Champagne Styles

New Year’s is just around the corner and no vino says celebration like Champagne. Several styles exist. Non-Vintage has no year on the bottle and is a blend of many years. Vintage is a blend of many wines, all from the same year, wearing that year on the label. Rosé utilizes some skin contact from red grapes for colour. Blanc de Blanc is made from white grapes only while Blanc de Noirs is made only from dark grapes. Single vineyard means the fruit came from one property. Cuvee Prestige or Grand Marques is the best wine a house produces. Grand Cru means the fruit came from the best, highest rated vineyards and Ier Cru, from vineyards 2^nd best. Much of this terminology spills over to other bubbly as well.

Toasting Barrels

You probably know that the toasty aroma and taste in many wines comes from barrels used to either ferment or age in. But do you know why? When a winemaker orders barrels from a cooperage, he or she can request the barrels be toasted on the inside to his or her specifications. The barrels are actually turned upside down over an open flame and charred on the inside. Choices available are light, medium or heavy toast. Usually light toast is not enough to impact on the wine and heavy is too much, often resulting in a smoky note. What most producers tend to request is medium toast, that when combined with length of time wine spends in it, results in satisfactory oak complexity.

Why People Buy Certain Wines

People use different criteria for purchasing wine. At the top of the list – price! We all want an inexpensive wine that delivers decent quality. Since our school days we’ve been hung up on scores and grades, so critical acclaim is important. High scoring wines by critics can really sway us. Where a wine comes from might affect some folks. Specific wine regions like Burgundy or Napa are held in higher esteem than others. Reputation and consistency of a producer often plays a big role. For some, rarity of a wine is important. Finally, ethical responsibility definitely motivates some people. Organically produced wines show environmental responsibility and a commitment to quality.