How to Choose the Best Sparkling Wine for a Special Occasion


Mark Dubois grew up in a tiny village in the…
If it is a question of festive, fun wines, bubbles have an instant glamor, irrespective of the occasion that you are celebrating with your dear ones. It can be a Christmas Party, a New Year bash, or even your wedding anniversary. Sparkling wine is perfect to suit all types of price ranges and palates. However, choosing that perfect sparkling wine may not be quite easy for you. So, let’s explore these easy tips to help you choose the best sparkling wine for your next party.
3 Tips to Choosing The Best Sparkling Wine
Tip 1: Size of bubbles is important
Did you know the bubble size of sparkling wine matters a lot? These indicate the wine quality – the smaller the size, the better it is. You would like to see effervescent, wispy, and tiny bubbles, which create a frothy, fine, and light texture in the mouth.
Thus, if you are visiting an event and are served complimentary Champagne with golf-ball-sized bubbles, it is a clear indication that the wine has low quality. There is a chance that it may not even be authentic Champagne.
Tip 2: Read the label carefully
A great feature about sparkling wine unlike many other wines is the way you can know about its profile from the labels. You just have to be familiar with how to decode them. The label will tell about the taste of sparkling wine. Incidentally, sparkling wine is a mixture of sugar and wine added to it. Else, it would have been bitter and tart. Names of different sparkling wines would hint at the amount of sugar that has been added.
Tip 3: Know the distinctions between Champagne & sparkling wines
It is interesting to note that while Champagne is sparkling wine, all sparkling wines are not Champagne. You might initially find it a little confusing, right? Authentic Champagne is produced only in France’s Champagne region. These are undoubtedly some of the finest sparkling wines on the planet.
Technically speaking, Champagne is mainly produced from three grapes. These are Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Champagne gets its amazing bubbles from the conventional technique of fermenting grape juice to create a base wine or still wine. The base wine is fermented for another time inside a sealed, pressurized bottle.
The second round of fermentation produces carbon dioxide that is trapped within the wine. That’s because the gas cannot escape elsewhere. Thus, there are sparkles in it. It is a handcrafted and painstaking process that can lead to an exorbitant price tag.
Introduction to Sparkling Wines
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Mark Dubois grew up in a tiny village in the South of France where fresh ingredients, traditional recipes, and fantastic french wines are present in every house and corner. Chef Mark is specialised in Mediterranean Gastronomies, but he is more passionate about baking. Chef Mark is currently working as a hosted Chef in different restaurants around Europe.