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SIPPING STARS
by Charles Saunders

Perhaps no beverage in the world defines "celebration" quite like champagne.

Originally developed in the Champagne region of France, only the sparkling wines still made there can be technically called champagne. It was at the Abbey of Hautviller about 90 miles northeast of Paris where cellar master Dom Perignon was credited with discovering this bubbly, sparkling wine.

In reality, however, Perignon discouraged bubbles in wine. His real contribution to the champagne industry was in his ability to blend different grapes to make a great wine. It was actually a woman, the widow Cliquot, in the early 19th century who perfected the art of bubbles in wine. She stored the bottles upside down and shook them every day until the yeast worked its way to the cork, then she blew out the sediment and filled the bottle back up with a sugar wine mixture called a dosage.

The dosage determines the sweetness of champagne. The more sugar added to the dosage, the sweeter the wine. The different sweetness levels are labeled Brut, Extra Dry 1.5-2.5%, Sec 2-4%, Demi Sec 4-6%, Doux more than 6%. This "hands-on"method of wine making is still practiced the same way at Champagne's top estates.

The labor-intensive wine making process, plus the fact that all champagne is aged for at least three years, (top estates aging up to seven years), contribute to the high cost.   The wineries also make non vintage Champagne from blending wines from more than one year. These blends are the most affordable, ranging from $19 to $35 per bottle. In the best years, wineries will make vintage Champagne or wine from one year's harvest.

All vintage Champagne is brut and is aged a minimum of five years. Because these wines come from the best vineyards and are aged longer and made by hand, they are almost always better than non-vintage. They are priced accordingly at $35-$100 on up. Brut Champagne flavors come in two basic styles.

First a light-bodied style that has a citric dryness; it is very clean, but tart. The second style, although just as dry, has a fuller flavor and more body with a slightly creamy finish. Many French Champagne companies have recently, within the last ten years or so, bought California wineries and are making great sparkling wines.

In California where the weather doesn't vary as dramatically, champagne vintage dating does not represent a superior quality difference. The price of a good California sparkling wine is approximately $15-30 per bottle.

Charles C. Saunders, editor of "The Cavalier", a wine and gourmet food newsletter, manages The Wine Cellar on Amherst Street in Nashua.

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