarello grapes. It actually tastes more like Champagne than Prosecco. In the US, sparkling wine produced in California is simply called “sparkling wine.” If certain criteria are met, technically, a sparkling wine from California could be labeled “California Champagne,” although most wine makers have avoided using this term.

Vintage versus Non-Vintage

Vintage means that a Champagne was made with grapes from a single year’s harvest. Some years, it’s not even possible to produce a vintage Champagne. This makes vintage Champagne even rarer and more expensive. Non-vintage means that the grapes of several year’s harvests are blended together. About 80% of Champagne sold in the US is non-vintage. The blending of grapes is really where the wine-maker expresses his or her art.

Brut versus Extra Dry

These terms, found on the bottle or a wine list, refer to the sweetness of the Champagne, which is manipulated by the addition of sugars. Somewhat confusingly, Extra Dry is actually sweeter than Brut. Dry Champagne is sweeter yet.

Blanc de Blanc versus Blanc de Noir

This has to do with the grapes used to produce either champagne or US sparkling wine. Blanc de blancs are made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes. Blanc de noirs are made from Pinot Noir grapes. One can devote a lifetime to the study and appreciation of Champagne. For most of us, understanding the basics will be enough to order with confidence in a restaurant, or to purchase bottles for your next holiday party.

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