Sparkling wine
The French terms Mousseux and Crémant refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region, such as Blanquette de Limoux produced in Southern France.
"Champagne" was further popularised in the region, late in the century, when József Törley started production in Hungary using French methods, learned as an apprentice in Reims.
[2] Dom Pérignon was originally charged by his superiors at the Abbey of Hautvillers to get rid of the bubbles since the pressure in the bottles caused many of them to burst in the cellar.
The mysterious circumstance surrounding the then unknown process of fermentation and carbonic gas caused some critics to call the sparkling creations "The Devil's Wine".
Through the process of riddling and eventually disgorgement, the dead yeast cells (called lees) are removed from the wine while still maintaining the dissolved carbon dioxide gas.
[1] According to the wine academic Graham Harding, the average bottle of champagne contains enough carbon dioxide to potentially produce 49 million bubbles.
A study conducted at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom gave subjects equal amounts of flat and sparkling champagne which contained the same levels of alcohol.
French sparkling wines made according to the Champagne method of fermentation in the bottle, but sometimes use different grape varieties, are known as Crémants and are governed under their own Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) regulations.
[15] As noted above, the designation Crémant was previously used for sparkling wines from the Champagne region which were produced with slightly less carbon dioxide and somewhat lower bottle pressure (typically 2–3 atmospheres instead of 5–6).
When in the late 1980s lobbying by Champagne producers led to méthode champenoise being forbidden within the European Union as a designation for the traditional method, the term Crémant was given its present definition.
Since the designation Crémant is not reserved exclusively for French use (as a result of it replacing méthode champenoise), it may also be used by producers in other EU countries which fulfill the production criteria.
[19] Sparkling-only are: Either still or sparkling are: Cava is the name of a type of Spanish (mostly in Catalonia but also in other regions such as Valencia, La Rioja, Aragon, Extremadura) white or pink sparkling wine produced mainly in the Alto Penedés in Catalonia, 40 km to the south west of Barcelona, with the méthode champenoise but grape varieties different from grapes used in Champagne making.
[20] Today Cavas have become integrated with Catalan and also Spanish family traditions and is often consumed at any kind of celebrations (baptism, marriages, banquets, dinners and parties).
Under Spanish denominación de origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions and must be made according to the Traditional Method with second fermentation in the bottle and uses a selection of the grapes Macabeu, Parellada, Xarel·lo, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and Subirat.
Quality sparkling wine is defined by means of precise specifications, including at least 10 per cent alcohol content and 3 bars (44 psi) pressure in the bottle, among other things.
Germany long attempted to have the name Sekt reserved for sparkling wine from countries with German as an official language, but these regulations were annulled by the European Court of Justice in 1975.
In Austria, Sekt is often made in the méthode champenoise with the Welschriesling and Grüner Veltliner grapes giving the wine a golden hue color.
[33] The first facility to produce Sekt following the original French recipe was founded in 1825 in Pressburg (Bratislava) by Johann Fischer and Michael Schönbauer, both local burghers.
The first wineries of sparkling wine were founded near Pozsony (today Bratislava, Slovakia) by Johann Fischer and Dr. Michael Schönbauer in 1825 (the first in Central-Europe) and Esch és Társa in 1835.
A couple of decades later the main producers moved to the Buda Hills and Budafok nearby the capital creating a new center of production, the so-called "Hungarian Champagne" still existing nowadays.
This designation continued to be used for sparkling wine produced in several countries formerly part of the Soviet Union, including Georgia, Armenia, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.
The same traditional method is used in Azuga, where the mountain climate is perfect for the second fermentation of white and rose sparkling wines in passively cooled above-ground cellars.
Along with Pinot Meunier, the three varieties combined accounted for around 40% of vines planted, which appears to reflect a significant growth in interest in English sparkling wines.
[36] In Ukraine, sparkling wine (Ukrainian: ігристе вино, ihryste vyno) is mostly being produced in the south of the country, particularly in Bessarabia, Prychornomoria and Crimea.
Another famous Ukrainian winery, Shabo, has a sparkling wine house near its terroir that covers a total area of 1.4 hectares and ensures quality at all stages of production.
Canada's sparkling wine producers are found in Southern Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec and Nova Scotia, where growing conditions mirror that of Champagne, Provence and Languedoc of France.
[44] The Niagara Peninsula region's micro-climate is well suited for the growth of Chardonnay, Riesling, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes, which are the prominent varietals for Ontario sparkling wine.
[44] Ontario sparkling wines are often noted for having a character and aroma comparable to that of traditional Champagne, including biscuit, subtle yeast and palate cleansing bubbles.
[50] In recent years, the Pais grape variety has been creatively employed on its own or in blends, to make modern wines that have received favorable reviews.
There are quality standards that all producers adhere to voluntarily, apart from the minimum time on the lees (nine months) and the bars of pressure, which are mandatory in order to use MCC on the label.
