Fizz in my hands... The process involved in making sparkling wine.
WINESTEIN UNCORKED
I'm about to do the once-unthinkable (in my book) and urge you to get fizzy with it while what's left of summer still lingers.
Yep that's right, go down to your nearest bottle shop, find yourself a nice bottle of sparkling red, chuck it in the freezer for an hour and then pop the lid, sit back, and sip yourself into a new world of savoring wine.
Great for summer ... A sparkling red wine.
Whereas once I cringed at the thought of drinking red wine that was fizzy and cold, the fact is Australian (and global) winemakers have started producing stuff worth trying, and sticking to.
And hey, any chance to open a red over a bottle of white - no matter how cold or fizzy - is always a win for us red-winophiles.
Sparkling wine comes in all forms - white, pink, dry, sweet - however it's the bubbles that are created in the process that differentiate them from table wines.
The traditional and most common method of making sparklings is time-consuming and expensive. It's known as Methode Champenoise.
Basically you take your base wine (shiraz, pinot-chardonannay, whatever) and add sugar and yeast, before the blended wine is divided into individual bottles.
Each bottle is then sealed, allowing a second fermentation to take place - a process that gives the wine its bubbles (or beads). The bubbles come from carbon dioxide, which dissolves into the wine under pressure.
After the secondary fermentation, the wine is matured in the bottle on yeast lees, which add complex and additional characters to the flavour of the wine, before the lees are removed after about 10 days by a process called "riddling".
Generally, the more bubbles or beads in a glass of sparkling, the better the quality of wine.
Below are a few to look out for. Make the most of it while the summer lasts.
WINES OF THE WEEK
UNCORKED
2009 Tintilla Estate Spritzanti Rozzie, 91pts, $26, 9%
A real delight from the Hunter Valley in NSW - if drunk super cold. Bursting vibrant flavours of raspberry and strawberry. Think Red Creaming Soda for adults - in a good way. Give it a good swirl and smell the champagne-like flavours on the nose. It's buttery and brash for a fizzy - think Rihanna in black, with a splash of red.
Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne, 90pts, $60
This champagane is widely touted as excellent value (also available in a Rose style). It's light and delicate, with fresh citrus aromas and ripe peach and pear flavours giving a bright, smooth finish. For a non-vintage, it packs a punch. Again, drink it very cold. Blend is 20% chardonnay (for elegance), 40% pinot noir (adds structure) and 40% pinot meunier (fruitness).
La Vie Chardonnay Pinot Noir, 91pts, $19, 12.5%
Sourced from the Adelaide Hills, it's got that beautiful biscuity smell on the nose. Lots of bubbles points to the quality of the blend. Subtle toast and honey flavours would make this a weekend breakfast special.
Did you try any nice wines over the summer? Let us know by commenting below or emailing here.
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