Not all wineries go to the trou-
ble of the Methode Champagnois.
Two less complex, and less ex-
pensive, fermentation methods
are in use. One is the bulk, or
Charmat, process, in which the
wine is fermented in large pres-
surized tanks before bottling.
The second, and least expen-
sive, method is not a fermenta-
tion process at all. Gas is
introduced after the fact by in-
jecting carbon dioxide into the
bottles, in much the same way as
into carbonated soft drinks.
Some bottles may be labelled
"cuvee." This simply means the
winery's own special blend. With
champagne and sparkling wines,
the objective is to keep a consis-
tent blend and taste from year to
year.
If the year produces excep-
tionally good wine, the product
will be labeled "vintage" and the
year will be put on the label. But,
says Royal Wine's Mr. Buchs-
baum, this is a rare occurrence
and almost only true of French
champagnes.

Brut Or Sec?

The sweetness or dryness of a
sparkling wine is on the label:
0 to 11/2 percent sweetness is
labeled as Brut (the driest).
1 to 2 percent is classed as Ex-
tra-Sec or Extra Dry.
2 to 4 percent is Sec or Dry.
4 to 6 percent is Demi-Sec or
Demi-Dry.
8 to 10 percent is Doux, the
sweetest.
Sparkling wines should be
served at a temperature of 40 to
45 degrees. Do not overchill. This
dulls the flavor and bouquet. For
ideal chilling, all you need are a
few hours in the refrigerator.
Should you forget to pre-chill, 20
minutes in an ice bucket full of
both ice and water (so the water
will exchange temperature with
the wine) will do it.
Never try to chill sparkling
wines in the harsh, extreme tem-
perature of the freezer. And don't
even think of dropping ice cubes
in. The trick is to keep it bubbly
as long as possible. Stirring or
adding anything else to this
sparkling drink will flatten it like
a deflated balloon. If by chance
there's any left, seal with a
hinged stopper and refrigerate
for a few days.

CHILL page 18

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