Bakersfield Life

Sparkling celebration

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        The holidays are here again. This is a fabulous time to celebrate and create new memories with family and friends. It is also an opportunity to try some new wines. Champagne is readily available everywhere at this time. Although it is traditionally used to toast the new year, I feel that it is the most versatile wine to pair with food. Its structure and acidity make a perfect complement to so many dishes. The list of foods to try with Champagne includes: fish, shellfish, appetizers with white sauces, sushi, many cheeses, some desserts, and the list goes on and on. I have also spoken to people that have only champagne on their Thanksgiving table. In my opinion, there is no equal to French champagne. Technically, only sparkling wine produced from the Champagne region in northern France can be called champagne. Everything else is sparkling wine. I am an advocate of California wine, and there are some good producers of sparkling wine in California: Schramsberg, Roederer Estate, Iron Horse and Domaine Chandon, to name a few. However, I prefer the taste and complexity of the French product and would encourage you to try some this year.   Champagne is produced from three grapes: chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. A producer may use only one grape, for example, chardonnay to make blanc de blancs. More commonly, the producer blends all three to produce Champagne. They will often blend wines produced from different years to try to release a consistent product from year to year. A common example of this is the Yellow Label brut produced by Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin. This particular wine is widely available in most grocery stores and wine shops in town. I think it is also a good place to start your appreciation of champagne.  There are different types of champagne, depending on the amount of dosage (wine and sugar syrup) added to the bottle in the last step of production. I do not have the space to explain the entire process of champagne production and refer you to most wine books or online sources, e.g. Wikipedia.  If it is within your budget, try some Champagne during the holidays. Prices range from about $30 for brut to $150 and up for vintage Champagne. I know the upper end can be expensive, but for me, this is worth the expense one time a year. I would also like to touch upon wines with your Thanksgiving meal. Usually I have a bottle of cabernet and a bottle of Trimbach Gewürztraminer (the dry variety from Alsace) on the table. I like the contrast between the two wines. Cabernet can be too much for this meal, but I drink cab with everything. I think pinot noir pairs best with the traditional meal of turkey, stuffing and cranberries. Any pinot from Santa Barbara County, Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey County), or the Russian River Valley would be a great choice. They are available all over town.   Another wine that you can try during November is Beaujolais. The wine is light and fruity. Valentien Restaurant will be hosting a Beaujolais celebration on the weekend of Nov. 16to 18. They may also have a barrel with some grapes to stomp if you are so inclined. This certainly would be a good opportunity to try a new wine!  The most common types of champagneBrut: Normally tastes dry, but is allowed up to 15 grams of sugar (about half ounce) per liter (1 quart). It pairs well with shellfish and sushi.Demi-sec: Has an added sugar content of up to 50 grams per liter. It is commonly used to accompany desserts such as creme brulee and cheeses.Blanc de Blancs: It is from chardonnay and commonly served as an aperitif with caviar.Blanc de Noirs: From pinot noir and pinot meunier, which are both black grapes that produce white wine. Try with seared ahi or fish with white sauce.Millesime: These are vintage Champagnes. They are not produced every year, only when the conditions are right for this outstanding wine. They are expensive, and are more complex with more body than nonvintage champagne. One of the most memorable wines I have ever tasted was La Grande Dame 1996 produced by Veuve Clicquot