Bring on the Bubbly! Taste of Atlanta VIP Champagne Tasting

The event was entitled,“The Lowdown on Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir, and Wines NOT found in Any Rap Song,” presented by Don Hackett, certified specialist of wine, and Senior Wine Educator at Sherlock’s Wine Market.  We certainly got the “lowdown” on the production and selection of champagne. The region of Champagne is the perfect bubbly brewing location, providing proximity to the sea and allowing enough warmth for the grapes to barely ripen and reach the perfect level of acidity for that just right sparkle.  The major grape varieties for Champagne include Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (reds), and Chardonnay (white).  The keys to champagne production are yeast, sugar, age, and of course the bubbles (carbon dioxide)! The grapes should be hard, making them high in acid.  Champagnes that yield higher yeast content are aged longer.  There are five different styles of champagne:

·         Vintage Champagne- made from the best grapes in years when the chef de cave of a specific house feels the grapes are better than average. Vintage champagnes must be aged at least three years.

·         Non-Vintage Champagne- blended from grapes from 2 or more years.  These are usually made in the “house style,” and must be aged for a minimum of 15 months.

·         Rose Champagne- generally made my adding a small amount of red wine to the cuvee.  Can also be made by extracting colors from the skins through maceration.  Usually full-bodied and full-flavored.

·         Blanc de Noirs- made entirely from Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunir

·         Blanc de Blanc- made entirely of Chardonnay

      Sweetness Levels

Brut Nature, Sans Dosage- no sugar added

Extra Brut- very dry, less than .6% sugar

Brut- dry, less than 1.5% sugar

Extra Dry- off dry, 1.2% to 2% sugar

Sec- slightly sweet, 1.7% to 3.5% sugar

Demi-Sec- semi-sweet, 3.3% to 5% sugar

Doux- sweet, more than 5% sugar

I sampled four different blends: Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blanc Hugues de Coulmet; Barnaut Blanc de Noir; Veuve Cliquot Brut NV; and Veuve Clicquot Brut Vintage 2002.  The Veuve Vintge 2002 had a fresh floral taste and smell that awakened my senses, with a refreshing tingle.  It had a mix of red and white grapes for the perfect buildup of acidity.  The Brut NV contains all red grapes, and my favorite, the Blanc de Blanc contains all white grapes.  It burst with citrus flavor and strong remnants of the white grape. After this tasting, I'm inspired to return to France and take a trip to the Champagne region!

And I learned a new trick!  I actually did this too! Take a look....