Wine Dimensions July 2006 |
Dear Friends of Monolithos, |
| In this July bulletin, we are going to talk about sparkling wines. The term "sparkling wine" refers to any carbonated wine. The difference between a still and a sparkling wine is the presence of bubbles when the wine is poured into the glass. |
| Sparkling wines may be produced from a variety of processes ranging from the complex method "Champenoise" to the simple infusion of carbon dioxide into the base wine. Naturally, these different processes will affect the character of the wine and how the wine can be legally labelled. |
| Broadly speaking, there are essentially four ways that sparkling wines can be made: |
| (1) Method Champenoise, sometimes referred to as the traditional or classical method. |
| (2) The Tank or Bulk method or Charmat process. |
| (3) The Transfer method, and |
| (4) The Carbonation method. |
| Method Champenoise. This method was developed and perfected in the Champagne region of France, and involves four basic steps: |
| (1) Sugar and yeast are added to the finished still wine and the wine is bottled |
| (2) Fermentation takes place in the bottle and converts the added sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas; |
| (3) The new sparkling wine is aged on the yeast lees for a year or more; and |
| (4) After ageing, the bottles, which are positioned upside-down, are turned repeatedly so that the yeast lees are collected into the cap. Still in its inverse position, the neck of the bottle is immersed in freezing brine so that iced wine covers the lees. The latter is subsequently removed. Any wine lost in "disgorging" is replaced with a small quantity of still wine containing a prescribed amount of sugar (dosage) and the finished bottles are corked again. |
| The considerable time and effort required to produce sparkling wine using this method is reflected in its high cost. |
| The most important characteristic of this method is that carbonation is the result of a second fermentation in each individual bottle. This method creates some bubbles that are creamy in texture, and allows the base wine to gather complexity by the carbonating fermentation. Only wine from the French region of Champagne has the right to use the regional name. |
| Tank, Bulk or Charmat method. The main steps are the same as the "Champenoise" method, but the entire process of secondary fermentation and ageing on lees takes place on a large scale in pressurised, tightly closed tanks. The wine stays under constant pressure in bulk through the filtering and bottling process, which take as little as 90 days from picking to bottling. |
| The Transfer method. This follows the same procedure as the "Champenoise" method up to the point of bottling. Following the second fermentation, the bottles are emptied under pressure into the vat. The transferred wine is then filtered and bottled under pressure into a new set of bottles. The transfer method, invented in Germany, is used extensively because it is considerably less expensive and time-consuming than the traditional method. |
| Carbonation method. The base wine is blended, sweetened and chilled. Carbon dioxide gas from cylinders is infused into the pressure tank until the required amount of pressure is achieved. The wine is then bottled under counter pressure. The result is a wine which has many and large bubbles when the bottle is first opened, however the "fizziness" rapidly fades. This is the fastest, least critical and least durable way of making wine sparkle. Carbonated wines have many characteristics of fermented sparkling wines, and this simple physical process is much less expensive. |
| Sparkling wines come in various shades of white, pink and red, in both vintage and non-vintage versions, any of which can be made from either single varieties or multi-grape blends. |
| Modern production techniques have brought sparkling wines onto the market that are more affordable and accessible for everyday enjoyment. So when you want to celebrate any occasion with Champagne but your purse cannot stretch far enough to buy the genuine stuff at an exorbitant price, you can try one of these not-so-pricey sparkling wines. |
| There are many factors influencing the flavour of a sparkling wine – grape variety, vineyard, vintage, blend winemaking process, yeast, etc. The amount of sugar left in the bottles determines the style of the sparkling wine. The EU standards for styles and their corresponding levels of sugar applicable to sparkling wines are rather confusing, because they take into consideration taste, rather than the level of sugar. However, the perception of sweetness varies from country to country, and this is reflected in the range of sugar level assigned to each style. |
| Style | Classification | Sugar Levels (gram/litre) |
| Brute Nature | Bone Dry | 0-3 (0-0.3%) |
| Extra Brut | Dry and Crisp | 3-6 (0.3 – 0.6%) |
| Brut | Dry | 5-15 (0.5-1.5%) |
| Extra Dry | Slightly Sweet | 12-20 (1.2 – 2.0%) |
| Dry (Sec) | Noticeably Sweet | 17-35 (1.7 – 3.5%) |
| Semi Dry (Demi-Sec) | Sweet | 35-50 (3.5 - 5%) |
| Doux | Very Sweet (dessert) | Over 50 (Over 5%) |
|
| Brut and Demi-Sec are the most popular styles. |
| French sparkling wine which is not made in the Champagne region is labelled "Vins Mousseux". Similarly, in other parts of Europe, different terms have been adopted to describe locally made sparkling wines. The most widely known terms are: |
| Spumante: Italian term for sparkling wine made usually using the Charmat or transfer methods. |
| Frizzante: Italian term for semi-sparkling wine. |
| Sekt: This is a German designation for sparkling wine. |
| Cava: This is how the Spanish call their sparkling wine. |
| Monolithos Winery produces a limited number of bottles of sparkling wines each year under the label "Santa Monica". These wines are lightly carbonated at the time of bottling using gas from cylinders. They are ready to be consumed immediately and preferably within a year or two. Like most sparkling wines, further ageing does not improve these wines. Carbonated wines must be consumed cold at around 61-81C, a temperature which is low enough to make them cool but not too low to destroy their taste. |
| Santa Monica White and Rose are both light and fruity with an easy-to-drink character. The carbonation allows extra flexibility in their pairing with food. |
| Carbonated white wines are served with starters, whilst rose’s are a good compliment to local cheeses. A classic pairing for white sparkling wines is sea food such as oysters, caviar, smoked salmon, shellfish, white fish, etc. |
| Sparkling wines are also ideal aperitifs and are particularly recommended as welcoming drinks in social gatherings. This is because the presence of carbon dioxide helps alcohol to go straight into the blood stream, thus lessening inhibitions and causing people to become more rapidly sociable! Therefore, sparkling wines should not be saved only for holidays or special celebrations, but used for any occasion where a social drink is called for. |
Wine News and Information |
| France is currently planning an aggressive marketing campaign for their wines in China. The French are already actively encouraging the domestic wine industry in China, by which they hope to raise overall wine knowledge and consumption. France has already established initiatives including wine education, joint partnerships with Chinese wine companies, and the setting up of experimental vineyards to expand viticultural knowledge in China. As a result, the level of wine understanding in China has improved considerably during the last few years. China represents the largest market for wine in Asia – and its thirst for imported wine has increased 150% since 2000. Imports are expected to double to 2 million cases by the year 2010 |
| Monkeys and apes in Budapest's Zoo drink their way through 55 litres of red wine each year, albeit in small quantities each day, to help boost their red blood cells. Budapest Zoo spokesman Zoltan Hanga said it was the 11 anthropoid apes who drank most of the wine in 2005. "Obviously, they do not have it all at once and get drunk, but they get it in small amounts mixed in their tea," Hanga said. "And it's not Eger Bull’s Blood or some expensive wine that they are getting, but simple table wine, as it's mainly good for their blood cells." Bull's Blood from the town of Eger in northeast Hungary became one of eastern Europe's best-known wines under communism. |
| On 6 June, the anniversary of the allied invasion of France, D-Day, Christie's auction house sold a treasure trove of rare Bordeaux wines which had been hidden for more than 60 years. The hoard of old wine had been hidden from the Nazis during World War II in Paris's Ritz Hotel. In the early days of the war, the hotel's staff hid more than 120,000 bottles – one of the greatest restaurant wine cellars of the time – in a reserve cellar on the rue Lecourbe in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, just a few kilometres south of the Place Vend?me. The hiding place narrowly escaped discovery in 1943, and lay undisturbed until earlier this year. |
| The restaurant decided to sell 200 of those bottles, said Ritz press spokesman Matthieu Goffard. "We could not use them at the restaurant because the corks were slightly damaged or the labels were not clear," he told reporters. The Haut Brion half-bottles sold for an average price of €234 each, and Mouton Rothschild sold for an average price of €216 per half-bottle. |
Monolithos Monthly News |
| The never-ending job of caring for the vineyard continues. The vineyards are inspected, weeded, and sprayed, as weeds constantly compete with the grapevines for nutrients. The vines are again trimmed to encourage fruit production. July is the beginning of the ripening phase. By the end of the month, fruit growth ceases and coloration commences, hence the fruit loses its green colour and slowly begins to soften. |
| At the winery, the yearly maintenance, Inspection and cleaning of vats and casks is nearly completed. All equipment will be ready for harvesting early in August. |
| Currently, all eight Monolithos wines are available and perfect for drinking. For additional information regarding our wines, we suggest that you visit our website: www.monolithosltd.com. |
| If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his "Fig Tree Villa" in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. |
| We thank you for your continued support. Take care, and always remember: |
If life brings you troubles, drink some sparkling wine, then your problems will just become bubbles. |
| Regards from all of us here at Monolithos. |
