Finding A
Use
Wine your fi zz
’s guide to choose the right sparkling wine for your summer celebration
celebration isn’t complete without a toast made with something bubbly, but champagne isn’t the only choice. By defi nition, champagne must be grown and produced in that specifi c region of France, covering the cities of Reims and Epernay and the surrounding area. It must be made from
chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier or a blend of these grapes. And it must be made in the traditional method, which involves a second fermentation, started after the wine has been bottled. The fermentation produces carbon dioxide as a natural by-product, which, released on opening the bottle, creates the fi zz.
Heidsieck Heritage Brut NV Champagne is a blend of all three permitted grape varieties. It expresses crisp apple and lemon fl avours with a lovely yeasty, toasted depth and a fi ne, persistent mousse (a term which describes the fi zz). NV stands for non-vintage and indicates this champagne was created from grapes grown in a number of diff erent years. The weather conditions of a specifi c year create diff erent, distinct fl avours in the grapes and the resulting wine. Champagne houses therefore blend wines from a variety of years to create their own fl avour.
There are examples of sparkling wine made all over the world that are created by the same methods as those used in making champagne. Pelorus NV made by Cloudy Bay in New Zealand (currently 20 per cent off in Waitrose, down from £19.49 to £15.59), is an excellent example. Made mainly from chardonnay with a little pinot noir, it has crisp apple and warm toasted notes. Like champagne, it pairs well with smoky fl avours. Foods like smoked salmon work with the mousse to create a refi ned and elegant bubbly sensation in the mouth while accentuating the rich toasty notes.
Some sparkling wines, like prosecco, are not created in the traditional method. They get their fi zz from a second fermentation in a stainless steel vat rather than the bottle. This is called the Charmat method and it produces very crisp, refreshing wines without champagne’s yeasty, toasted fl avours. Lunetta Prosecco (£8.99 Lancelot Wines) is fresh and dry with beautiful aromas of ripe pear that follow through to citrus and a refreshing, crisp acidity. This is a perfect wine to drink as an aperitif, without food, and is also a great accompaniment for fresh, summer fl avours. Try lightly steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on a bed of baby leaves.
Lunetta Prosecco is a spumante, the Italian term used to describe a fully sparkling wine. Sparkling wines can also come with a much lighter, subtler fi zz than here. Try frizzante, pétillant, spritz or what’s called a ‘naturally sparkling’ for the lighter touch. The Primo Prosecco Frizzante (£7.99 Lancelot Wines) is crisp, fresh and citrusy with lovely, subtle, fi ne bubbles in the mouth. It is an ideal accompaniment for pasta and rice dishes with fresh fl avours like a seafood risotto. The fi ne bubbles really lift and accentuate the creamy texture of the rice without overpowering the subtlety of fl avour in the seafood.
GRUBMAGAZINE.CO.UK JULY 2011 67
WORDS: Elly Munr
S: Elly Munro PICTURES: Bruce Hazelton
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