The holiday party swirls about you, halls bedecked, guests laughing, dancing, making sparkling conversation. Somebody pours you a glass of champagne.
Pause a moment, says Richard Geoffroy. Consider what’s in your glass.
Posts Tagged 'champagne'
Looking deeply into that champagne glass
Published December 31, 2008 alcohol , holidays Leave a CommentTags: champagne, New Year's Eve
A Champagne Primer
Published December 28, 2008 alcohol , holidays , wine Leave a CommentTags: champagne, New Year's Eve
Just in time for New Year’s Eve, Epicurious.com has prepared a guide to all things champagne.
Why does Champagne cost more than other wines? You can get sparkling wine around the globe: Spain’s cava and Italy’s Prosecco are also world-famous.
However, the real-deal stuff—wine that can legally be called Champagne—generally costs between $25 and several hundred dollars in the United States.
Why the steep price? First, there’s a limited quantity: It must come from a specific region of France. Second, it goes through a labor-intensive process (described in the production section). Third, you are paying rent on the aging of the bottle, in a sense. Like any good wine, the aging process transforms (mellows, integrates) the flavors. Better Champagnes have been laid down for several years. And finally, there are many special cuvées (blends): Some contain wine only from a specific vintage (harvest), for example.
