"Gourmet News" No. 1
"An all-purpose yet profound champagne"
Happy New Year. And finally, this "Gourmet News" has officially started. I hope you will enjoy it.
Well, when it comes to alcohol at a celebratory occasion, it's got to be champagne. The bubbles rising in a straight line from the bottom of the flute glass, the refreshing fizzing in your mouth. All of these things lift your spirits.
Champagne is often thought of not only as a toast at banquets, but also as an aperitif, or a starter, when you go out to eat French food. However, in terms of etiquette, it is a versatile wine that can be paired with all dishes, from hors d'oeuvres to desserts. Yes, it can be used from aperitif to digestif, so if you are not very good with alcohol, you can order a bottle of champagne for two and enjoy your meal without any worries from start to finish. On dates, it is stylish to share a bouteille (bottle) of wine for just the two of you. In addition, with regular wine (still wine), it is customary to enjoy the taste changing moment by moment from the time it is uncorked, so it is smart to order wine by the bouteille.
I said "regular wine." Yes, champagne is different from still wine. If you are asked what is different, answering that it is sparkling is correct but naive, and saying that there is white and rosé but no red champagne is not so-so. The expected answer is that it is basically non-vintage. It is written as NV, and connoisseurs say "non-vin." The only still wines that do not have a vintage are usually the cheapest table wines, and even Chilean wines that can be bought for under 1,000 yen have a vintage. Vintages are especially important for fine wines, and the quality of the wine varies from year to year, which can greatly affect the price.
In contrast, champagne is based on the idea that it tastes the same no matter when you drink it. Therefore, wines from different years are blended to adjust the taste, and then the wine is fermented in the bottle for a second time to create a sparkling wine. It is fun to choose which wine maker's taste you like. For example, "(Veuve) Clicquot is a bit too acidic, so I like Bollinger." These wine makers are usually called "chateaux" in Bordeaux, "domaines" in Burgundy, and "maisons" in Champagne. And it is customary to find your favorite maison and open a champagne with a higher vintage on a special day. Bollinger is a fine wine with a "Grande Année" (meaning great year) or higher.
So why did the Champagne region start making sparkling wine? You can tell by looking at the grapes they use. Champagne is basically made by blending three types of grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir. That's right, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir overlap with Burgundy. Still wines can't compete with Burgundy, so they found a way to make sparkling wine. The originator of this is the legendary Dom Pérignon.
And based on the blend of the three varieties, there are variations such as the refreshing "Blanc de Blancs (white of white)" made only from Chardonnay, which has a good acidity, and the rich "Blanc de Noirs (white of black)" made only from red grapes such as Pinot Meunier and/or Pinot Noir. Because the skins are removed, it is possible to make a clear champagne (white) even if it is made from red grapes (black).
It is also important to note that, in reality, eight types of grapes are permitted to be used in Champagne, and L'Obri Fils, which produces traditional Champagne using all eight of these types, has become popular, and there is an increasing number of winemakers who use grapes other than the three mentioned above.
Finally, let me show you a measure that gives us a glimpse into the profound world of champagne. That is sugar content. The champagne that has become a sparkling drink in the bottle is finally removed from the sediment in a process called "degorgement," and sugar is added to make up for the loss in volume in a process called "dosage," to adjust the final flavor. Usually, "brut" means dry, but even so, it is still supplemented with less than 15g of sugar per liter. Dry wines seem to be in fashion these days, and "Brut Nature" (also called natural dry, non-dosé, brut zero, etc.), which has no added sugar at all, is less than 3g. From there, there are seven levels of regulation, up to the sweetest "Doux," which has more than 50g.
It seems that it is essential for a champagne lover to understand the difference between houses, as well as the difference in sweetness. He seems to be particularly fascinated by "sweet" champagne, which has become rare. He has reached a level that is inaccessible to a red wine lover like me. Such is the depth of champagne. The world of wine is full of unfathomable charm.
This month's recommended wine: Champagne to celebrate the New Year
"Premier Cru Cuvee Blanc de Noirs NV Domaine Gosnay-Médeville" 6,900 yen (excluding tax)
As a fan of red Burgundy, I always choose Blanc de Noirs, which is made from 100% Pinot Noir. It is yellower in color than the usual mixture of the three grapes (named "Tradition" by the house), and the taste is richer because it lacks the acidity of Chardonnay. It is a satisfying drink. The one I chose this time is from a house founded in 2000 in the village of Biseuil in the Vallée de la Marne by the son of the famous house Philippe Gonet of Mesnil-sur-Oger and the daughter of the famous chateau of Chateau Gillette in Sauternes, Bordeaux. Of course, it is a récoltant-manipulant (RM, a house that makes champagne only from grapes grown in its own fields). Philippe Gonet, the family's father, is famous for his Blanc de Blancs, but this house seems to focus more on Pinot Noir. Blanc de Blancs is made only from Grand Cru. Blanc de Noirs is made from both Premier Cru and Grand Cru. This is a modern champagne made in a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, and can be enjoyed at an affordable price.
To purchase, please visit the AVICO online store here
Biography
Osamu Seki Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions.
He specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory, and is a director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
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