Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX: What You Need To Know About Champagne

Every wine lover who stocks their wine cellar in Fort Worth TX with bottles from around the world leaves a little space for their favorite sparkling wine or Champagne because they know that there are always going to be special occasions that call for a bit of the bubbly.  If you’re new to the world of wine or you’re contemplating having your own wine cellar or wine room installed in your home, remember that Champagne or sparkling wine is an important addition to your collection.  If you’re not as familiar with sparkling wine as you are with still wine, here are some things you need to know:

Best Wine Cellars In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne gets its bubbles from a second fermentation.

Champagne begins its life as a still wine that goes through a second fermentation process that creates a natural effervescence.  In the traditional French method, this second fermentation takes place in the individual bottles.  With less costly - and many American - sparkling wines, this process is done in bulk, before the wine is bottled.

Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne and sparkling wine are different - in a way.  

All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne.  Technically (and legally), Champagne is the name given to sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France only, while sparkling wine can be produced anywhere.  

Home Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne has 6 sweetness descriptors.  

Sugar is added to Champagne or sparkling wine during the second fermentation.  The amount of sugar added determines the amount of residual sugar that will sweeten the final product.  The 6 sweetness descriptors for Champagne are Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi-sec and Doux with Extra Brut being the driest (or less sweet) and Doux being the sweetest.  

Best Wine Cellars In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne should be stored with your other wine.  

Basically, Champagne and sparkling wine should be stored in your wine cellar just as you would store any wine.  It should be racked sideways to keep the cork moist, which will keep it from shrinking and allowing air into the bottle.  It should be kept stable with little or no movement.  It should be kept cool and should be stored in the dark.

Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne should be opened carefully.  

The accepted technique for opening wine is to first, point the bottle away from people, and then to remove the wire muzzle.  The next step is to grasp the cork tightly while rotating the bottle slowly and pulling it down, away from the cork.  The slow release of pressure will allow the cork to pop gently.  

Home Wine Cellar In Fort Worth TX:  Champagne should never be served in Champagne glasses.  

Champagne should always be served in flute-, tulip- or egg-shaped glasses and never the old-fashioned, saucer-type “Champagne glasses” you may be familiar with.  Additionally, it should be served chilled.  This is best accomplished by placing it in a bucket of ice and water for about 30 minutes.  You should never freeze wine but you can cool it in the least-cold part of your refrigerator.

When you’re ready to start enjoying the many varieties of Champagne and sparkling wines and ready to add them to your wine cellar in Fort Worth TX, call us at Vineyard Wine Cellars at (866) 615-4008.  We can design, build and install a beautiful wine cellar or wine room for your collection.  Visit us online at www.vineyardwinecellars.com to see a gallery of our completed projects.