Yes it's Friday, and generally that means one hilarious romp through recipe madness, but in honor of New Year's tradition I offer you a "how to" on Champagne opening.
People...the big pop is a big no no! Save the bubbles for your glass. And never ever never point that cork toward anyone!
And now some fun facts about the bubbly you all know and love:
1. The French, in all their nationalistic glory, are the only ones allowed to actually label a bottle of bubbly "Champagne" it must come from the Champagne region of France, otherwise it's known as a sparkling wine. If you plan on picking up a bottle of bubbly from Italy they bottle under the label Prosecco, and Spain calls it Cava.
2. Picking up a bottle of German bubbles? The label "Troken" on the bottle means you've got one dry elixer on your hands, nothing wrong with a dry sparkling wine, in fact, it's what I prefer, but it's not always the biggest crowd pleaser. Brut is the common term for dry for most other sparkling wines, extra Brut = extra dry. Now here is where is gets confusing the next step down from Brut and heading toward the sweeter side of things is called "extra dry" it's actually the middle of the road sparkling, and the one I would recommend serving at a party. Lastly on the scale you'll find demi-sec which is on the sweet side and pairs well with a dessert.
3. Superior sparkling wines will have a second fermentation in the bottle NOT a tank. Second fermentation in a tank implies large batch bubbly, think Korbel. So next time you are out to eat and order a glass, look for teeny tiny little bubbles, it's a good indication of in-bottle fermentation and therefore quality.
I wish you all a healthy, wealthy, and prosperous New Year full of GREAT FOOD! Cheers!
