Nothing says the holidays like a glass of bubbly, so this is the perfect month to explore what many of you will be toasting with while counting down to the New Year!
- Many wine historians believe the world’s first sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux region of southwestern France in 1531 by monks.
- The British were the first to see effervescence in wine as a desirable quality and investigated as to why the bubbles were formed.
- Grapes used for sparkling wine are harvested early, when their acid levels are still high.
- There are two different methods for the secondary fermentation of sparkling wine. The Méthode Champenoise (The Champagne Method) is where the base cuvee is combined with sugar and yeast in the bottle in which it is eventually sold, while The Charmat Method takes place in steel tanks in which the yeast and sugar are added to start the fermentation process.
- There are many kinds of sparkling wines- from France’s Crémant to Spain’s Cava; Italian Prosecco to Portuguese Espumante….the list goes on and on.
Some sparkling wines to enjoy for your holiday from Temecula Valley Wine Country:
Maurice Car’rie VR Raspberry California Sparkling Wine
Lorimar Vineyards Grenache Sparkling
Oak Mountain Brut California Champagne
South Coast Winery’s Spumante Diamante
Thornton Winery’s 2004 Brut Reserve Natural
Wilson Creek Winery’s Grand Cuvee Champagne
