nonetheless

Speaking of wine, some lessons learned from last week’s FIAF wine tasting: Champagne vs. Sparkling Wine

• Open a bottle of champagne really cold — it makes the pressure less and makes it safer to open then let it sit a bit to release aromas.

• There are 90lbs of pressure inside a champagne bottle, like a loaded gun. So be careful.

• On champagne glasses — flutes are tall & narrow to keep bubbles in the glass; a tulip with wider bowl enhances the aroma.

• Secret sommelier trick — scratch inside bottom of the glass with a diamond tipped pen to break the surface tension and create a stream of bubbles.

• Vintage wine needs to be aged for 36 months. Aging the wine with the dead yeast cells impart a creaminess to the wine. There is a brioche creamy yeastiness that you get from aging champagne in the bottle.

• Prosecco is not meant to be aged; should be fruit forward and vibrant.

• The 3 main grapes in the Champagne region are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, & Pinot Meunier.

• Cheese and pâtés pair brilliantly with bubbly.

Q: Should you swirl champagne like you do wine? A:There is no set rule — a swirl is like a mini-decantation.

“If I could drink anything, everyday, for the rest of my life, it would be champagne.” — Alex Pratt

FIAF Wine Tour de France 2012: Battle of the Bubbles

Related and previously