Sparkling Wine Making - Part I

SPARKLING WINE MAKING - PART I
Saturday, April 25, 2009

Our Sparkling Wine Making class met on April 25th. Champagne native and master sparkling wine maker, Claude Thibaut, was our instructor. Claude grew up in the Champagne region of France and he has worked as a sparkling wine maker in France, Australia, California, and now Virginia. After our classroom session at PVCC we went to Veritas Winery where Claude makes his sparkling wine. It was a great class! Here are some of my notes from class and some pictures:

• Only three grapes varieties are allowed in the production of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
• The Champagne region of France lies at the northernmost limit of vine cultivation. It has an annual average temperature of 50 degrees Farenheit.
• The two most popular methods for making sparkling wine are: Methode Champenoise, the traditional method, and the Charmat Method, also called the tank method.
• For sparkling wines, the levels of sweetness from least to most sweet are: Brut natural/Brut zero, Brut (most common), Dry, Sec, Demi-sec, and Doux.
• The United States produces about 110 million bottles of sparkling wine.
  
  Claude makes an excellent Virginia sparkling wine called Thibaut-Janisson. It's a Blanc de Blanc, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes. It has aromas of apples and pears, and a crisp, refreshing taste.
  
  Next week: Our Legal Issues in the Wine Industry class being held at Cardinal Point Winery.