Crystal Champagne Glasses
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Item Code: BV06
Exquisitely graceful flute for all unvintaged champagnes and sparkling wines, less than 3 years old.
Height: 10½”.
Capacity: 8½ oz.
Price: $ 50.00
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| Recioto Spumante |
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Item Code: BV11
An improvement on the classic champagne coupé, this stem gently brings the sides of the cup upward and in, concentrating the bouquet on vintaged champagnes and spumante. A flute is great for an aperitif, a simple chardonnay or prosecco based sparkler. But remember, a really good champagne or spumante is first, an excellent wine and then the bubbles are added. Because it is an excellent wine, it has a bouquet and by tapering up the sides of this stem, the bouquet is focused for you to enjoy. If you love high quality vintaged sparklers from Italy or France, we urge you to try this stem.
Height: 8½”.
Capacity: 23¾ oz.
Price: $ 60.00
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Champagne or Spumante? A brief explanation of sparkling wines.
According to Tom Stevenson, author of Christie’s Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine, the method for making sparkling wine was first developed in England about 1562. From there, the method of champagne migrated to France and specifically to a region north of Paris known as Champagne where better grapes and a genuine ardor for the bubbly helped bring this wonderful wine to a place at the top of
the wine world’s consideration. A full description of the method of Champagne can be found in Stevenson’s book but generally, it can be said that the “method of champagne” is a very nuanced, labor intensive and time consuming process compared to making many other wines. For those interested in learning more about sparkling wines, we highly recommend Mr. Stevenson’s book, which you can purchase here from Amazon.com.
Today, following the terms of a post World War II treaty, the term “champagne” can legally be used only in reference to sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region and producers located outside this region are not allowed to use even the term, “method of champagne” in identifying the product they make. However, only a few years ago, the term “method of champagne” also was legally allowed to refer to sparkling wine produced according to the method of champagne. Today, producers located outside Champagne must use the term, “traditional method” or “methodo tradizianale” if the producer happens to be in Italy.
As a general guideline for selecting quality sparkling wine, it is helpful to consider 3 main points:
- The grapes. Simple, fruity sparklers are generally made with chardonnay grapes. These wines are light and refreshing and often result in good appertifs. In Italy, Prosecco is the leading style of wine in this category and, of course prosecco grapes are used to make it.. More sophisticated sparkling wines generally come from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. These are more difficult to grow and blend, but they add body, complexity and long finish to the wine.
- Age. A good Italian Spumante, just like a French Champagne, is several years in the making. Look for an indication of the vintage on the bottle. Generally, unvintaged sparkling wines (such as Prosecco) are less than 3 years old, while vintaged wines will have the year on the bottle. Naturally, longer time in the cellar adds to the cost and very often, adds to the quality.
- Personal taste. In America, most of us pour a sparkling wine in conjunction with some special occasion such as a birthday or holiday and we grew up thinking of “champagne” as the provence of the well-to-do. However, as the Italian kitchen becomes increasingly admired and copied, many of us are discovering that a good spumante can be enjoyed all the way through many meals as well as by itself with friends. Consult your local wine retailer and try a couple of labels you don’t know, in comparison with those you do. Have fun.
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