Wine tasting- help?!
can anyone explain to me what is the "right" thing to look for in a "good" champagne!? it doesnt have to be "good" as in price, only taste! !.!.!.& explain a good "guess-timates" of a good champagne prior to buying!?
i was once told that the "finer" the bubbles, the better the quality of the champagne, is this true!? otherwise, what are "good things" to look for (aside from price)!?
For example, can anyone explain to me why " Piper- Heidsieck" Brut tastes divine& has nice lovely "fine-textured" "smoke-like" bubbles that waft out out of the bottle, each time you open it (when refilling glass) but Rene-Florancy Brut champagne is like opening a bottle of cheap fizzy plonk (despite price) and rather than "fine-textured" "smoke-like" bubbles its like opening a can of coke you've just shaken up!? thanks!
can u *really* tell by price the good stuff!? whats a "good guess" when choosing!? (esp!. champagne on sale) thank you!Www@FoodAQ@Com
i was once told that the "finer" the bubbles, the better the quality of the champagne, is this true!? otherwise, what are "good things" to look for (aside from price)!?
For example, can anyone explain to me why " Piper- Heidsieck" Brut tastes divine& has nice lovely "fine-textured" "smoke-like" bubbles that waft out out of the bottle, each time you open it (when refilling glass) but Rene-Florancy Brut champagne is like opening a bottle of cheap fizzy plonk (despite price) and rather than "fine-textured" "smoke-like" bubbles its like opening a can of coke you've just shaken up!? thanks!
can u *really* tell by price the good stuff!? whats a "good guess" when choosing!? (esp!. champagne on sale) thank you!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
All champagne starts with wine fermented in big batches!. This produces large, short-lived bubbles!. Better sparkling wines go through a second fermentation in sealed barrels!. This produces medium, long-lived bubbles!. Tiny bubbles are produced by going through the second fermentation in the bottle!. This is a painstaking and expensive process!. It takes years!.
I love champagne and can taste the difference in the expensive stuff, but I also like some moderately priced bottles, and I adore prosecco, which is Italian sparkling wine!. You can get a really nice bottle for around $25!.00Www@FoodAQ@Com
I love champagne and can taste the difference in the expensive stuff, but I also like some moderately priced bottles, and I adore prosecco, which is Italian sparkling wine!. You can get a really nice bottle for around $25!.00Www@FoodAQ@Com
The quality of the grapes can vary from region to region and bottle to bottle!. There are two distinct ways of champagne production!. One is the in the bottling method, the other in the use of tanks!. The difference lies in the carbon dioxide treatment!. When purchasing you want to look for "Méthode Champenoise" on the label which translates to "fermented in this bottle", those will be the best ones!. The bubble size and patterns or groups vary as they are a direct result of tiny defects on the glass/flute!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Don't fall for it!. The makers and the "experts" all make a very good living out of the likes of you!.
You'll find numerous wineprats on this website to tell you otherwise!.!.!.!.!. So take your choice!Www@FoodAQ@Com
You'll find numerous wineprats on this website to tell you otherwise!.!.!.!.!. So take your choice!Www@FoodAQ@Com
There is a lot of hype, fashion, and posturing in wine tasting!. It takes some experience and knowledge to come across and knowledgable and non-pretentious!.
Lots of little tiny bubbles is a goodness in champagne because it feels good in the mouth if you are a person who likes lots of little tiny bubbles in your mouth!. As for the taste, complexity (without any nasty off-putting flavor) is good and simple sweet or acidic sensations are bad simply because simple ordinary flavors are not very interesting!. Plonk = simple and ordinary!.
As for the goodness/price equation - things get spendy pretty quickly - there is good stuff to be had at the lower eschelons but by definition the cheaper wines are going to be more available - hence, more ordinary and less interesting, than the rarer, more expensive stuff!. In other words "Piper-Heidsieck" is going to be interesting to me simple because I rarely get to taste this expensive chapagne!. My host has also flattered me so I owe it to him or her to pay attention and appreciate the complexity of that particular bottle at that particular time!.
I had the pleasure of being in a wine club where we did blind tasting of 6 or 8 wines once per month!. It was fun and instructive and I learned enough to hold my own in the wine related social games!. But while I don't have enough money to be an expert (we tend to buy 89 pointers under $15) I do know enough not to be totally snowed by someone's ignorant, snobbishness!.
My big moment came when someone handled me a glass of red wine - we had Zinfindel's at the wine club and during the conversation it came up the Amadore county Zins taste like cherry cough syrup!. Well guess what that wine tasted like!. I held it up to the light and said "Ah!.!.!.Amadore county Zinfindel!." The host beamed with satisfaction and my reputation was made!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Lots of little tiny bubbles is a goodness in champagne because it feels good in the mouth if you are a person who likes lots of little tiny bubbles in your mouth!. As for the taste, complexity (without any nasty off-putting flavor) is good and simple sweet or acidic sensations are bad simply because simple ordinary flavors are not very interesting!. Plonk = simple and ordinary!.
As for the goodness/price equation - things get spendy pretty quickly - there is good stuff to be had at the lower eschelons but by definition the cheaper wines are going to be more available - hence, more ordinary and less interesting, than the rarer, more expensive stuff!. In other words "Piper-Heidsieck" is going to be interesting to me simple because I rarely get to taste this expensive chapagne!. My host has also flattered me so I owe it to him or her to pay attention and appreciate the complexity of that particular bottle at that particular time!.
I had the pleasure of being in a wine club where we did blind tasting of 6 or 8 wines once per month!. It was fun and instructive and I learned enough to hold my own in the wine related social games!. But while I don't have enough money to be an expert (we tend to buy 89 pointers under $15) I do know enough not to be totally snowed by someone's ignorant, snobbishness!.
My big moment came when someone handled me a glass of red wine - we had Zinfindel's at the wine club and during the conversation it came up the Amadore county Zins taste like cherry cough syrup!. Well guess what that wine tasted like!. I held it up to the light and said "Ah!.!.!.Amadore county Zinfindel!." The host beamed with satisfaction and my reputation was made!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Fine bubbles are better and a sign of a longer secondary fermentation in bottle!.
I dont find Champagne very good quality in the price ranges I like, its usually too acidic for me (which makes sense since it is a cold climate wine from Northern France)!. This helps the wine live longer though, and aging with allow the flavors to open up!.
I drink Cava (Traditional Spanish sparkler) and Prosecco (Traditional Italian sparkler)!. You can find very good ones under $20!. I drink this stuff all the time, brunch, dinner, ect!. Cremont is sparkling wine from other places in France, and I find Cremont d' Alsace to be awesome, but very hard to find in the US!. Look for it!.
For Champagne look for the terms Blanc d' Noir (which is 100% Pinot Noir)!. These are better quality!. also look for rose Champagne, which is under priced in the US and usually more or all Pinot Noir!. Lastly, ask your wine store guy for small grower champagne!. This is made by the guys who farm the grapes, and is much more unique and interesting!.
PS here is how we taste wine in my wine tasting group!.
http://tv!.winelibrary!.comWww@FoodAQ@Com
I dont find Champagne very good quality in the price ranges I like, its usually too acidic for me (which makes sense since it is a cold climate wine from Northern France)!. This helps the wine live longer though, and aging with allow the flavors to open up!.
I drink Cava (Traditional Spanish sparkler) and Prosecco (Traditional Italian sparkler)!. You can find very good ones under $20!. I drink this stuff all the time, brunch, dinner, ect!. Cremont is sparkling wine from other places in France, and I find Cremont d' Alsace to be awesome, but very hard to find in the US!. Look for it!.
For Champagne look for the terms Blanc d' Noir (which is 100% Pinot Noir)!. These are better quality!. also look for rose Champagne, which is under priced in the US and usually more or all Pinot Noir!. Lastly, ask your wine store guy for small grower champagne!. This is made by the guys who farm the grapes, and is much more unique and interesting!.
PS here is how we taste wine in my wine tasting group!.
http://tv!.winelibrary!.comWww@FoodAQ@Com