Champagne is Queen of Sparkling Wine

While Champagne is the motherland of the effervescent nectar served in a tall, skinny flute, quality sparkling wine is also made in other areas of the globe like Prosecco in Italy and Cava in Spain.  However, keep in mind that, technically, you should not call, and in most places cannot call, a sparkling wine “Champagne” unless it is from that region in France. Another thing to keep in mind is that the best sparkling wines are made in the style of Methode Champenoise, or the traditional method.  This means that the wine is fermented and aged in the same bottle that you are drinking out of and the bubbles tend to be tinier, another indicator of quality.  There are other methods that can be used, but the traditional method is considered the best way to make high-quality sparkling wine.  Here is a cool video that explains the basics of Methode Champenoise:

Champagne can only be made from up to 3 grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier and some common types of Champagne you may have heard of or will discover:

• Blanc de Blancs – “White from whites” = mostly Chardonnay
• Blanc de Noirs – “White from blacks” = mostly Pinot Noir, which is a red grape, but the juice is clear so if there is little to no skin contact the sparkling wine will be a light color

How to Open

There are so many ways to open a bottle of Champagne.  There are hundreds on YouTube alone so we won’t bore you here with another demonstration, but if you often struggle opening a bottle there is a cool opener that really makes it easy.  Using a saber is pretty cool too, but be careful!  Against common practice, the best way to open a bottle of sparkling wine is very carefully, twisting the bottle with one hand, while holding the cork steady with steady pressure.  Instead of a huge “POP!” you really want to just let out a “contented sigh of a woman” to maintain the integrity of the wine before the first pour and, of course, not to end up wearing half the bottle!  Then again, who are we to tell you what to do with your wine?

Style

When reading the label on a bottle of sparkling wine there will be terms that will help you determine which style, in terms of dry or level of sweetness, you may like:

• Brut Zero/Brut Nature/Sans Dosage: No added sugar
• Extra Brut: Nearly dry, contains no more than 0.6% sugar
• Brut: Nearly dry, contains no more than 1.5% sugar
• Extra Dry/Extra Sec: Slightly sweeter, can contain up to 2% sugar
• Dry/Sec: Can contain up to 3.5% sugar
• Demi-Sec: Just sweet enough, can contain up to 5% sugar
• Doux: Sweet, more than 5% sugar

Happy Holidays!

We know it’s the season for celebration with Christmas and New Year’s still yet ahead of us so, go ahead, grab a few bottles of bubbly.  If you’re a fan of the fizz make a resolution for 2012 to sip more bubbles regardless of date on the calendar.  You won’t be disappointed.

Anthony Austin

Born and raised in Healdsburg, California, this fourth generation Sonoma County native, studied enology at the University of California Davis and continued his studies under the legendary winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff.  IWA is proud to offer the complete lineup of Sonoma Coast Vineyards wines produced by this experienced and esteemed winemaker.

Serving as a consultant to Brooks Firestone on a project in the Santa Ynez Valley, Tchelistcheff suggested the talented young Austin as the winemaker for Firestone’s new winery. In 1974, Anthony became the first winemaker at Firestone Vineyards in Santa Barbara. During the ensuing 10 years as winemaker he elevated Firestone Vineyards and Santa Barbara region to new heights.

Longing to focus his talents on Pinot Noir, while still continuing to serve as a consultant to Firestone, Anthony started his own winery, Austin Cellars, which won international acclaim for its wines and remain highly sought-after collectibles. In 2001 Anthony was drawn back to Sonoma County and the cold-climate challenges of the Sonoma Coast. Shortly after his return, Anthony met John and Barbara Drady and joined their efforts in launching the Sonoma Coast Vineyards project.

2010 Girard Chardonnay Russian River Valley
2009 Cosentino Winery Napa Valley THE Pinot and
NV Windsor Vineyards Sparkling Brut

Be sure to share this post and Facebook updates with your friends to bring more to the party!

Don’t delay, you only have until midnight (Pacific Time) Monday, October 31st to enter.  We will choose a winner based on who dons our favorite costume.

Cheers!

The cute little Salt Pig cellar is always standing by to help you spice up any dish and if you take a closer look you’ll notice ol’ “Salty” only has three legs.  Legend has it that one day a local Chilean farmer caught one of his pigs rooting more vigorously than usual in the field.  This little pig was different than all the rest in that he only had 3 legs.  How he lost the leg was somehow lost over the many years the story was told and passed down to each generation, but that is not of any concern for this particular story.  Concerned that the pig would tear up some of his fields more than usual, the farmer approached the pig intending to drag him to his pen (and perhaps something about bacon danced in his head too).  However, once upon the muddied and huffing swine the farmer noticed something in the mud glittering in the sunlight.  ”What could this be?” Thought the old man.  Bending down to take a closer look it appeared to be a muddy rock with some sparkly gold flakes.  After picking it up and wiping away the mud with his rough hands, a smile forever bent skyward along his leathery, sun-tanned face.  It was gold!  And the three-legged pig was revered as a lucky charm for the family and surrounding community henceforth.  Maybe ol’ Salty will bring you some good luck this holiday season?

Each lead-free pig is handmade, making each piece one-of-a-kind and should only be washed by hand.  Learn more about this wonderfully hand-crafted earthenware serving set HERE.

To get into the spirit of things, try this popular and traditional Chilean recipe and service in the casserole dish:

RECIPE: Pastel De Choclo– ”Corn and Meat Pie”

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, grate the kernels
• 8 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1/2 to 1 Cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. corn starch
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 6 Tbsp. oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 Lb. finely ground lean beef – salt and pepper to taste
• 6 pieces of chicken
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 Tsp. ground cumin
• 1 Cup black olives, pitted
• 1 Cup raisins, seedless
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar

Directions

Heat the grated corn, chopped basil, salt and butter in a large pot.  Add the mille little by little stirring constantly.  Add the cornstarch until mixture is thickened.  Cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Leave to one side while you prepare the meat filling.  Fry the onions in 3 Tbsp. oil until transparent.  Add the ground beef and stir to brown.  At the same time in another fry pan, brown the chicken with remaining oil with the salt, pepper and cumin until the juices are clear.  To prepare the pie, spread the ground beef-onion mixture as the bottom layer.  Arrange the hard-boiled eggs, olives and raisins on top of this and then the chicken pieces.  Cover the filling with the corn mixture.  Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the pie.  Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden brown.  Serve at once.  In Chile, more sugar is served to sprinkle over the pastel as it is eaten.