Sparkling Wine vs. Champagne, the how-to's of tasting, and everything else you need to know to sip like a connoisseur.

It’s said that Benedictine monk Dom Peringnon, after tasting his first effort at his future famed Champagne, exclaimed, “Come quickly, for I am tasting stars!” Though most likely untrue – after all, sparkling wine is believed to have been around nearly a century at the time – this charming anecdote still speaks to the excitement ensconced in a bottle of bubbly.

Poets, entertainers, and politicians alike have extolled the virtues of Champagne, but how frequently do most people uncork a bottle? Unfortunately, this sparkling treat is too often relegated to twice or thrice yearly celebrated events, like wedding toasts or New Year’s Eve, making it seem inaccessible and even indulgent to many casual sippers. Sparkling wines line the shelves of almost any grocer’s aisles, so why all the pomp surrounding this delectable drink?

Let’s Party Magazine talked to several local experts to uncover some of the finer points of sparkling wine, and to give readers the vocabulary and know-how to confidently break out the bubbly for just about any occasion.

What is it called?
Champagne with a capital ‘C’ always comes from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France, though many people refer to sparkling wine as 'Champagne' much as one might say 'Kleenex' to mean tissue paper, or 'Xerox' to mean a copier.

“The process of fermenting grapes and adding bubbles is the same process used the world over,” says Rick French, Champagne aficionado and webmaster of ChampagneSabering.com. “It just so happens that the process was pioneered in a region outside of Paris called Champagne; the term is trademarked by the French, so legally other sparkling wines are called just that – sparkling wines.”

French Champagnes are generally reputed to be the best, but be prepared to pay the price. “The French Champagnes begin at a modest $30 and go as far as your budget will allow, and even farther, actually,” says Kimber Stonehouse, manager of Sportsman’s Fine Wine & Spirits Arrowhead location. “The United States also produces some very fine quality wines that can be easier on the budget than those from France.” Iron Horse, Chandon, and Domaine Carneros are among the U.S. produced bubbly she recommends. 

Popular sparklers from other locales include Spanish Cava, Prosecco and Asti of Italy, German Sekt, and South Africa’s Cap Classique. Tastes run from light and sweet to extra dry, so experiment with a variety of wines and decide for yourself which style suits your palate. “Most people who say they ‘don’t like bubbles’ just haven’t met the right ones yet,” Stonehouse says.

Pop, pop, fizz, fizz
Regardless of where it comes from or what it is called, all sparkling wines share a common trait: carbonation. But how do winemakers get all those bubbles in the bottle?

The most traditional process for creating sparkling wine is called methode champenoise. Although some sparklers are produced more quickly in bulk, the best wines still follow the ages-old practice. Chae Durbin, manager of AZ Wine Company in Scottsdale, explains the process in more detail: “The bubbles in Champagne or sparkling wine are pure carbon dioxide, a natural byproduct of winemaking. Yeasts, either from the grape skins or in most cases added by the winemaker, convert grape sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. When a winemaker produces still wine, he or she lets the carbon dioxide escape into the air. In the second part of fermentation – that’s what turns a still wine into a sparkling wine – the carbon dioxide is trapped in the bottle and is not released until you pour it into a glass to drink.”

Sound scientific? The first sparkling wines were produced largely by accident! It wasn’t until the last quarter of the 17th century that French monasteries began to document and implement the methodical production process that is still used today.

Taste test
The process for tasting sparkling wine is very similar to the process for tasting other varietals, and can be broken down into five easy steps: 1)Look 2)Smell 3)Swirl 4)Smell again 5)Taste.

“As I taste, I always appreciate the bubbles – the carbonation or the mousse, if you’re being French,” Stonehouse says. Lighter, delicate bubbles usually indicate a higher quality sparkling wine. If the bubbles resemble the carbonation found in soda pop, then the wine was not aged very long, if at all, and is more than likely batch or bulk processed. “Bottle processing indicates care and quality, whereas batch processing indicates mass production, which is not usually associated with high quality.”

The first sniff should give some indication of the style of wine, according to Stonehouse. “For example, if it is a ‘brut’ style sparkling wine, you should smell some toasty notes, much like toast with no butter; the aroma is created by the yeast and aging process of the wine.” Though novice tasters will most likely not be able to identify a wine style from its aroma, be aware that different styles yield varying aromas. Swirling the glass before smelling again allows some of the alcohol to be vaporized and releases more of the wine’s natural aroma. Some scents to look for include crisp fruits, like apple and pear, pitted fruits, like peach and apricot, hints of smokiness, berries, citrus, and honey.

When it’s time to taste, take it slow. Sip the wine through pursed lips and let it roll around the mouth and tongue before swallowing. Note which flavors hit different points in the mouth and take a moment to let the aftertaste, or finish, develop. Tasting wine is highly personal; there are no right or wrong impressions, so don’t be afraid to voice an opinion. After all, sharing and comparing notes is a large part of the experience.

“The most important factors to consider when selecting a bottle of bubbles are to enjoy the wine’s flavor on the palate and, of course, to stay in your budget,” Stonehouse says. “There are as many bubbles and varieties as there people with different palates to appreciate them.”

Serving sparkly
Serving sparkling wine with style may require a little instruction and some dexterity, but practicing can be a lot of fun. Begin with a bottle chilled to about 45 degrees Fahrenheit. A minimum of one hour in the refrigerator is generally long enough to bring wine to the desired temperature, but sparkly should never be chilled in the freezer or there’s a chance the bottle may explode.

First remove the foil surrounding the cork, and then untwist the muselet, or the wire cage. A bottle of sparkling wine contains about the same amount of pressure as a car tire, and the muselet keeps the cork from accidentally dislodging. “While doing this, keep the bottle at an angle of 45 degrees and pointed away from you, but preferably not in the direction of the lady accompanying you, that pretty painting by Monet, nor the chandelier,” French says. “The trick is to get the cork from the bottle in such a way that a slight hiss is just audible. The easiest method is to gently twist the cork a little and as soon as it starts to give, restrain it with your hand.” Contrary to popular practice, a loud ‘pop’ is considered an absolute sin, as it wastes many of the wine’s delicate bubbles.

Most people prefer fluted or tulip-shaped glasses for serving Champagne due to their elongated shape, which causes bubbles to bounce off the imperfections of the crystal and create long ribbons of mousse; a flute’s narrow opening also traps the bubbles in the wine longer. “If you’re worried about presentation, remember that a poor quality glass can ruin the taste of a good quality wine. If you don’t have a flute, a good quality wine glass is just fine for serving sparkling wine,” Stonehouse says. In fact, during the 17th century it used to be considered à la mode to drink Champagne from a bowl-shaped glass called a coupe.

Hosts who wish to add some dramatic flair to their event, however, may choose to forego the traditional method of uncorking a bottle and unsheathe their weaponry. Rick French is a member of the Confrerie du Sabre d’Or, or the Brotherhood of the Golden Sword, and he teaches the art of Champagne sabering.

In sabrage, a saber’s edge is applied to the weakest part of a Champagne bottle, the spot where the glass seam meets the lip, or the annulus, just under the cork. “When performed on a suitably chilled bottle of Champagne, the cork and glass fly away, spilling little of the precious Champagne,” French says. “The pressure inside the bottle ensures that no glass falls back into the bottle, making it safe to drink the spoils.”

Champagne sabering is believed to have been practiced sine the Napoleonic wars. Officers returning home from a victory would be offered bottles of Champagne by the cheering townspeople. Since they were mounted, opening said bottles proved to be a challenge, so the soldiers simply took out their sabers and dealt the bottle an upward blow. Voilà!

“It’s basically just another way to celebrate Champagne,” says French, who cautions people not to attempt sabrage without prior instruction.

Talk the talk
Undoubtedly, the very Frenchness of bubbly can be intimidating to many. The following are some indispensable terms for talking about Champagne and sparkling wine like a connoisseur.

Blanc de blancs: sparkling wine made only from white grapes, usually Chardonnay
Blanc de noir: sparkling wine made only from black grapes, often Pinot Noir or Pinot Meuniere
Bouchon: the French word for the cork; the best wines use Portuguese cork
Brut: the driest style of Champagne
Cuvee: a specific blend of still wines used to make sparkling wine
Extra dry: confusingly, the term ‘extra dry’ actually means ‘sweet’
Mousse: refers to the carbonation or bubbles in sparkling wine
Muselet: the wire cage surrounding the cork
Vintage-designated: Champagne made from a blend of wines from a particular year

Of course, one needn’t learn a new language to enjoy sparkling wine. One need not even wait until the next wedding; try it out on a birthday, pair it with oysters, or serve some midweek to toast another Wednesday gone by. There are so many reasons to celebrate, so go on and break out the bubbly!