Believe it or not, it’s that time of year…. again. A time to sit back and reflect, but also to look to the future. But speaking in wine terms, it’s the time of year to pick out that bottle (or bottles) of bubbly to ring in the New Year. As much as we love our champagne, vintage champagne no less, it’s not always the practical choice. Unless you plan on not drinking what so ever before midnight, so that you can fully appreciate an expensive bottle of fizz, we suggest looking to sparkling alternatives. In this final 2007 edition of Buyin' Oeno, we’ll look into why champagne can be so expensive, but also splash into what other more reasonable options are out there.

First, here are a few true and false questions to test your fizzy knowledge.

1. All champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne.

2. Sparkling wine can be made from any grape, but there are only three grapes to make true champagne.

3. There are multiple methods to producing sparkling wine.

4. Most sparkling wines are non-vintage.

If you answered TRUE to one or all of these, then you are well on your way to becoming a fizz-a-holic.

The short answer to the first question is one we're sure you've heard before - champagne can only be called champagne if it comes from Champagne, France; everything else is considered sparkling wine. While this is true, there are many other factors that distinguish champagne from Sparkling wines. Wines that come from the region of Champagne are strictly regulated, from the grapes they use, to production methods, to aging. In order to be considered true champagne, they must adhere to these rules. While you can make sparkling wine from any grape, there are only three approved varietals for champagne- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Champagnes are usually a blend of all three grapes, unless denoted on the label Blancs de Blancs (meaning it was made from 100% Chardonnay, the white grape) or Blancs de Noir (meaning it was made from 100% red grapes, Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier). By blending the three different grapes together, wine makers are able to control the style and complexity of their wines. Pinot Noir is known for giving Champagnes its body, while Pinot Meunier adds fruitiness and Chardonnay contributes finesse and lightness.

Photo by Gaetan Lee

There are several methods to making a sparkling wines, but of course there is only one to making true champagne. Again, the short answer to the difference is that the secondary fermentation (the one that creates the bubbles) must occur in the bottle. The long answer on how to get there goes a little something like this:

1. Initial Fermentation: All champagnes start out just like any other wine. The grapes are pressed and rest to naturally ferment, which becomes the base wine. Most base wines are fermented in stainless steel.
2. Blending: Base wines from various vintages are blended by the wine maker to control consistency with their wines. If the year was an extremely good one, they may choose to produce their wine from only that harvest, thus making a vintage champagne, which then results in a higher price tag. However, they can be quite worth it!
3. Bottling: A mixture of sugar and yeast (liquer de tirage) is added to the blended wine, which is then individually bottled. The mixture will create the secondary fermentation, which results in fizz.
4. Riddling: This is the process when the yeast sediment is slowly worked into the neck of the bottle. It is still done by hand in a few Champagne houses.
5. Disgorging: The sediment is removed from the bottle. This method was refined by Veuve Cliquot herself.
6. Dosage: Adding the dosage (sugar) will determine the end result in terms of sweetness. You will see common terms such as Extra Brut (this is the driest style of sparkling), Brut (dry, with a small dosage added), Extra-Dry (noticeable sweetness), Sec (medium sweetness), Demi-Sec (sweet), and Doux (very sweet).
7. Aging: Champagnes are typically aged anywhere from 3 months to 5 years before being released for sale.

As you can see, making “true” champagne can be quite laborious. Other parts of the world use similar methods, which will be denoted on their labels as “Methode Champenoise” or “Methode Traditionale,” etc. There are other, less intense ways to produce sparkling wines, but they also lack the elegance that is found in true champagne. The Charmant (Bulk) method essentially adds the sugar and yeast into a big tank with the still wine and causes the secondary fermentation in large amounts. The wine is filtered and clarified and then bottled. The other method that is the compromise between traditional method and bulk method, is the Transfer method. This follows the traditional method up to the point of riddling and disgorging. After the second fermentation, the wine is transferred to a tank to rid it of sediment and to be filtered. The dosage is added, then it is re-bottled.

Those of us who love our bubbly but can't afford high-priced champagnes all the time are fortunately left with numerous other options. Champagne actually only accounts for about 10 percent of the world's sparkling wine production. The number one produced sparkling wine hails from Spain and is known as cava. Many cavas follow similar procedures as champagne, but do not age as long and are found at a fraction of the price - good ones can be found for between $10-$20 a bottle. They also make great base wines for Mimosas.

If complex, dry champagnes are not your style, you can turn to Italy. They offer a variety of sparklers that are considered off-dry (having some sweetness) and many with softer bubbles. You can find prosecco, which is the traditional sparkling wine for making bellinis, moscato d’asti (not be confused with asti spumante) and a few other frizzante wines. There are also many other regions in France that produced less-expensive sparkling wines, and they are known as crémants. These can be found from Burgundy, Alsace, Loire and even Bordeaux.

Many people are deterred from buying champagnes and sparkling wines because they are seen as only celebratory wines. But we say every day is a celebration and there is no reason to shy away from the bubbles. Whatever sparkler you choose to ring in the New Year is fine with us, as long as you enjoy it. Cheers to 2008!