The basics on bubbly to pop the New Year off

RISMEDIA, December 28, 2006-Champagne (yes, with a capital C) comes from the Champagne region of France. To get the ‘C' name, the sparkling wine is made very specific-such as the degree of press applied to the grapes and the time that bottles must remain in contact with the less (sediment). Like Band-Aids and Q-tips, champagne (lower-case c) has become the catchall name for sparkling wine.

Why the bubbles?
Champagne's bubbles are created when a bit of yeast and sugar are put into the bottles of a base, non-sparkling wine, causing a second fermentation (regular wine only ferments once) that results in bubbles of carbon dioxide.

Taste Test
To tell a cheap sparkling wine from a fancy one, look at the bubbles. Expensive ones have tons of tiny bubbles. Cheaper champagnes have larger bubbles, which create a foamy feeling in your mouth.

Reading Labels
Deciphering a Champagne label can be tricky for the uninitiated.

Dryness Scale:
Champagne is classified according to how much sugar it contains.

- Brut: Driest, least sweet; most good Champagnes are Brut or Extra-Dry.
- Extra-Dry: The next driest; the term is confusing, since it's not as dry as Brut.
- Sec: Means dry in French, but it's sweet.
- Demi-Sec: Moderately sweet; serve it with desserts that aren't too sugary.
- Doux: The sweetest.

The Grapes
Champagnes can be made from the same type or a blend of grapes.

- Blanc de Blancs: Champagne made entirely of white Chardonnay grapes.
- Cuvée: Champagne made from a mix or blend of grapes from different years.
- Blanc de Noirs: Made of the red grapes Pinot Noir and Pinto Meunier (the skins are
taken off so the bubbly is still white in color). These champagnes are less acidic and have a stronger fruit quality.

- Rosé: Pink bubbly is made by leaving the juice of red grapes in contact with their skins for a while, or by blending the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier wine.
- Vintage: Made from grapes all from the same year – because the fruit was so amazing. You can recognize a vintage because the year will be on the bottle. A vintage bottle is often, though not always, pricier than a cuvée.

Glass War: Flute vs. Tulip Glass
Connoisseurs recommend tall, skinny flutes because their elongated shape concentrates the bouquet and encourages the bubbles to rise to the surface. The wide-mouthed glass, called a tulip-shape, won't produce this same effect. Either glass: Don't spare the crystal! The rougher surface of glass works up bubble even more than a standard flute.

3 champagne cocktail recipes
- Kir Royale: Pour one ounce of crème de cassis (black currant liqueur) into a glass and top with four to five ounces of champagne.

Perfect for evening cocktails.
- Bellini: Pour two ounces of peach nectar or Cipriani Bellini mix into four to six ounces of champagne.

Delicious for brunch or afternoon sipping.

- Bubbling Lychee Grapefruit Martini: Combine two parts Stoli vodka, two parts SOHO Lychee liqueur and a splash of grapefruit juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass; top with two parts champagne. (Courtesy of NYC bar Happy Ending.)

Wonderful for wowing your dinner guests.

For more information, visit http://lifestyle.msn.com/FoodandEntertaining/Beveragesandspirits/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=1313440 msn.com

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