Pop! The onomatopoeia serves to explain that there are few new years that do not start with the popping of a cork projected from the bottle of sparkling wine (yes, sparkling wine and not champagne). It is part of a ritual that begins as soon as darkness sets in on December 31st and reaches its climax at 12 chimes, that sound announcement of a new year and a new stage.
Contrary to what one might think, there are many sparkling wines. More and less dry, but also in the ink, white and rosé versions, so it may not be easy to choose one for an occasion that many consider so important. Thinking about the difficult task of walking through supermarket aisles — and in the hope of avoiding squinting at unfamiliar labels — we consulted Sérgio Antunes, sommelier associated with LOCO Restaurante. But before the questions that need to be answered, there is a fundamental idea to keep in mind: in a party environment, it's okay to have bursts, foam and glasses to overflowing.
What is the difference between sparkling wine and champagne?
Black and white, talking about sparkling wine is not the same as talking about champagne — the latter refers to wines produced in the French region of Champagne. The same happens with the Italian Prosecco or the Spanish Cava.
What, then, is a sparkling wine?
Sparkling wine is distinguished from others because of the second fermentation that takes place in a closed bottle, since only in this way is it possible to retain natural gas — as if to say the bubbles we associate with sparkling wine. Fermentation inside a covered container is the most traditional form of production, the method champenoise , but there is still an alternative worth commenting on: the charmat , which consists of fermenting the wine in large vats for later bottling.
What types of sparkling wine are there?
Sparkling wines vary mainly depending on the sugar that is added during the second fermentation (in the first fermentation the yeasts transform the sugar into alcohol). For this reason, there are different categories: raw natural (no added sugar after fermentation), extra raw (up to 6 g/l), raw (less than 12 g/l), extra dry (between 12 and 17 g/l ), dry (between 17 and 32 g/l), medium dry (between 32 and 50 g/l) and sweet (over 50 g/l). The sommelier also clarifies that sparkling wine (or champagne) hardly exceeds 12.5 or 13% alcohol, and that the most famous Portuguese regions for producing the drink are Bairrada and Távora-Varosa.
Where should bottles be kept?
Contrary to what you might think, the fridge is not a good friend of sparkling wine, as it helps to make the corks of the bottles dry. And why is this important? Dry the cork, the gas is lost. The ideal is to find a dark place, with little or no light, with humidity around 80% (minimum) and without any draft nearby. The care is right, especially because it allows for no changes to the wine's structure. As an example, the sommelier recalls that many champagne and sparkling wine cellars go up to 20, 30 meters deep, although nowadays the new cellars have specific (and on the surface) places in controlled environments.
By Ana Cristina Marques.