Cava - The Spanish Sparkling Wine

In the 1800s, Spain began producing sparkling wines to mimic their French neighbor's Champagne and they called it Champaña.  But in the 1970s, French regulations were put into place such that only sparkling wine produce in the Champagne region of France could rightfully be called Champagne.  So, the Spanish re-named their sparkling wine for the caves or cellars where the sparkling wine was kept for aging. Hence the name Cava.

Cava, mostly produced in Penedes near Barcelona, is traditionally produced from three regional grapes: Macabeo (~50%), Xarel-lo and Paralleda. But, Chardonnay and Pinot are sometimes used in smaller quantities. And Cava rosé gets it color from Granacha (Grenache), Monaastrell (Mouvedre) or Pinot Noir.  Cava is produced in the traditional French method, where secondary fermentation is done in the bottle. All Cava must be at least 10% alcohol by volume but no greater than 13%. 

There are three types of Cava and multiple styles. Of the three types, Cava is aged for 9 months, Reserva for 15 months and Gran Reserva for at least 30 months.  And like Champagne, there are many styles, reflecting the amount of residual sugar:

• Brut Nature: 0-3 gm/liter 
• Extra Brut: 0-6 gm/liter
• Brut: 0-12 gm/liter
• Extra Seco: 12-17 gm/liter
• Seco: 17-32 gm/liter
• Semi-Seco: 32-50 gm/liter
• Dulce: Greater than 50 gm/liter

Cava is a sparkling wine worth trying. It can be a bit more 'earthy' than Champagne, but nice bottles can be found in the $20 range. The Spanish don't relegate their consumption of Cava to special occasions and neither should you. Cheers!

Sparkling Wine - Champagne

Last time, the topic of sparkling wine was introduced. And Champagne is the first thing that comes to most people's mind when ordering or purchasing a sparkling wine. It is synonymous with celebrations and splurges.   

As mentioned last time, only sparkling wine produced in the small French region of Champagne may legally be labeled 'Champagne.'  And because of this region's northern location and cool weather, three grapes have been found to grow best and hence became the basis for Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.  To this day, most Champagne relies on these grapes. But, Champagne producers are also allowed to use Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane. When these latter grapes are used, they are typically used in very small quantities.

Champagne is actually a blended white wine that undergoes a second fermentation. Once each of the individual wines is produced, they are blended per the winemaker's liking and bottled. After the wine is bottled, a small amount of sugar and yeast is added to the bottle and then each individual bottle is tightly corked.  As the newly introduced yeast consumes the added sugar, it gives off carbon dioxide (CO2). Since the CO2 gas has nowhere to go, it stays in the bottle and is absorbed into the wine.  Then, when the cork is removed from the bottle, the gas is able to 'escape' from the wine. These are the famous bubbles in Champagne.  And generally, the bubbles in Champagne are smaller and longer lasting than other sparkling wines.

The amount of sugar added during the second fermentation also leads to the various styles of Champagne.  An 'Extra Brut' will have 0-6% residual sugar while a 'Brut' can have 0-15% residual sugar. And, whereas a 'dry' wine has little to no residual sugar, an 'Extra Dry' Champagne will have 12-20% sugar while the 'Dry' style can have 17-35% sugar.  And finally, on the very sweet end of the spectrum are 'Demi Sec' (35-50%) and Doux (50%+).

Unlike most wines, Champagnes are produced as both vintage and non-vintage. The non-vintage Champagnes allow the winemaker to select and blend grapes from different vintages (i.e., years) to achieve the best flavors. But, when there is a particularly good year for the grapes, the Champagne may be vintage bottled and usually commands a higher price.

If you are only raising and sipping a glass of Champagne by itself, you are missing out. Champagne pairs very nicely with food and should be served with meals.  Foods such as fish and shellfish, chicken and even fried foods and salty foods pair very well.  

And finally, while the thin fluted Champagne glasses are traditionally used to show off the bubbles, choose a nice white wine glass to serve your Champagne. Because, after all, it is a white wine and the larger, more open bowl of a white wine glass will allow you to fully enjoy the aromas and flavors of your Champagne.  Cheers!

Sparkling Wines

Everybody loves Champagne.  It's a treat that is generally poured in small fluted glasses and raised during toasts at special occasions. But what a lot of people don't realize is that they are not drinking Champagne.

Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced in the relatively small region of Champagne in France. Only those sparkling wines produced in this region are allowed to be labeled as 'Champagne.'  And an entry level bottle of Champagne is going to start in the $50 range. So, typically you are toasting with some other sparkling wine.

In the U.S., there are a tremendous number of makers of sparkling wine. Most will produce a wine that can taste very much like the French Champagne. And, you can also find these sparkling wines infused with fruit flavors such as peach and nut flavors such as almond.  An entry level bottle of sparking wine in the U.S. can be as little as $5.

In Italy, Prosecco is the their signature sparkling wine. Produced in the Veneto region just north of Venice, this sparkling wine usually produces bigger bubbles. Bottles of Prosecco can be purchased in the $10- $15 range.

The sparkling wine of Spain is Cava that is produced in the Catalonia region of Spain where Barcelona is located.  Nice bottles of Cava can be purchased for around $15.

In future postings we'll explore more about these wonderful sparkling wines, the grapes used to produce them, the fermentation processes, the various types of each, and how well they pair with food.

Here's to popping a bottle of sparkling wine!  Cheers!

What is Tannin?

Last time, the topic of dry wines was addressed. It was discussed that 'dry' wines are technically those with no residual sugar. But, more often than not, wine can cause a drying sensation in the mouth that people associate with 'dry' wine. This sensation, generally with red wines, has little to do with residual sugar and is usually associated with tannins.

So, what is tannin?  Without getting too technical, tannin is a chemical compound (polyphenol) that occurs naturally in the skin, seeds and stems of grapes. It can also be found in tea leaves, nuts with skins (e.g., almonds and walnuts) and dark chocolate, just to name a few. 

Red wines are generally the ones that are highly tannic. This is because the process of making red wine involves leaving the grape skins, seeds and stems in contact with the juice of the grape during fermentation.  While most wine makers remove the stems before fermentation, there is still plenty of tannin in the skin and seeds of grapes.

And, tannic compounds also come from wood.  So, barrel aging of wines introduces yet another source of tannin.

But wait.  With all this talk about tannin, you'd think it's a bad thing.  No. Tannin is what gives a wine its complexity and depth of character. Without tannin, the wine would be 'watery,' 'thin' or 'flabby.'  And, tannin is a great defender of oxidation. So it defends against the small amounts of oxygen that get introduced in the barrel or bottle that could otherwise spoil the wine.

Finally, and most importantly, tannins don't always produce the dry astringent sensation in the mouth. Tannins are also responsible for producing that wonderful silky smooth sensation in wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of tannin and, when young, can have big tannins that can be described as 'rough' or 'dusty.'  But, wines such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Zinfandel just naturally have softer, smoother tannins from the start.

To summarize, tannins are a good thing. They have no smell or taste and are responsible for the tremendous complexity and character in red wines. And remember, in wine lingo, a dry wine is one with no residual sugar. But, wines that produce the sensation of dryness in the mouth are due to strong tannins.  Cheers!

What is a Dry Wine?

You may have heard or even used the phrase regarding the preference for a dry wine.  But what does that really mean?  The problem is that the term gets used in a couple different ways.

When referring to a dry wine, a lot of people are referring to the way that it tastes or the sensation that the wine produces in their mouth.  But 'dry' can also refer to the amount of sugar in the wine.

Ok, so what then is a 'dry' wine? Well, most wines are technically dry.  That is, during the fermentation process, the yeast is allowed to consume all the natural sugar in the juice of the grape and convert it into alcohol. Thus, dry wines actually contain no sugar.  But, if the fermentation process is interrupted before the natural sugars are converted to alcohol, then you end up with a wine that has a residual sugar level greater than zero.  So these wines are 'sweet' which is, in wine parlance, the opposite of 'dry.'

And while we'll save an in-depth discussion of residual sugar for a future posting, there are certainly winemakers that produce wines with some sweetness by interrupting the fermentation process. And these wines are highly popular.

What about wines that dry out your mouth when you drink them? Aren't they dry wines? Well, technically no.  The sensation of dryness in the  mouth is actually the result of tannic compounds in the wine or 'the tannin.'  Tannins are naturally produced from the skin and seed of the grape. And these tannic compounds in grapes are the same ones that are experienced when drinking a strong cup of tea or when eating nuts such as walnuts.  They can yield the same effect; a drying sensation in the mouth. But this is not what makes a 'dry' wine.

So the next time you or someone you know uses the term 'dry' when speaking of wine, ensure that you clarify what is meant by the term.  Otherwise, it can result in very different wines. Cheers!