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Fizz the season

Champagne makes the holidays sparkle

By Helena Baker
For The Prague Post
December 5th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Celebrating big time in the homeland of bubbly, this oversize display marks the spot where parties begin.
Winter has its consolations, one of them being the year-end party season and its celebratory drink, Champagne.
It’s difficult not to feel a buzz of anticipation at the sight of popping corks. In the words of Claude Taittinger, “There are several ways of enjoying life, but when celebration is in order, I really know of only one.”
Just what gives Champagne its particular cachet? Sparkling wines are produced all over the world, from Russia to California, India to the Czech Republic. Producers of sparkling wines made by the Champagne method, in which the second fermentation takes place in the same bottle as it is sold, would have us believe that the secret is in the very practice. But the most important factor really lies in the wine itself — and not just because the bubbles go straight to the brain.  
Made solely from grapes grown in a small, demarcated region around Reims, Champagne springs from technically unpromising chalky subsoils and their accompanying cool, damp climate. It is the combination of terroir — climate, soil and grape varieties — together with the way it is blended that makes Champagne unique.   
Crafting it is an elaborate process, hence the elevated price tag. Only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes, generally picked by hand, are permitted in this regional delight. They are pressed quickly to avoid oxidation and, in the case of the black grapes (the two Pinots are indeed black), the juice being tinted by the skins. Pressing is done with care to capture the desirable balance of sugars and acids, as well as to block harsh tannins. After the first fermentation, which takes place in cellars, trained hands expertly mix wine from varietals to arrive at a particular blend.  
This forms the unique — and carefully guarded secret — taste of each brand. The blender is like an artist with a palette of different tones and shades, juggling them to create a satisfying whole. For in Champagne brand is king; The essential difference between one label and another lies in this consistent style.
Adhering to such artisan tradition produces nonvintage, the most common Champagne on the market.    
Nearly every house also has its special wine, its cuvée de prestige, made only in exceptional years and using the very finest base wines from the top vineyards. Perrier-Jouet has Belle Epoque and Moet et Chandon its Dom Pérignon — almost always a vintage Champagne, varying from year to year and very different from nonvintage.
The maturity of vintage Champagne can come as quite a shock to the uninitiated.     
Winery of the month:
Vinařství U Kundratů   
Jan Kundrata runs the family winery in Šidleny, a cellar settlement belonging to the picturesque village of Milotice, near Kyjov in south Moravia. The cellar was built by his grandfather, also Jan, in 1956. Using grapes from his own vineyards, he produces wine mostly for consumption on the spot with family and friends. With the active assistance of his wife Daniela and father (yet another Jan), he also caters to passers-by and cyclotourists looking to quench their thirst, providing generously comprehensive tastings. Tourists often happen upon his cellar by chance, but you can make an appointment for more extensive sips, with a bite to eat. For more information, write jankundrata@tiscali.cz.     
Wines of the month
Champagne nonvintage: Reserve Brut
Producer: J. de Telmont   
This blend of all three Champagne grape varieties produces a lovely stream of small bubbles, the aroma of biscuits on the nose and a fine crisp palate. Probably the best buy around. (665 Kč/$37)
Vintage Champagne: Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Cuvée de Prestige Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2000
Producer: Taittinger, Reims, France
Made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes grown on the grand cru vineyards of the Cotes de Blancs, this flamboyant fizz, whose finesse, complexity and bouquet excite the taste buds with a sharp, mouth-filling mousse, is a class above most. It is one of the better selections when money is but a minor consideration. (around 4,000 Kč)      
Events diary  
Short notice, I know, but Hotel Carlo IV hosts a tasting of Italian wines, along with presentations by visiting winemakers, Dec. 6. The event is organized by the ICE, the Italian Office for Foreign/ External Trade, along with the Chamber of Commerce of the Alto Adige region — a part of Italy also known as South Tyrol. For more details, write praga@praga.ice.it.
Helena Baker’s wine column appears the first Wednesday of each month. She can be reached at features@praguepost.com


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