Before I started learning about Champagne, I merely thought it was just sparkling white wine. I had zero concept of the rules, regulations, and deeply rooted history that went into this incredible wine. This week, I’d like to journey back to France, in the Champagne appellation. This is a place of magic, mystery, and also of deep sadness, as many terrible, blood-shed battles have been fought on the soil of this region.  Let’s start from the earliest known beginnings….. 

Attila the Hun lost his one and only battle in the Champagne region 1500 years ago, against the Romans. Since then, the other battles fought on that soil were the 100-Years War, the Napoleonic War, the Prussian War, and the First World War, all over an area of less than 30 miles. Much sadness has transpired in that region throughout history. (Below depicts a memorial of the trenches of World War I that were fought in the Champagne region).

Champagne is the northern-most wine growing region in continental Europe, located north and east of Paris. Champagne has been in production for over 250 years. 

Only Champagne created under the strict rules of the Corporation for Champagne Winemakers, and grown solely within the Champagne region of France, may be labeled or referred to as a Champagne. Anything else is just sparkling wine…. Some of the more well-known towns in the Champagne region are Epernay, Ay, and Reims.

Due to the tight regulations of the production of Champagne, it it actually known how many bottles are cellared in all of the cellars of Champagne. At today’s count….. more than a billion bottles. (Yep…. Mind Blown!!)…..There are cellars under every city in the Champagne region, like an underground city, estimated at 60 miles long. If you add the wine-makers cellars to those numbers, the total is approximately 600 miles of cellars. 

The soil here is mostly chalky below the surface composed of shells from ancient sea beds, resulting in a crisp, mineral finish to these wines.  Most of these vines are very old and have roots many meters deep, that also contribute to the success of these vines. 

Many of these Champagne houses and vineyards have been carried down over hundreds of years. Gosset Champagne house in Epernay, France, is the oldest Champagne house in the region, founded in 1584. (see below).

There are many rules for cellaring, manufacturing, pruning, and harvesting of Champagne. These rules have been created to maintain the quality of the wines produced in Champagne. It is tightly controlled by the Corporation for Champagne Winemakers.  There are only 4 ways the vines may be pruned, and this is further regulated by how high the first trellis wire can be from the ground. It must be 60 centimeters from the ground…. no higher. It’s the only wine region in France you will see all the rows of vines trimmed in exactly the same way. If a grower refuses to prune according to the regulation, his appellation license can be revoked. They would not be allowed to harvest their grapes to make Champagne. The other major rule is that every grower is allowed only 1 week to harvest their grapes. Each village is given a start and end date to harvest their grapes, so that no one has an unfair advantage. The harder you work and the more grapes you pick, the more wine you will yield. 

Being north, it is a much cooler and wetter climate, compared to the sunny south of France. Mold is a big problem here. They spray the fields, but even this process comes with rules. No more helicopter crop dusting due to too many accidents. This rule was instated in 2012. Given the area of Champagne is not that large, all of the vineyards share in the same environmental concerns from year to year. 

Once the grapes are harvested they are weighed. This is law for Champagne that you are required to know the exact weight of the grapes harvested for press. The rule states that 100 pounds of grapes must produce only 8 gallons of juice. The first press of the wine is done extremely gently, producing a more clear juice. This will yield the better juice equating to a better product. The second press is only allowed by law to produce a certain amount of juice, and often in the more prestigious Champagne houses, this second press product is sent on to the larger houses for production of cheaper Champagnes.

Some wine houses do the bulk of the work by hand while others will use automation devices to crush the grapes and store the juice. Prior to bottling, the wines which consist mostly of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Pinot Meunier grapes are blended according to the winemakers preference. The second fermentation process must now begin. This includes adding a touch more yeast and a small amount of sugar and wine to allow the creation of bubbles and Champagne to begin. In the beginning, it was a mystery how the bubbles were present in the wine. Once the Champagne is bottled, they need to be turned (also known as riddling) roughly 1/8 of a turn daily  (placed in the racks seen below), to ensure the final product is clear. The sediment falls to the neck of the bottle and falls into the temporary cap of the pre-corked bottle. This is done daily for 1 year. It is not uncommon for one master riddler to turn 100,000 bottles in a day. The next part is amazing, they quickly freeze the bottle upside down to form a small icicle in the neck of the bottle. The are 13 pounds of pressure in the bottle unopened at this point, due to the gas formation, so all you have to do is remove the cap and the small ice cube that has formed in the neck, along with the sediment caught inside, is expelled, leaving a clear Champagne behind. A small amount of a sugar/wine mixture then tops off the bottle, and the cork is then inserted, followed by the wire muselet (muzzle).  The bottles by law, must then rest for an additional 3-5 months prior to distribution. 

The Champagnes harvested from 1929 and 1945 are considered astonishing wines. Winemakers do their best to try and replicate their incredible products, but even despite the science and technology today, sometimes there is just a little magic that happens to create a spectacular vintage. 

Having a science background, this process is easy for me to grasp. But the takeaway in the growth and production of all wines is this: All grapes should be handled very carefully during the harvest, like infants. Each vine has it’s own unique yeast. The yeast is in the soil, the air, and on the grapes, giving the grapes their own flavor, their own character, their own identity. The yeast breaks down the grapes and changes the sugar into alcohol. The alcohol then kills the yeast, but it is the yeast that gave birth to the wine. The winemakers are merely the mid-wives. 

I really hope you enjoyed the tour through the Champagne region of France. Who doesn’t love a bubbly for a celebration. Pair it with oysters on the half-shell, caviar, chocolate-covered strawberries, baked brie, and believe it or not…. Mac-n-cheese. HA!!!…. direct from the Cordon Blu chef himself…… I know what I’ll be drinking next time I whip up some mac-n-cheese. 

Saluti!!

Xoxo- Lisa

I’ll try to blame it on my Italian upbringing that I’m drawn to Chianti, but it’s not really true, I just love the way it tastes. I envision the beautiful Tuscan Cypress trees, colorful poppies in the fields, and a distant villa, surrounded by grape vines……If only I could board the plane now…… 

I prefer a bigger, drier wine. Chianti is very tannic and pairs perfectly with pizza, meat, or big tomato-based sauces (and if you’re from South Philly, we call it GRAVY!!). Italian law is very strict with the production and classifications of Chianti. Let’s first define Chianti…..

Chianti is not a type of grape. In the broadest classifications it must be a minimum of 70% Sangiovese grapes. The remaining grapes can be other varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or native grape varieties such as Canaiolo Nero, or Colorino, which are other red grape varieties. These create bolder wines, as opposed to adding some white grape varieties in the non-Classico Chiantis, such as Trebbiano and Malvasia that will make the wines lighter in body. The maximum allowed percentage of a white grape varietal in a Chianti is only 10%. The blended Chiantis can be likened to a Bordeaux-style. The minor percentage grapes often soften the tannic and robust nature of the Sangiovese grapes. Non-Classico Chianti must be barrel aged for a minimum of 4-7 months, depending on the location. Each wine sub-zone in Chianti has its own aging requirements.

Above is a map of of the Tuscany region, with the Chianti region depicted in light pink and the Chianti Classico sub-zone depicted in dark pink. 

As you can see from this map above, Chianti is a region located in central Tuscany. Chianti Classico is an even more specific region (called a sub-zone) within the Chianti region itself…….Chianti dates back to the 13th Century. It’s OLD! As opposed to a nice full-bodied Brunello. The Brunello has only been around for 150-years and was brought to the United States only 40 years ago. 

Italy uses the DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) system, which was based on the French AOC system, but has more strict laws in the production of classic Italian wines. It specifies productions areas, methods of making the wines, alcohol content, and also guarantees the quality standard of the wines which must pass a government taste test. The DOCG classification (Denominazione di origine controllata garantita) is an even more strict classification system. These wines have an additional “guarantee”. The DOCG wines must pass a wine quality tasting panel while the DOC wines must simply be made per the rules of the appellation. Each appellation has its own rules. It’s exhausting to keep up with all of these rules….. so I’ll just keep it simple…… ALL Chianti is DOCG! And ALL Chianti is oak-barrel aged (as opposed to stainless steel). Easy to remember. 

This is crafted with 75% Sangiovese grapes, with the remainder using Canaiolo and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Ruby-red in color, this wine is soft on the palate with fruity notes of violet, berry, cherry, and plum. It was lighter in structure and with a light tannic finish. 

Pairs perfectly with pasta and meat.

 I really enjoyed this wine. It wasn’t as dry as the prior DOCG Chianti.

2018 Famiglia Zingarelli, Rocca delle Macie, Chianti Classico, Chianti, Italy, USD $15.00

This is crafted with 100% Sangiovese grapes.

Ruby-red in color. This wine is savory and full-bodied with hints of wild berries and light oak from the barrels. It pairs well with poultry, beef, and veal, as well as pasta. 

This wine was delicious! 

And last but certainly not least……

We are all living in a very different world right now which can be difficult to navigate at times. I, like so many others have struggled with feeling sad and angry, but also grateful that my family and I remain safe and healthy. In many ways we feel like our lives are being put on hold, and we are missing out on so much due to this pandemic. In other ways, people have found happiness in quiet family time. We are all trying to carry on despite financial burdens, inability to interact with each other in a normal way and the uncertainty of when life as we knew it will return. Time moves on and milestones occur. Whether it’s graduations, birthdays or other events that only happen once and can’t be rescheduled… sadness and disappointment have been in the forefront.

My younger daughter Kayla was a high school senior this year, and it was devastating once we knew for sure that she would not be able to finish her senior year and have a traditional graduation.  My heart broke for her and all of the high school seniors across the country in the same situation. My older daughter Danielle graduated 2 years ago, so the experience was fresh in our minds, and it was so tough to know that Kayla would not have the same celebration. She had an amazing high school career just as her sister did. A very special part of graduation is that the top 10% of the class walks first with a special stole. Both of my daughters worked so hard and were in that top 10% of classes of 400+ kids. Kayla would not get to have this special moment. 

Danielle and I, along with my parents, were determined to make Kayla’s graduation as special as it could be despite the situation. Hopefully as I describe what we did, it can inspire anyone reading this to find alternative ways to make events special during this time.

First: Decorate!!!

Kayla’s school did a very nice job with their virtual graduation, and during the 2 weeks before graduation day, they had each senior come to the school with their family during a scheduled time to be filmed receiving their diploma in the auditorium. There were photo-ops at the school, and Kayla and her best friend scheduled their times back to back so they could see each other. We made this day celebration #1.

That morning we decorated the house in preparation for a dinner celebration following the “walk” at school. We got her favorite muffins for breakfast and ordered take-out from one of her favorite restaurants for dinner. We also had a cake done by a bakery we use all the time for special events which you can see in the first picture for this post.

Next: Take all the pictures!! 

What is an event these days without tons of photos to remember it by. So we did all the normal family photos and we were able to snag best friend photos too! Here are just a few.

Next: Come up with something “special”!! 

Our something special was to gather video messages from friends and family wishing Kayla a happy graduation with whatever sentiment felt right. We had an overwhelming response! Danielle collected videos from all the friends their age, and I went to our closest family friends many of whom have known Kayla since she was a young child including former elementary school teachers. Videos ranged from 15 seconds to 2 minutes. Some were funny and some were extremely sentimental. They were all heartfelt and so amazing. Danielle has incredible video editing skills, and she put them all together into a true masterpiece which we then showed Kayla after dinner and cake that night. Danielle had it set up to play on tv, and there was not a dry eye in the house. It was so special…and now Kayla will have this forever! ❤️

This intro was so cool! Danielle took everyone who started their video by saying “Hi Kayla” and put them all on this one screen and then went into the individual videos. We collected around 30, so it was quite the production!