Champagne bearing the vintage on the label and containing onlyrather than a house style. Since it is only made in certain years, Vintage Champagnes tend to be more expensive. Next, the blend is added to a bottle with what is called the liqueur de triage, which is liquid yeast with sugar. Topped with a crown bottle cap, like those used for beer, this bottle is rested on its side for the secondary fermentation. The yeast and sugar in the liqueur de triage set off fermentation with by-products of alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is trapped by the bottle cap to create the legendary tiny bubbles of fine Champagne. As the yeast cells transform the sugar to alcohol, they settle to the bottom of the bottle and are usually left there for at least 12 months and sometimes up to three years to add richness and flavor to the wine. This aging process explains why some Champagnes smell toasty or like a fresh baked loaf of bread, and it also allows the bubbles to become better integrated with the wine. After aging, the winemaker uses either a manual or automated method to remove the yeast sediment. Then, a blend of wine and sugar called dosage is added to the wine before corking. The amount of sugar that is contained in the dosage Page 123 E The Magazine for Today’s Female Executive
will determine the Champagne’s sweetness style. The wines with the least sugar are considered Extra Brut (or bone dry) with styles of increasing in sweetness—Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-sec and Doux (sweetest).
Try These Champagnes for a very Happy New Year! Nicolas Feuillatte Brut NV Once a legend on the New York party scene, Nicolas Feuillatte inherited a vineyard in Champagne in 1978 and began creating high end sparklers for friends like Jackie Onassis and Lauren Bacall. Word spread quickly and this is now known as one of the best values in Non Vintage (NV) Champagne. An emphasis on red grapes in the blend creates this light bodied Champagne with flavors of apple and pear. You don’t have to have the pedigree of Jackie O to know that this is one delicious sparkler. (Retails for approximately $29.99) Subscription link www.female-exec.com/s.html