No wedding is complete without champagne. Fabrizio Musorella reports on its history and suggests three champagne cocktails you might like to serve at your celebration
CHAMPAGNE is a unique sparkling wine, suitable for any time of the day and at any time of the year. It is a perfect accompaniment to food and irresistible for any celebration.
The winemaking industry of the Champagne region has an old tradition dating back to Roman times. The Romans planted the first vineyards and the word Champagne derives from the Latin campus, campania or field. In old French this became Champaign, and today Champagne.
In the beginning, the wines of Champagne were still, light and crisp. The natives of Champagne discovered that their wine became naturally sparkling, especially if it had a light colour, a low alcohol content and was bottled around the spring equinox. But it was only from the end of the 17th century that Champagne became sparkling wine and winemakers soon determined how to make the bubbles themselves.
Despite popular belief, Dom Pierre Pérignon (1639-1715) did not invent Champagne. In 1668 at the Abbey of Hautvillers, the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon, who was in charge of the Abbey’s vineyard, cellar and wine making, discovered accidentally a wine that was very similar to the Champagne that we know today. This occurred when the bottles went through a second fermentation, forming carbon dioxide and those famous bubbles. He laid down the basic principles still used today in making Champagne. All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne.
To be labeled Champagne, a wine must be made using a complex process called la méthode champenoise, often known as méthode classique, but first and foremost it must come from the 87,000 acre appellation controllée region of Champagne in northern France, centered on Epernay and Reims, 90 miles east of Paris. It is divided into five main areas of production; Vallée de la Marne, Montagne de Reims, Côte des Blancs, Aube Vineyards and Côte de Sézanne.
The soil is mainly chalk with occasionally sandy topsoil, the weather is too cold and damp for the grapes to ripen properly but acid grapes that have partially ripened in the cool climate are ideal for the making of sparkling wine. Last but not least, there are the region’s three top grape varieties; Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. All these combined produce the world’s ultimate sparkling wines.
Over 80 per cent of the region’s production is based on the non-vintage (a blend of two or more years, normally the last, plus wine from older vintages). Vintage Champagne is a distinct rarity because of the northern French weather. But every so often (maybe three or four times a decade) Mother Nature blesses the Champagne region with a warm, sunny summer, and producers are able to make and “declare” wine from a single year.
Other Champagne styles include the Cuvée de Prestige; this is an elaborately crafted, long-cellared wine drawn from top vineyard-sites and is generally though not always a vintage wine. Blanc de Blancs is made purely from the Chardonnay grape. Rosé Champagnes also rely on all three grape combinations or combination thereof. Blanc de Noirs is made entirely from black grapes (the wine itself is white). Brut, the most common dry Champagne style, has only a tiny amount of sweetening added, to remove the dryness. Extra Sec; oddly enough, means slightly sweet. If you’re looking for the perfect dessert match, try a sweeter Sec or even sweeter Demi Sec.
With so many choices, there is one characteristic that should remain the same; any Champagne or sparkling wine should maintain small bubbles, some will even last for hours.
Champagne, or a good sparkling wine, is a wonderful alternative to still wine and a sip of bubbles can act as palate cleanser between courses or bites. A long narrow, small-mouthed glass such as the Flute or a Tulip keeps the bubbles lively, preserves the bouquet and, as a result, increases the enjoyment of the wine. Any glass should be held at the stem so the warmth from your hand doesn’t raise the temperature. Champagne is best drunk at a temperature of between 6°C and 8°C.
Everybody has their own image of champagne; the sound of the cork popping out of the bottle, the stream of foam fired at the crowd by victorious racing drivers or a glass raised to toast a bride and groom in what is the happiest day of their life. All of these transform every sip into sheer celebration. In addition, Champagne cocktails have lots of appeal right now and are the perfect alternative for people who love cocktails but don’t want hard liqueur. Here are three suggestions worthy for any wedding feast.
Bellini
The pink hues used in the paintings of the Venetian artist Giovanni Bellini inspired the creation of this drink by Bartender and co-founder of the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, Giuseppe Cipriani, resulting in an extraordinarily cocktail that became the favorite of Ernest Hemingway and Noel Coward whenever they visited. Cipriani was also responsible for the creation of Carpaccio, its name taken from another Renaissance Venetian artist. Today Harry’s Bar is still owned by the Cipriani family.
Ingredients
Fresh White Peach Purée (yellow peach can also be used)
Chilled Champagne or Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine)
Preparation
Quarter fill a chilled champagne glass with the peach purée
Slowly top up with the champagne stirring gently as you pour
Garnish with a wedge of peach placed on the rim of the glass
The time and effort involved in using fresh juice will be well rewarded
I recommend when the peaches are in season, to buy some (ripe) and prepare them. Remove the skins, the pits and place the flesh into a blender with a dash of lemon juice and two raspberries or two cherries. Blend for ten seconds and then freeze
Mimosa
A classic cocktail popular for weddings and receptions. Created at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925 and probably named after the tropical flowering shrub. As popular as the Mimosa and served in exactly the same way minus the Grand Marnier is the Buck’s Fizz, invented at the beginning of the 1920s and accredited to the Buck’s Club in London.
Ingredients
6cl fresh orange juice
1cl Grand Marnier
Chilled Champagne
Preparation
Make sure that the juice and the Champagne are well chilled for this cocktail
In a Champagne glass, pour the juice and the Grand Marnier and give a quick stir Pour the Champagne slowly and stir gently to complete
I do…
Getting married is probably one of the happiest occasions that happen once in your life (okay twice; all right, maybe three times). So why not toast the bride and groom with the colour and taste of the rosy hue of love that they’ll never forget? In this case the wedding was mine and I created and served this delicious and sparkly drink for my wedding guests.
Ingredients
2cl cranberry juice
3cl fresh pear purée
1cl Poire Williams (pear schnapps)
Chilled Champagne
Preparation
To prepare the purée, peel the pears and remove the core. Slice and put them in a blender with a dash of white wine and blend until smooth. You can prepare the purée a day before and place it in fridge (stir it before use)
In a chilled Champagne glass, pour all the ingredients except the Champagne and stir it
Slowly top up with the Champagne, stirring gently as you pour. Garnish with a cape gooseberry (physallis) placed on the rim of the glass
