Sparkling Wines for the Holidays

This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on November 20, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We also contrast wine styles as in the current blog. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.

Joining me as my guest was Chris Goblet, the executive director of New Mexico Wine Growers whom I met at a Gruet tasting at that winery. He is very knowledgeable about New Mexico wines, of course and particularly Gruet.

Few things represent the holidays more than Champagne and sparkling wines. From the bright, lively bubbles to the creamy mouthfeel and crisp, tingly sensations these wines evoke, it would be hard to find a better way to celebrate. Rose wines also represent the holidays with an array of bright pink and salmon colors to their broad food-pairing abilities, not to mention their booming popularity. Sparkling Rose wines combine our love of both.

Sparkling wines have been with us for centuries, but they did not originate in Champagne. Nonetheless every other sparkling wine producer wishes they could put champagne on their label. All the quality houses use the méthode champenoise or traditional method. Pronunciation keys are my best guest.

Sparkling wine history

Dom Pérignon (Pair-en-yon) is the celebrated monk who pioneered the concept of Champagne as we know it today. However he spent most of his life trying to get rid of those pesky bubbles that kept shattering his wine bottles. He did introduce blending of grapes to improve the flavor and making white wine from red grapes. He was by all accounts a superb winemaker.

Before Dom Pérignon even entered the abbey at d’Hautvillers (doe-vil-ay) he had spent time in the south of France and had learned about sparkling wines in Limoux. These were virtually unheard of back then and it’s possible the Dom used the information to try to eliminate the bubbles in Champagne. Since sweet wines were the norm, the amount of residual sugar and the presence of airborne yeasts could induce a secondary fermentation in any bottle. The cleanliness levels of a modern winery were not a concern of early winemakers.

In Limoux the amount of residual sugar might have been less insuring a lower level of carbon dioxide that did not burst the bottles, or the bottles might have been stronger. However, when some of the Champagne still wine was sent to England in wooden barrels and bottled there the bubbles did not burst the English bottles because they used coal-fired kilns that considerably strengthen the bottles.

The English also re-introduced the cork stopper. In 1662, the English scientist Christopher Merret, in a paper, theorized that the presence of sugar in the wine could cause the carbonation.

I’m sure when they first attempted to open a bottle we might have had our first eye causality from a flying cork. But when they tasted the wine they probably realized; “hey we’re onto something here.” And thus the English claim that they invented champagne, which while not technically true would surely have goaded the French.

Over time new innovations improved the Champagne method. Madame Clicquot came up with the idea of riddling, which was a way to remove the spent yeast cells and sediment. Prior to a disgorgement process the wine would have been cloudy, although it still would have tasted fine. In Louis XV day the bubbly was slammed like a tequila shot and the coupé overturned to drain the sediment. The champagne flute did not appear until the 1950s.

Sparkling wine grapes

The classic grapes in the Champagne region are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Men-yay). However many different grapes can be employed to make a sparkling wine. Pinot Noir is often the red grape of choice for Rose while Pinot Meunier is employed rarely outside of Champagne. In fact the first domestic Pinot Meunier sparkler is by New Mexico’s Gruet Winery and we are sampling it..

On the other hand many white wine grapes have been employed for sparkling wines. Generally the best white wine grape in a region is the one selected.

Types of Sparkling Wines

Regardless of the wine grapes use, there are two common ways of making a sparkling wine; the Champagne method or the Charmat bulk process. In the Charmat process the secondary fermentation is done in a large pressured tank, not in the bottle, which considerably shortens production and is less costly. The bubbles are not as fine, nor is the mouthfeel as frothy and creamy.

Mouthfeel

The other reason the traditional method is preferred is in the mouthfeel. The mousse is generated by the small, intense bubbles that surge up from the glass base. The nucleation site within the glass will also alter the bubble activity.

• Non-Vintage (NV): The most traditional of all sparkling styles. These are a blend of multiple varieties and vintages of wine. The goal is to blend a consistent wine every year. Minimum aging is 1.5 years in Champagne. Some producers call it multiple vintages.
• Vintage: In Champagne, there have been 46 years denoted as vintage years in the last 60 years. Vintage Champagnes are aged a minimum of 3 years prior to release. Other regions might not follow this pattern, but Gruet as one example does not make a vintage sparkler every year.
• Cuvée de prestige: The tête de cuvée or “Grande Cuvee” of a Champagne house–the very best wine a house produces. The term is used by other producers, Many by Champagne producers located in California for example.
• Blanc de Blancs A sparkler made completely of white grapes like Chardonnay.
• Blanc de Noirs: A sparkler made completely with black grapes, such as Pinot Noir and less commonly, with Pinot Meunier, although Gruet now does produce one.
• Rosé: In Champagne, typically a blend of white and red wine to create a pink wine prior to secondary fermentation. Other areas might do a more conventional Rose method.

Details of Champagne Method

While fizz in a wine can be by accident, the champagne method was a way to deliberately induce a second fermentation even though it took a while to perfect.

• The liqueur di tirage is a mix of yeast, wine and sugar added to induce a second fermentation.
• The riddling process gradually tilts the bottle until it is nearly inverted and the sediment has moved into the bottle’s neck. It was developed by Madame Clicquot.
• The disgorgement removes the sediment by freezing the bottle neck before extracting the plug
• Finally a dosage or liqueur d’expedition of wine and sugar is added to top off the wine.

Early on the dosage could be up to 100 grams per liter, which is very sweet indeed.

• Brut Nature – no added sugar and under 3 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Extra-Brut – between 0 and 6 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Brut – less than 12 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Extra sec (or Extra Dry) – between 12 and 17 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Sec (or Dry) – between 17 and 32 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Demi-Sec – between 32 and 50 grams per liter of residual sugars
• Doux – more than 50 grams per liter of residual sugars

In Champagne, since the late 20^th century, early 21^st century the warming trend permitted a longer hang time, riper grapes, better farming techniques, and less reliance on sweeter dosage. While brut wines have been around for some time, we are now seeing Extra-brut, Zero Brut and Brut Nature wines. Gruet Sauvage is an extra-brut for example.

Crémant: the Other French Sparkler

Near the end of the 1980s a new term, crémant, was defined to identify French sparkling wine from other regions. Production rules insist on hand harvesting, gentle pressing, bottle fermentation and a minimum of nine months aging on lees, but differ according to the predominant grape varieties of the respective regions. For example; in Alsace, sparklers are made from Pinot Blanc and Riesling; in Burgundy, obviously Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but also Aligoté.

Map courtesy of Wine Folly

The wine regions that want to use the term ‘Crémant’ have to get clearance from INAO, France’s national appellation body. As Decanter magazine described it, “an often joyless, bureaucratic procedure that can take years to reach fruition.” There are currently eight Crémant regions.

 

Crémant de Limoux, high in the foothills of the Pyrenean Mountains, is where sparkling wine originated and was documented. The grapes are Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and a local favorite, Mauzac, which has its own sparkling wine designation: Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale.

• Crémant de Bordeaux: Merlot and Cabernet Franc
• Crémant de Bourgogne; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté
• Crémant d’Alsace: Primarily made from Pinot Blanc, but Auxerrois (ox-er-wah), Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes are allowed. Rose must be 100% Pinot Noir
• Crémant de Limoux (Languedoc-Roussillon)
• Crémant de Loire: Primarily Chenin Blanc, but also Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc

The remaining regions make considerably less and would be harder to find outside an exclusive wine shop, but worth seeking out if you are in-country.

• Crémant de Die (da-de)
• Crémant de Jura
• Crémant de Savoie (sav-wa)

Loire Valley and Crémant de Loire

The Loire Valley, spans 174 miles and is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. The Loire River at 625 miles is the largest in France. The area of the Loire Valley comprises about 500 square miles so this is one big valley. The river empties into the Atlantic, but the port of Nantes is 30 miles upriver. There are four geographically-defined regions within the valley.

• In the past, Loire River was navigable for shipping so wines were know for centuries
• Atlantic Ocean and the rivers have a significant impact on terroir
• Northern France weather; slightly north and west of Burgundy and warmer of late
• 185,000 acres under vine; 2/3 size of Bordeaux, 700 years of winemaking
• Loire wines defined by bracing acidity and food pairing ability
• Red grapes: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grolleau (Grow-loh), some Pinot Noir
• White Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc

There are four defined regions within the Loire Valley and known for different types of wine.

• Lower Loire is at the mouth of the river near Nantes where Muscadet wines using the Melon grape are found. Often done sur lie to improve mouthfeel these are great seafood wines.
• Middle Loire- Saumur-Anjou is the portion of the river between Angers and Tours. Both red and white wine grapes are located here and many of its most famous wines. It produces sweet, dry, sparkling, red, rose, and white wines.
• Centre Loire Valley drops back to the latitude of the Touraine. The Cher River, a tributary of the Loire feeds the more western areas. Sancerre and Pouilly Fume face each other across the Loire River, nearly 300 miles from the Atlantic.

Middle Loire-Touraine

This subregion surrounds the city of Tours and follows the river’s northern excursion to the city of Orléans before it heads south. This is Joan of Arc country as she was known as the Maid of Orléans and led her army to capture the city in a major battle in the 100 Years War, despite being wounded.

• Cabernet Franc: Chinon, Bourgueuil (Bore-gay), Nicolas-de-Bourgueuil are known for elegant, age-worthy wines. The monks of Bourgueuil Abby planted Cabernet Franc in the 10^th century
• Chenin Blanc: Vouvray wines dry to sweet and sparkling are richly flavored and honeyed.

What we are tasting; Pure-Loire Vouvray Brut M. Bougrier 12.5% ABV, $19.99 at Total Wines

Maison Bougrier (Boo-gree-A) is one of the best producers of Chenin Blanc in the Loire Valley. This sparkling wine is made with Chenin Blanc grapes and uses the méthode traditionnelle. The bottles are kept on the lees for a minimum of 24 months, which adds complexity and creaminess to the resulting sparkler. The distinctive bottle is black with blue and white highlights.

Tasting Note: If you adore dry, high-acid Chenin Blanc, you’ll love this sparkling version which presents a riper style of the grape. Medium-intensity gold in color, this wine has an aromatic nose of ripe-golden apple, apricot stone fruit, pear, honey, orange peel and blossom.

On the palate the dry (teetering on slightly off-dry), medium-plus-bodied sparkling Chenin blanc has a creamy texture with ripe fruit and honeyed flavors as suggested on the nose with some tart, pear notes on the medium-plus finish.

Mouthfeel: The wine has a frothy mousse with larger bubbles than Champagne, but smaller bubbles than Prosecco. The wine is high in acidity which balances perfectly with its fruit profile.

Other Sparklers and Methods

There are many domestic sparklers that can rival many Champagne wines, but only using the traditional or Champagne method with quality grapes, and sufficient time on the lees. The French term en tirage refers to the period of time a sparkling wine has rested in the bottle in contact with the yeast sediment from the secondary fermentation. A longer tirage adds to the richness and yeasty elements the wine possesses. Worldwide there are other methods used to make a sparkling wine. Wine Folly provides an excellent overview of these.

• Traditional Method: Bottle Pressure: 5–7 atmospheres or ~75–99 psi
• Tank Method: Bottle Pressure: 2–4 atmospheres or 30–60 psi
• Transfer Method: Bottle Pressure: 5–7 atmospheres or ~75–99 psi
• Ancestral Method: Bottle Pressure: 2–4 atmospheres or 30–60 psi
• Continuous Method: Bottle Pressure: 4–5 atmospheres or 60–75 psi
• Carbonation: Bottle Pressure: 3 atmospheres or 45 psi

The transfer method is similar to the traditional method, but rather than being riddled and disgorged, bottles are emptied into a large pressure tank and filtered to remove yeast. This is commonly used with splits (187ml) and large format bottles like Jeroboam (3L) or larger. One can see why riddling a Melchizedek bottle, which holds 30 liters of wine might be just a little challenging.

The ancestral method begins with wine in a tank only partially fermented and filtered, then frozen, which shuts down fermentation for several months and then bottled where fermentation completes and CO2 is trapped. Finally bottles are riddled and then disgorged but no liqueur d’Expedition is added. This method is a variation of the Limoux method, which did not riddle or disgorge the wine. They wouldn’t have known what the heck that was!

The Russian continuous method is a variation of the tank method, but yeast is continually added until the desired pressure is reached and passed into other tanks that enrich and filter it. Large companies in Russia, Germany and Portugal primarily use this method.

The carbonation method is a cheap way to make sparkling out of bulk wine. This is no way to celebrate the holidays!

The point of all this is to illustrate that once out of Champagne many places make sparkling wines and most is quite good.

• Italy: Prosecco uses bulk method, some like Valdobbiadene are excellent; Franciacorta uses traditional method and premium grapes to make a wine rivaling Champagne
• Germany & Austria Sekt: Sekt is not a protected term like Champagne so quality levels are all over the place; cheaper uses tank method, best uses traditional method.
• Spain: Cava made since 1872 by Codorníu using traditional method, Rioja has new rules and can include traditional method and longer aging and en tirage
• Portugal: Vinho Verde is a frizzante style wine, but can be higher as in Espumante wines

Domestic Sparklers

In New Mexico our first choice is Gruet and it’s been that way since the family moved from Champagne to Albuquerque, NM in the mid-80s. I’ve considered their quality level the highest for the price paid for a bottle and sampled every one they produced, even Extra Dry. Gruet is now part of Precept Wine, a Seattle-based privately-held wine producer.

The lineup keeps changing but in 2020 Gruet offered 5 vintage and 7 NV sparklers.

• 2016 Blanc de Blancs, 2012 Grande Blanc de Noirs, 2017 Sauvage Magnum, 2016 Gilbert Grande Reserve
• NV: Brut & Demi-Sec $15, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Brut Rose all $17. Magnums all $42
• Sauvage Brut & Rosé $20,
• Library: Barrel-aged Gruet Brut $28, Pinot Meunier Brut $42, Cuvée Laurent Extended Tirage Rosé $40, 2014 Cuvée Danielle Grand Rosé $39, 2015 Grand Blanc de Noirs $30, 2012 Library Release Blanc de Blancs $40, 2015 Gilbert Gruet Grande Reserve $44.
• Library wines are seldom offered, but maintained to see how they age, but might be available for special tastings, and I did have that privilege.

California Regions

Anderson Valley, Mendocino, Sonoma County (Russian River Valley, Sonoma coast), Napa Valley, Marin County, Carneros (Sonoma/Napa). Many Champagne houses are located here.

• Roederer-Anderson Valley, Mumm Napa, Domaine Carneros, Schramsberg-Napa, Iron Horse-Green Valley RRV, and Domaine Chandon

What we are tasting Gruet Pinot Meunier Brut 12.5% AVA, $42

Gruet Winery is proud to produce this 100% Pinot Meunier Méthode Champenoise, which was grown and hand-harvested in New Mexico at the 30 acre Tamaya Vineyard in partnership with the Santa Ana Pueblo. Crafted by the world-class winemaker Laurent Gruet, this wine celebrates Gruet’s 30th anniversary of producing award winning wines that connect with the land and the people of New Mexico. I first tasted this sparkler at the Placitas home of Bill & Karen Barattino.

Tasting notes: flavors of stone fruit, pears and fresh baked biscuit; well-balanced with bright acidity.

As my guest Chris Goblet warned on the show, this wine is no longer available but do jump on the new release of this grape when it comes out. I suspect it will go fast.

Opening Champagne Safely

Optomologists will tell you the most common eye injury from a flying object is, you guessed it, Champagne corks. This would apply to any bubbly using the traditional method, with its attendant higher pressure. Recently, I was opening a sparkling wine and our good friend, Claudia, was trying to duck below the table. She related that when she was a child her father opened a bottle and the cork shot through their ceiling and ended up lodged in the attic.

I told her I was a professional and that wasn’t going to happen. Besides we were outside and only a low flying bird was at risk.

So bearing that in mind, don’t point the cork end at anyone; particularly the eye area, although crotch level is also not so good. Try pointing it at a vacant wall if this is your first time, and avoid chandeliers. And you thought this was just simply opening a bottle of wine. Au contraire.

Preparing and opening the bubbly: Here is your uncorking sparklers refresher.

• NV Champagne can age up to 3 years after release, cuvée de prestige much longer
• If storing for more than one month, keep sparklers horizontal in rack
• Start with a well-chilled bottle, not one rolling around the back seat of your car for the last hour.
• Holding bottle at 45 degrees loosen cage, 6 turns if you’re counting, but leave cage on
• Hold cork and cage firmly with one hand and turn the base of bottle, not the neck, with the other hand.
• Allow cork to slowly ease out but keep at 45 degrees for a few seconds after cork removed
• If done successfully only a tiny hiss should occur. What we professionals call the queen passing gas.
• Make sure flutes are handy if it foams and pour into glasses at 45 degrees to fill more quickly
• One can pour from the bottle by placing thumb in punt (indentation at base of bottle), less warming by hand, but more dangerous. Don’t try this with a Nebuchadnezzar (18L 20 bottles).

Flutes versus coupé

In the 30s, 40s and 50s, the coupé was the more common glass to serve Champagne. The classic shape is reputed to have been formed from Marie Antoinette’s left breast. While the apocryphal story has a romantic ring, it’s hard to imagine this actually happening. “Excuse me, Marie, but can we borrow your breast to make some glasses?”

The advantage of the flute is that the tiny bubbles are on full display adding to the attraction of a classic sparkler. And unlike the Marie Antoinette coupé it does not lose its head quite so quickly and you don’t have to have it with cake.

Analysis

The sparkling Vouvray was very impressive for its price point with an expansive mouthfeel, solid fruit and a crisp delivery and nice finish. This is a refreshing change from many other sparklers. The Gruet Pinot Meunier was as rich as their Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir) with pear, a bit of Granny Smith apple and baking spices and a long finish.