SPARKLING WINES

BUBBLIES are ubiquitous during the Holiday season. There are huge numbers out there, some great, some good, some fair, and many dreadful.

The first sparkling wines were made in France. There is no agreement where that happened. Some swear it was in Limoux in Southern France, most carry the torch for the ancient province of Champagne, which gave its name to the beverage that so many people swoon over.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery. In no time flat, "Champagnes" were made everywhere. But count on the French to rule the roost. It took them decades, but it finally came to pass that only sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of northern France are entitled to use the magic word - CHAMPAGNE.

When in Champagne country, don't miss a tour in the cavernous cellars of one of the great Champagne houses in Reims. The town sits on a maze of man-made caverns which are used for production and storage. During your tour pay close attention to your tour leader and don't be rowdy. My elegantly dressed guide, decked out in the latest Paris fashion, gave the evil eye plus a tongue lashing to some oafs who began to chat during her tour.

A generation ago, the head of the great Champagne house of Bollinger was Lily Bollinger. When asked how she enjoyed her own product, Lily Bollinger is reported to have said, "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."

Sparkling wines come in so many incarnations and at so many price points that in a fashion, it's not that hard to imitate Lily Bollinger.

California has become a hotbed for French Champagne houses. Naturally, they call their products "sparkling wines," even though they use the same grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier), the same method - "Methode Champenois," and the same nomenclature (i.e. "ultra brut" means totally dry, "brut" or "extra sec" is dry, "sec" means slightly sweet, and "demi-sec" is sweet) as they do at home in Champagne.

"Methode Champenoise" refers to the traditional laborious method of getting bubbles into Champagne by refermenting wine in its bottle. Producers in other parts of France (e.g. Loire Valley) must use the terms "methode classique" or "methode traditionelle."

RECOMMENDED CALIFORNIA SPARKLERS: Roederer from Anderson Valley in Mendocino, Domaine Carneros from the Carneros District, Napa Valley, and Domaine Chandon, Napa Valley, are all making excellent sparklers.

A Spanish outpost in California is Gloria Ferrer, whose wines are very good value.

Homegrown sparkling wines include  the excellent "J" from Jordan Estate in Sonoma, Schramsberg based in the Napa Valley and the small production Terra Savia "Blanc de Blanc" from Mendocino.

NEW MEXICO: Who would have thought? The French Gruet family produces a good sparkler that sells for around twelve dollars and is widely available.

CAVAS FROM SPAIN: "Cava" is the name of the sparkling wines that come from Catalunya near Barcelona.The method for Cava is the same as the one used in Champagne, but the grapes are all indigenous. Some great values, but the really good stuff is only now trickling into the U.S. Check out the Spanish Table for best selection.

The ubiquitous "Cristalino" at seven or eight dollars is unbeatable as a PARTY WINE.

ITALY: Prosecco is a grape as well as the word for a sparkling wine from the Veneto region north of Venice. It is popular as an aperitif. Prosecco is not made according to the Champagne method. Instead, the producers use the less expensive Charmat bulk process.

Truly great sparkling wines are made in Franciacorta, Lombardy. They follow the Champagne method. Grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Blanc. Not cheap, but worth looking for.

FRANCE: Many wine regions of France produce good sparkling wines that are made in the Champagne mode and can be delightful and are much less pricey than Champagne itself. Check out sparklers from Alsace, Loire, and Bourgogne (Burgundy) for some impressive deals.

LIMOUX has a good claim to be the fountain head of sparkling wines. Blanquette de Limoux, or better yet, Cremant de Limoux, are the names of of the region's sparkling wines. Try to locate sparklers from Domaines De Fourn, Martinolles, De Flassians, and Les Caves du Sieur d'Arques. Limoux sparklers are not going to break the bank.


CHAMPAGNE: Most Champagne sold throughout the world is pretty mediocre stuff. The massive quantities that the standard brands produce make it virtually impossible to produce sparkling wines of distinction with the exception of their over priced luxury bottles.

However, there are some well-known houses whose sparklers I would happily drink in the Lily Bollinger fashion, some pricey, some not. Ayala, Deutz, and Lanson are reasonable.  Gosset, Henriot, Joseph Perrier, Philipponat, Pol Roger, and Pommery occupy the middle ground while Bollinger and Krug roost in the realm of luxury Champagnes.

Importers are now bringing in Champagnes from small houses who usually grow all or most of  their own grapes, unlike the mass market brands, and their quality is often excellent. Prices are quite fair.

French law dictates that every Champagne label must carry an acronym of the producers status followed by a  six-digit license number. The acronyms are in such tiny print that they require a magnifying glass to decode them, but they can mean the difference between getting rot gut or excellence .

N.M. (Negociant-Manipulant - dealer/producer):   quality excellent to less than inspiring.
C.M. (Cooperative-Manipulant - co-op producer): quality decent to poor.
M.A. (Marque d'Acheteur - buyer's own brand):    don't touch  
R.M. (Recoltant-Manipulant - grower/producer):    quality excellent to very good.

Final words on Champagne: It seems to be part of the French genius to make silk purses out of a sows' ears. Non-sparkling wines from Champagne are usually dreadful, especially Pinots. The growers and producers turn it into Champagne, the ultimate status wine, and reap huge profits in the process.

TREAT YOUR FRIENDS AND YOURSELF TO SPARKLING WINES IN MAGNUM (equals two bottles) WHICH ARE REASONABLE AND TASTE GREAT:

Sommariva Prosecco - $32. Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley

Roederer Estate "Brut" - (one of California's best sparklers) - $45. The Wine Club, San Francisco

MISCELLANEA

JUST OPENED: Premier Cru Wines on University and Sixth Streets in Berkeley, California. It has been part of the East Bay (SF Bay) wine scene for a long time. They now occupy their own building, conveniently located near the freeway. The show room looks fabulous and prices are reasonable. Seek advice from the knowledgeable and friendly sales staff.

BUMPER STICKER SPOTTING: "Live long enough to become a burden for your kids." appears to be the secret wish of some aging baby boomers. Moderate wine consumption might just be the the ticket to success.

"MODERATE WINE CONSUMPTION" (1 to 2 four-ounce glasses of wine) promotes longevity (Journal of Gerontology, 2007). Wine drinkers have a 34%  lower mortality rate than beer or spirits drinkers. Finally, drinking wine slows brain function decline (Neuroepidemology, 2006).












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