xmas list part 3 - a little too much champagne

Finally an entry about champagne and its various guises in a blog which honours the drink in its title.

I try to keep at least two bottles of "champagne" in my fridge at all times, I am just a champagne drinking barbarian although I have done some research and put a fair amount of it into practice over the years, and no I am not that old or that alcoholic, it's just economics.

So there are a couple of basics, it's hardly that important to know but if you have snobbish tendencies like me, then you will want to add this bit of general information to your cerebral files. Champagne is generally made in three ways (or methods), the traditional or classique method, methode Charmat and Carbonation.

The classic method, two fermentations, the second sees the yeast in the bottle which creates the bubbles, it's labour intensive hence more expensive and there is a richness in the bubbles. Locally I like, Steenberg, Morgenhof and Bon Courage but they are all generally good in the R55-70 range.

The Charmat methode, the second fermentation occurs in large tanks before it's bottled, this method is cheaper and relatively rapid, grape varieties used are generally not intended for long aging. Locally I like Du Toitskloof, Boplass and Twee Jonge Gezellen (The Rose Brut best value buy R30-35).

Then there is carbonation, fizzy pop, carbon dioxide is dissolved into the wine before bottling under pressure, cheap and nasty.

The other important thing to know is Champagne style: Brut (dry, very little sweetness); Sec (literally translated as dry but it actually means medium some sweetness); Demi sec, sweet dessert type companion.

And finally, there's two other things worth talking about: Cava and Prosecco. Cava is Spanish, made in the classic way with a minimum aging period of nine months so drinkable in under a year and the brut is fantastic now, in summer. Locally, you'll have to look for it, Checkers occasionally gets it in at R50-65, and it's worth trying.

But my favourite summer bubbly is Prosecco, it's Italian and gets its name from the grape grown in the hilly, Venetian region. The brut is my favourite variety and I best enjoy the Teresa Rizzi. Woolies gets it in and it's never around for to long on the shelves, priced at R50-65 but it is so worth it. Additionally you can make the famous Bellini cocktail with it, one part peach schnapps or puree together with a flute of Prosecco.

So there you go, add it all to the Xmas list in the knowledge that a little too much champagne can be … for you.