Beads you say? Why look for beads in France? Well that’s what the bubbles in champagne are called because they look like strings of beads as they stream up to the surface of the glass.
What a great introduction to French wine we had on June 19 when we explored the world of champagne, first comparing two styles of French champagne and then comparing a French champagne with a California sparkling wine made by the same winemaking family.
We started with a Veuve-Clicquot Ponsardin Brut (nv, 12% alcohol) and compared it to a Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut (nv, 12% alcohol). The Veuve-Clicquot was supposed to taste and smell yeastier compared to the light and elegant Perrier-Jouet. Most of the class failed to pick which was which, but we decided to blame our troubles on the outside temperature which made the wine warm up pretty quickly. We did find a yeasty aroma and a frothier feel to the Veuve-Clicquot, but the extra crispness and granny smith apple tastes threw us off a bit. We should have known from the longer lingering taste that it still wasn’t as crisp as the Perrier-Jouet, which, true to the elegance of its reputation, had finer beads. It also had a richer and more pronounced green apple flavor. In the end, a majority of the class preferred the Veuve-Clicquot.
Next, we tried to decide whether French champagne is all it’s cracked up to be compared to California wines made by the same method. (You can’t call it champagne unless it’s made in the Champagne region of France – sort of like bourbon is supposed to be made in Bourbon County, KY. So such snobbery isn’t limited to France.) Anyway, we compared a Moet et Chandon White Star (nv, 12% alcohol) with a Domaine Chandon California Blanc de Noir (nv, 13% alcohol – hmmm, notice something different already?) The class scored a perfect score in distinguishing the French from the California in our blind test. The champagne was more complex, with flavors other than fruit such as almonds and herbs. It stayed quite bubbly after awhile also. The sparkling wine had sweeter and brighter aromas and tasted quite fruity, almost like apple sauce, quite in keeping with its New World provenance. Many thought they would enjoy the champagne more at a luncheon on the patio, while they wouldn’t mind having the California sparkling wine at a dinner beach party. Even though the latter sounds like more fun, a majority of the class decided they preferred the champagne.
At our next class on July 17, we’ll drill down on the Bordeaux region of France, concentrating on differences between cabernet sauvignons and merlots and learning which side of the tracks (or make that Gironde River) they come from. We’ll throw in some California varietals to help our comparison. To prepare, please study pages 151 through 160 of Andrea Immer Robinson’s book Great Wines Made Simple, and don’t forget – practice, practice, practice!
Hope to see you all on July 17!
Suzy Marquard