Fizz

"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes, I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it if I am; otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty."


Madame Bollinger, one of the "grande dames" of French champagne (1884 - 1977).

When we celebrate we often reach for a bottle of fizz, preferably and if we can afford it the king of all sparkling wines, champagne. It is well known that bubbles in wine assist in enabling alcohol to enter the blood stream more quickly, but I do not think this is the main reason we love fizz. Fizz just makes us happy even before we have drunk it. There is the ceremony of the opening and wine buffs will tell you that the cork should be eased off gently by turning the bottle and not the cork. The objective is to preserve the precious bubbles as mush as possible and ideally only a gentle whiff should be heard as the cork is released. Most of us though prefer the sound of a pop even a bang followed by an eruption of foaming wine. Fizz is all about extravagance, something to be shared with friends and family or even strangers. I notice that when glasses of fizz are poured and handed around most of us eagerly drink with gusto. Seldom does anyone pause to consider the colour and bouquet of a glass of fizz as perhaps one would with a glass of still wine. Instead fizz is drunk quickly with the hope that another glass will follow. Fizz is made for drinking not tasting, to celebrate, enjoy and have fun.

The inventor of champagne the most famous of all sparkling wines is often wrongly credited to Dom Pérignon (1638 to 1715) the legendary French Benedictine monk. He is said to have exclaimed on first drinking wine that had mysteriously developed bubbles, “Come quickly I am drinking the stars”. In reality Dom Pérignon although a consummate wine maker did not invent champagne and ironically spent much of his time trying to prevent his wines developing bubbles. It is the English that may have some claim to have discovered sparkling wine. From the 16th Century onwards still wines from the Champagne region of France were exported across the English Channel to supply the nobility. This tart and acidic still wine was exported in barrels before the invention of glass bottles. To make the wine more palatable the English added sweeter possibly honey to the barrels of wine. The residue of yeasts left over in the barrels combined with the sugars induced secondary fermentation. This had the desirable effect of both increasing the alcohol content and create carbon dioxide, which dissolved in the wine to give bubbles.

Bottle fermented sparkling wine sometimes known as wine produced in the traditional method is considered the superior method to produce sparkling wine. Champagne still provides the benchmark for quality of all bottle fermented sparkling wines even though almost every country in the world that produces wine makes bottle fermented sparkling wine. In South Africa it is known as Méthode cap Classique (MCC), in Spain Cava is the most famous bottle fermented sparkling wine and in other countries such as Australia, USA and Chile the words traditional method is usually used to denote how the wine was produced as well as a mark of quality.

In addition to bottle fermentation there are three other methods to create bubbles in wine. The first, the cheapest and most common method is to pump carbon dioxide into wine just like in soft drinks. Most bottles that state on the label “sparkling wine” are usually made in this method. The second method to make sparkling wine is called Charmat or sometimes referred to as the Italian method. The most famous of sparkling wines produced using the Charmat method is perhaps Prosecco from Italy. It is made by fermenting the base wine a second time not in the bottle, but a large stainless steel tank. Once the wine has completed a secondary fermentation and now with bubbles the wine is bottled under pressure using a customary mushroomed shaped cork. The fourth method is the "transfer method" where the wine does undergo secondary fermentation, but then will transfer the wine out of the individual bottles into a larger tank to spend further time on yeast to acquire further complexity before being rebottled.

Whatever the method of producing sparkling wines there is no doubting their huge popularity. Each year whatever the vagaries of the economic climate more Champagne and sparkling wines in general are produced and consumed than ever. The French are fervently protective of the name Champagne and will unleash the full force of armies of lawyers if anyone foolishly calls their wines or anything else for that matter Champagne. In Kenya there are available numerous Champagnes from the famous houses (companies), bottle fermented sparkling wines from countries as diverse as South Africa and Italy, Prosecco produced using the Charmat method from Italy as well as a whole raft of sparkling wines from many different countries. Recently in Nairobi a wine tasting group known as the Winettes sampled a variety of sparkling wines all of which with the exception of one are available in Kenya. Here are the results of the mammoth tasting session.

The first four wines are from the biggest wine company in South Africa, Distell. Under the brand JC le Roux more than 10 sparkling wines are produced. At the tasting we sampled 4 of their sparkling wines.

JC le Roux naturally lively White – a sparkling wine made predominantly from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, fun and fresh would be ideal for mixing.

JC le Roux La Chanson red – another simple sparkling wine, sweet, light red in colour and just good fun.

JC le Roux La Fleurette pink – sparkling wine for those that really like their sparkling wine sweet. The high sugar content in this one was not necessarily to the taste of the Winettes.

JC le Roux La Vallée – a bottle fermented off-dry Non Vintage mostly Pinot Noir with a nose of nutmeg and ripe pear. Non vintage in a sparkling wine refers to the fact that the content is a blend of wines from different years. This wine is a notch up in quality from the other JC le Roux offerings.

Marquis de la tour brut – this is a sparkling wine from the Loire Valley in France. The wine is made from a blend of different grapes including the Loire Valleys famous white grape Chenin Blanc. This sparkling wine is lively and fresh made in an off-dry (semi-sweet) style. Perhaps suitable for a welcoming drink at receptions and such like.

Marquis de la tour rosé – this is a sister wine to the brut above for those that like their fizz pink. Again off-dry in style and this wine has a pronounced nose of strawberries.

Arnea Spumante Veneto Italy – this is a bottle fermented sparkling wine from the north-west of Italy. The wine has tiny and persistent bubbles with complex aromas of nearly ripe apples, bread crust and a touch of vanilla. Dry to the palate, full with a long finish.

Riccafanna Francicorta Brut – also a bottle fermented sparkling wine this time from Lombardy in north-west Italy. This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes with a pleasant toasty nose and bread aromas. On the palate the acids are firm and the wine has a persistent bubbly mouth feel.

Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel – it is 40 years ago that Simonsig produced South Africa’s first bottle fermented sparkling wine. This wine has small persistent bubbles with a pronounced nose smelling of brioche. The wine is made from the three famous grapes used to make Champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. A classy wine and is suitable for any occasion.

Nyetimber Classic Cuvee England – this wine is unfortunately not available in Kenya, but a fine example of the fact that England is producing excellent bottle fermented sparkling wine. This wine also uses the three classic Champagne grape varieties and displays a gentle spiraling set of bubbles through a pale gold hue. Bread dough and white peach contribute to a pleasing aroma. The palate is fresh and vibrant with a core of grapefruit, lime leaves and minerality with bubbles bringing roundness to the wine.

Nicolas Feullillate Champagne Brut – this wine is a non-vintage Champagne from the house of Nicolas Feuillate. This is great quality Champagne at a reasonably price this wine is light and fruity with fine discreet bubbles and subtle overtones of apples and pears. This wine has undergone 4 years cellar ageing before disgorgement and bottling to add complexity.

Nicolas Feullillate Champagne Cuvee Special 1997 – this wine is vintage Champagne available in Kenya from Mia Wines and Spirits International. Vintage Champagne refers to the fact that the base wine used for making the Champagne is from a declared year. The Champagne wine authority only declares a vintage in exceptional years and this wine dates from 1997. On the nose this was by far the most complex of the wines tasted. The complexity follows through on the palate with a combination of apples and bread. This is a wine for those who are serious about their Champagne.