| Champagne |
Champagne is a sparkling wine usually produced within the Champagne region of France, although there are companies that bottle their own “sparkling wine” as champagne in regions like California’s Napa Valley. Like wine, there are many varieties of champagne. In the Champagne region of France alone there are more than 100 companies that produce their own, distinctive champagnes.
Most champagnes have less than 100 calories per serving and are considered to be a healthy drink, but probably not as healthy as a good, hearty red wine.
Champagne:
- Helps aid digestion because its acidity cuts through fatty foods
- Is linked to lower depression rates
- Helps reduce fever
- Its gases are good for the respiratory system
- Contains polyphenols and other types of phenolic compounds like tyrosol and caffeic acid, which probably contributes to Champagne’s anti-inflammatory properties
Champagne is known to give you a buzz faster than other alcoholic beverages because of the interaction between the alcohol and the carbonated water; when combined together, the alcohol is absorbed faster into your body.
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| melsQuiz answer |
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| melsBuzz |
- Enjoy a glass of bubbly and marvel at life. Look at the bubbles. Think about the bubbles. They were a mistake that turned out to be a very good thing. At one point in champagne’s development, inventor Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk, tried for years to remove the bubbles without success. In life, always learn from your mistakes — and live with them. Drink to your good health
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| melsAdvice |
- You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy champagne
- Champagne goes well with fruits and cheese – makes a great meal
- Use any leftover champagne as a base for salad dressing – just add garlic, pepper, oregano and basil
- “Brut” champagne is the driest and is considered the “standard.” If you don’t drink champagne much, I’d start off with a Brut
- If you are looking for an excellent champagne for dessert, try “Sec” or “Demi Sec” champagne – both are sweeter than Brut
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| DidYouKnow? |
- Champagne sales total approximately 300 million bottles per year, or 4.3 billion euros. Fifty-eight percent of the Champagne production is sold in France, while 42% is exported
- Whereas wine uses up to 400 varieties of grapes for its wine production, champagne predominately uses only 5 varieties – white Chardonnay, black Pinot or Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Petit Meslier
- Champagne got its regal image through marketing, which began in the early 1890s
- Most champagnes are non-vintage and produced from a blend of grapes over the years
- In the 1700s, it was common or routine for bottlers and cellars to lose between 20-90% of their bottles to instability
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| melsTips |
- Don’t keep champagne too long. Drink it within 3 years of buying it
- When storing your champagne, always store it on its side at around 55F degrees
- Serve your champagne in tall, narrow-necked glasses called flutes. Never use wide glasses because the champagne will quickly lose its bubbles and flavors
- Try adding a fresh strawberry to your champagne glass
- A 759 mL bottle will serve approximately 6 generous glasses. If you are drinking champagne for the evening, budget a half bottle per person
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| melsQuiz |
- In the 1700s, the mysterious circumstance surrounding the then unknown process of fermentation and carbonic gas caused some critics to call champagne what name?
- Champagne is usually fermented in two standard bottle sizes. What are they?
- Some experts believe one of these size bottles is better in quality than the other size bottle. Why?
- The champagne market is extremely cyclical. Approximately 50%, of all champagne is sold from?
- Champagne should be served best at what temperature?
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| melsQuiz Answers |
- "The Devil's Wine"
- 750 mL standard bottle and magnums at 1.5 L
- Magnums have less oxygen in the bottle
- Two answers: January through November – 50%,or from November to Christmas – 25%, and between Christmas and New Year’s – 25%
- At about 45 degrees
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