Volatize This! A Champers Cheat Sheet

Lately I’ve been talking to some fellow winos about identifying wines by grape vs. terroir. For all my fellow winos out there, I know I’m preaching to the choir but indulge me.

I’m a big proponent of focusing on the terroir that grapes hail from as opposed to the actual grapes themselves. Why? Because the characteristics of one said grape can change drastically depending on where they’re planted, how they’re grown, on what types of vines, in what type of soil, on what type of incline (or not), in what type of weather conditions (that can vary hugely from year to year), not to mention the human effect- once the winemaker gets his hands on the grapes, it’s all up for grabs. Some winemakers like to let the winemaking happen in the vineyards whereas others can’t wait to put their own stamp on their fruit. Neither is right or wrong (although I prefer the former method), they can just produce drastically different results. Case in point:  Compare an Australian Shiraz and a Northern Rhone Syrah- apples and oranges my friends, not even close.

So… it isn’t that useful to talk about grape characteristics after all, right? Ummm, with all that being said, it can be helpful to know a few basic identifying characteristics of grapes if you want to start sniffing things out and get to know your juice a little better. Personally, I find that getting a little better acquainted with my grapes in their typical states can be pretty useful.

Take it all with a grain of salt, but I’ve rehashed a former Champers Cheat Sheet of mine to put out there in the world. Taking aside the multitude of factors that can alter any of these characteristics, not to mention the subjective piece being that your nose may sniff out some Pineapple Lifesavers while mine sniffs out Swedish Fish, I think it can be helpful on a very basic level.

For Sparkling or Champers, the grapes usually used are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier but that’s for the traditional stuff. There are a multitude of terrific Sparkling wines out there made from all types of grapes- anything from Gamay to Xarel-lo to Shiraz- the possibilities are endless. Whew- and… exhale. It’s all a little overwhelming, isn’t it? It can be hard to get a grip on grapes when you’re first really getting into wine, so let’s get back to the basics.

Here a few yummy things to look for in your glass of bubbly:

Bacon? Mushrooms?, you ask. Why yes, Pinot Noir is famous for producing a very earthy mushroom-y note, especially when harvested in Burgundy- its home turf. Bacon? Sure. Sparkling wine can be incredibly complex, there’s no end to what can be found in that delicate little glass of bubbly. The bread and toasty notes are a result of the lees (the yeast that lie on the bottom of the bottles during fermentation). It’s all very colorful isn’t it?

I hope you found this helpful, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are some of your favorite sparkly notes?

For me, a great bottle of bubbly is one of the greatest creations on the planet but I think Dom Perignon said it best- “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars.” True that, Dom.

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