Sparkling Wine Club

 

Sparkling Wine & Champagne Lovers – Click Here

Receive two different sparkling wines from the world’s top producers every month.  For yourself or a gift.

 

Sparkling wine is frowned upon by many elitists. This is because they tend to look down on it as it as a poor man’s version of Champagne. This is not the case at all a sparkling wine can only be designated as Champagne if it is from the Champagne region in France. Sparkling wine club bottles compare very favorably to Champagne they just happen not to be made there…

Champagne is an administrative region in France where the sparkling wine is made. The Designation Champagne is protected by French Law and by European Law. Countries such as the USA acknowledge this by treaty and they do not produce sparkling wine under the designation Champagne, other than in special circumstances. This is not the case all over the world and therefore it is possible to purchase Champagne that is not what it claims to be.

Sparkling wine can be made in several ways but all the methods have one thing in common they result in a wine containing significant amounts of carbon dioxide. The three main methods are a second fermentation of the wine either in the bottle (méthode champenoise) or in large tanks (Charmat process) or by injecting carbon dioxide.

Sparkling wine is delicate and therefore vulnerable to both light and heat. Care has to be taken with its purchase and storage. When purchasing your sparkling wine try to ensure that it has not been on display in the store, obtain it in its original packaging or crate if at all possible. Once at home either keep the sparkling wine in a cellar that is dark most of the time and kept below 20ºC in its packaging or in the refrigerator in its wrappings.

The greatest amount, by far, of sparkling wine club bottles is consumed in celebration during the holiday seasons. The high acidity levels of sparkling wine make them an ideal accompaniment to a wide variety of foods. Quite often sparkling wine is served prior to a meal commencing as an aperitif along with canapés, small morsels of fish, shellfish, white meats or light cheeses are ideal to be paired in this way. If you are considering serving sparkling wine with your main meal you will find that it is quite versatile. You can pair it with fish, shellfish, white meats these can be traditional, salty or spicy dishes.

Sparkling wines are often a blend of different vintages so that they are ready for you to drink. There is no reason to age them further and in fact they should be consumed with a year or two of purchase because they deteriorate. Sparkling wines that have been designated as vintage can benefit from aging but again they should be consumed within 10 years as they too will deteriorate.

Champagne flutes are specially designed to minimize the surface area of the wine that meets the air whilst the wine is being sipped. This helps retain the bubbles in the wine for longer and therefore enhances the experience.

Champagne flutes should always be held by the stem as sparkling wine is very delicate and heat sensitive, the longer you can keep the wine in the glass cool the better your experience will be.

There is something very magical and mystical about a sparkling wine of the month club, possibly due to the mystery that surrounds the effervescence that delights us so in the glass. It is a timeless, classic and elegant drink that is matched by no other. For this reason it will always be the wine of choice and any celebration or occasion.