This post might get a little geeky, so readers beware…
If you remember from the last post, I talked about the second fermentation that occurs in the bottle for the Methode Champenois. It is in this fermentation where the magic happens and where carbonation is produced.
I hope we all know the equation for alcoholic fermentation by now: sugar+yeast—–>alcohol + CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2). CO2 is linear molecule looking something like this : O=C=O. 2 carbon dioxide molecules are produced for every molecule of sugar during fermentation. The CO2 molecules float to the top(because gas is less dense than liquid) and get trapped between the liquid and the enclosure. Eventually enough CO2 will cause the pressure to increase in this space. As the pressure increases, so does the solubility of the CO2. The concentration of molecules increases and more wind up back into solution(more and more are coming into contact with the surface of the liquid). The molecules are essentially forced back into the liquid because this will best relieve the pressure that has been applied to the system. Henry’s Law states that: The solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the pressure of that gas above the surface of the solution; the higher the pressure higher the solubility.
When CO2 is forced back into solution some of it does not remain as CO2, it is changed to carbonic acid by attaching itself to a water molecule. The molecular formula is H2O + CO2 <—> H2CO3. Carbonic acid is important because it gives champagne a noteworthy “zing”.
The pressure inside a champagne bottle is very large, and is roughly equal to pressure in a tire of an 18 wheeler. For this reason the bottles are made of thick glass and have a large bell or punt at the base(that indentation on the underside of the bottle). CO2 does not like to be trapped inside a bottle its like a prison for those little guys. When the pressure is released by popping the cork, the CO2 rushes to the top. This is known as effervescence and the smell of the erupting CO2 can be quite beautiful.
When you pour champagne in a glass you will notice some strings of bubbles streaming from one or several parts of the glass. This stream of bubbles is called the perlage. Some people think that the more or less you have of these streams of bubbles the better your champagne is. Well that is totally false. The streams of bubbles occur because of small defects on the surface of the glass. These defects trap the tiny carbon dioxide molecules and the gas bubble begins to grow until it expels gas. This process repeats itself until you have a stream of bubbles. So essentially, the more streams you see, the cheaper your glass is. The most important thing to look for in bubbles is the size. In this case, the smaller the better. Smaller bubbles make the wine feel creamier and more elegant on your palate. Take for example club soda, these bubbles are large and aggressive compared to those of fine champagne. I don’t know about you but after all this champagne talk, I am gettin pretty thirsty.
Most Champagne that we know is pretty expensive. Its hard to shell out 80-100 bucks for a bottle bubbles when you can buy 3-5 bottles of still wines for the same price. I am not going to try and rationalize the cost of a 500-1000 bottle of Champagne, but I want you guys to get a better feeling of how champagne is made so that you can understand where your money is going.
and if not enough, their will be no carbonation. Remember the equation for fermentation is : sugar + yeast—->ethanol + CO2. After the bottling they are laid on their sides in chalk caves so the 2nd fermentation can take place. During this period the yeast die in a process called autolysis. The dead yeast cells sink to the bottom imparting yeasty, bread-like aromas to the wine as well as complexity. The bottles must be left in this position for at least 15 months for non-vintage and 3 years for vintage champagne.
sometimes laborious process called remuage. This is when the dead yeast cells are coaxed into the neck of the bottle. Back before the use of machinery, a man called a remuer, would turn and angle every
I think that a lot of people love Champagne but don’t really know what they are talking about when they say the name. Most of the sweet stuff that we pour after dinner is not Champagne, but a cheaper alternative that has nothing to do with Champagne at all. The grapes are different, the region of production is different, and the vinification is different.
conditions for harvesting. He actually tried to STOP the second fermentation that takes place in bottle! This is totally ironic because this second fermentation in the bottle is the basis of the Methode Champenois.( I will discuss this method in the next post.) Good thing he did not succeed.
In Bordeaux,France, these bottles denote the use of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. White wines which use this shape are made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Bordeaux wines are usually long lived which is why the shape came into being. After long periods of cellaring, these wines will produce a lot of sediment. The steepness and height of the shoulders are able to catch the sediment when the wine is being poured. The flat sides also allow the wines to stack and cellar comfortably. This bottle shape is also used a lot in America and in Italy as well.
This shape, with a slightly wider base, sturdier frame and gently sloping shoulders hails from Burgundy. Bottles like this are filled with Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay(white). These bottles shapes seems very elegant to me. They don’t have sharp edges, they look gracefull and seem to have a more feminine quality about them. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are very elegant and round yet, can still deliver through a full body and an intense depth of flavor.
The pressure in Champagne bottles is between 70 and 90 pounds per square inch. That is about 2-3 times the pressure in your cars tires and about equal to the pressure in the tires of a double decker bus! The glass for this wine must be thicker, the base wider and the punt deeper. The punt adds much needed stregnth to the bottle, this is the reason why some bottles have bigger punts than others. Here’s a good way to make money off of your friends. Bet you friend that you can drink from a wine bottle with out opening it. Now all you have to do is find a bottle with a large punt, pour water into it, drink and collect your money. Thanks Stephanie for teaching me this joke. This picture also shows the range of sizes fr Champagne and other wine bottles. The second one from the left is the standard .750mL.
There is wide variety of wines that use this bottle and all of them are white and can range from totally dry to totally sweet. Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gerwurtraminer(GWT), Muscat, and Pinot Blanc are some of the common varieties. This shape is longer, almost flat shoulders, sexier, and usually has a smaller punt. This shape reminds me of a tall sexy girl with gentle curves and an essence of classiness, reminiscent of the wines in these bottles.
