SPARKING A ‘CORKY’ CONVERSATION
Although beer might seem like your best company on any given day, champagne is the drink of choice for a special occasion. Be it getting hitched, a graduation, getting a pay rise or being promoted at work, there is no better way than to celebrate with a wonderful bottle of champagne.
Whether you’re dining at a fancy restaurant or sitting at home watching the sappiest love stories on TV, go for something different on a special occasion like Valentine’s Day. The standard non-fizzy wine just won’t cut it. If you’re not au fait with the different types of champagne, read up on it because picking a bottle of champagne can be tricky. And please, have a bit of class. Drinking champagne out of an Ikea goblet doesn’t quite fit the bill. Here are some tips and trivia on this lovely bubbly stuff.
Whether you’re dining at a fancy restaurant or sitting at home watching the sappiest love stories on TV, go for something different on a special occasion like Valentine’s Day. The standard non-fizzy wine just won’t cut it. If you’re not au fait with the different types of champagne, read up on it because picking a bottle of champagne can be tricky. And please, have a bit of class. Drinking champagne out of an Ikea goblet doesn’t quite fit the bill. Here are some tips and trivia on this lovely bubbly stuff.
THE SPARKLING TRIVIA
• Despite the historical fact that champagne has no single inventor, this has not stopped the common mythology evolving that Dom Perignon invented the drink.
• Most champagne are blends of three grapes – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, but blanc de blancs are made solely of chardonnay.
• The name ‘champagne’ can only be used if the wine is produced in Champagne located in the north-eastern region of France. If a similar sparkling wine is produced, using the same method other than in Champagne, then it has to be labelled as ‘Méthode Champenoise’ so as to give credit to the procedure.
• The fictional character Agent 007 a.k.a James Bond drinks champagne more than any other beverage in the movies.
• Most champagne are blends of three grapes – pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay, but blanc de blancs are made solely of chardonnay.
• The name ‘champagne’ can only be used if the wine is produced in Champagne located in the north-eastern region of France. If a similar sparkling wine is produced, using the same method other than in Champagne, then it has to be labelled as ‘Méthode Champenoise’ so as to give credit to the procedure.
• The fictional character Agent 007 a.k.a James Bond drinks champagne more than any other beverage in the movies.
• Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in champagne. Up to 350 bottles of champagne were used to fill the bath tub.
• The classic shallow bowl-shaped champagne coupe was believed to have been modelled in the shape of Marie Antoinette’s (the wife of Louis XVI of France) left breast.
• A champagne cork reaches a velocity of about 40 miles per hour when popped out of the bottle (that’s approximately 64 kilometres per hour).
• The longest recorded flight of a champagne cork is over 177 feet (54 meters).
TIPS AND TRICKS
• It’s always recommended that you slant the bottle at a 45-degree angle and carefully twist the cork out with a towel covering the bottle so no wine escapes and you don’t hurt a bystander.
• When drinking from a champagne glass, make sure to hold on to the stem of the glass only – if you hold it by the glass itself, the champagne will warm up and lose its fizz.
• When drinking from a champagne glass, make sure to hold on to the stem of the glass only – if you hold it by the glass itself, the champagne will warm up and lose its fizz.
• Never gulp down champagne because the bubbles will cause the alcohol to enter your bloodstream too fast causing a headache. Savor the taste by sipping and also dissipate the bubbles before swallowing.
TYPES OF CHAMPAGNE GLASSES
As a rule, there are three types of champagne glasses to choose from. They are champagne flutes, champagne coupes and champagne tulips.
Champagne Flutes – Champagne flutes not only aid in capturing the flavor and aroma, but also provides for a nicer appearance as well.
Champagne Coupes – These are the oldest type of champagne glasses and were very popular in the early 20th century, but have since been surpassed by the flute glass.
Champagne Tulips – Some connoisseurs recommend champagne tulips when consuming many of the finer French champagnes because the wider base will allow the flavors to be captured and therefore, preserves the taste.
Source: honestcooking.com, examiner.com
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