We all automatically associate bubbles with celebration and I think there are some good reasons for it. The whole product - whether its a classy French champagne, a nice traditional method sparkling or just a cheapy fizz for some Saturday afternoon fun - is set up to make us anticipate.
We have to get the shiny foil off, the cork out, along with its satisfying pop and then we need some special glasses to enjoy it. The whole ritual tells us this is something a little out of the ordinary.
And indeed it is.
I still remember my first taste of real French champagne - and long before that my first glass of pink Chardon. And I remember that very 80s fizz because, plastic screw out cork and all, it said grown up, sophisticated and time to party! I wasn't either of the first two - in case anyone was wondering.
My wine tastes have come a long way from those sugary bubbles but that sense that a glass of sparkling is the beginning of a fun evening has stayed with me. I like to start most occasions with friends with a bottles of fizz - though these days its just as likely to be an interesting pet nat, under crown cap which just requires a bottle opener to get the lid off. What you lose in ritual with the crown caps of a pet nat is more than made up for with the fun factor of wine you are not meant to take too seriously and simply enjoy. With their natural carbonation and usually slightly hazy appearance pet nats are methode traditionelle's relaxed cousins. They are often more fruit forward, expressing the grape rather than yeast less or aging process - and this makes them approachable and easy drinking.
But for a really big celebration - a wedding, an anniversary, an important birthday - what we are all looking for is that light coloured, crystal clear liquid with the tiny, persistent bubbles. The French did it first, and many would argue the best - and certainly at the top end French champagne is hard to beat. But let's face it - the big Houses are charging eye-watering prices for their top wines and few of us have the cash to be buying these as more than a very occasional, very special treat. And to be honest, at the price that most of us are willing to pay for the special bottles for a wedding toast, or on the Christmas table or for a birthday celebration - you are going to get much better value ignoring the big name Houses and going instead for a small, family-owned producer. Here you can get genuine champagne of a very high quality for less than you'd be paying for an entry level wine from one of the big brands. And you have the extra knowledge that its not going to be what everyone else has on their table or has already tried many times.
In reality, I'm usually just as happy with a well-made traditional method wine, made exactly the same way as champagne, just not inside the closely regulated region of France. For about the same price as entry level champagne, I often opt for a top level Spanish cava. Made in exactly the same method, just using indigenous Spanish varieties, the great Spanish cava Houses are as old as those of France and are producing complex, exciting wines in beautiful, elegant bottles that are often more food friendly than their French equivalents.
And when you want the bubbles and the celebration but not the price tag - there are numerous options. New Zealand producers some superb traditional method sparkling wines and for under $30 you can have some very classy bubbles on the table which will look great in the glass and impress with the complexity of flavour. For under $20 you can find clean, approachable wines that you and your guests will enjoy as the beginning to a meal or just for sipping in the sun.
Finally, the question of glassware. Let's face it - what makes bubbles so special is...the bubbles! So you want to maximise the enjoyment of these. Flutes have become very popular and they are both aesthetically pleasing and good for showing off the rising bubbles - sometimes called bead. With their elegant, long shape, so different from a normal wine glass, they do make us feel like the party has started. I rather like the delicate little tulip shaped glasses that some of the bigger Champagne Houses promote. They still produce good bead and they look really pretty on the table. They also have a slightly wider mouth which allows a lot more of the lovely fragrance of a complex wine to show. The classic glass is the champagne bowl - and as long as it has a hollow stem - like the 1960s versions my parents had as wedding gifts and I still sometimes bring out - then you will get plenty of lovely bubbles. The wine does go flat quicker in a bowl - but who's going to be leaving it in the glass long enough for that to happen?!?
There's a trend for stemless glasses - and they certainly result in less knock-overs and breakages - but for sparkling in particular, I'm unconvinced. Firstly, you want your bubbles chilled - about 9 degrees celcius is a good guide. And your hand around a stemless glass is quickly going to warm the wine well above that. You also want to appreciate the colour and those lovely bubbles which drinking - and a stem allows you to do that, while also keeping the glass clear of fingerprints.
In the end, its personal taste and the style you are setting for your celebration that will be the determiner of what's best for you. On a camping trip with friends we once ended up drinking very good Australian sparkling from tin mugs - probably not what the winemaker had in mind but that didn't stop our pleasure in the experience.
Whatever your celebration, whatever your tastes and budget - there's a wine out there which will add the special sparkle to your day.
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