True or false: received ideas about champagne and how to drink it well

It is made of black grapes

True and False Blanc de noirs is most often made with black grapes, pinot noir and pinot meunier, while blanc de blancs is obtained from white grapes, chardonnay in general. The juices are separated from the skin as soon as they are pressed. As there is no maceration, the champagne does not take on the color of the grape, whatever it may be. Rosé champagne is a blend of the two grapes.

You have to serve it in a cup

False In a glass, aromas and bubbles go all over the place. It is better to have a flute, which promotes the concentration of aromas and leads them to the nose. Personally, I prefer a slightly tulip-shaped burgundy glass. There, the wine has enough room to unfold.

The quality of a champagne is measured by the number of bubbles

False There is no champagne without bubbles... but the number of bubbles is not everything. Once assembled – the act of creating a cuvée between the different grape varieties – the wine is bottled, then yeast is added to it. The bottles are laid horizontally in the cellars to ferment. In a few weeks, the prize de mousse traps the carbon dioxide in the bottle. This is the genesis of bubbles. There are about two million in a glass.

It should be served chilled

True Fresh but never frozen, between 8 and 10°C so as not to lose its taste qualities. The ideal is to place the bottle for an hour in a bucket filled with water and ice cubes. Otherwise, leave it in the refrigerator for three hours in the least cold part.

You have to turn the cork to open a bottle

False It is best to hold the cork in your hand and turn the bottom of the bottle so as not to upset the wine.

You can accompany a whole meal with champagne

True For the aperitif, choose a brut (from 6 to 12 g of sugar per litre), of the blanc de blancs type, to open the taste buds. Then, with fish or poultry, we will opt for a champagne not too dosed (6 g maximum) and preferably vintage, of the blanc de noirs type. Finally, for the dessert, it will have to be more dosed in sugar (from 12 to 16 g), like a demi-sec, to be in agreement with the dish.

Cheese is his enemy

False It even works wonders with Camembert or Brie de Meaux because it deglazes the fat in the cheese.

It tastes the same everywhere

False Its taste is different depending on atmospheric pressure and altitude.

Cups can be washed in the dishwasher

False The machine's rinsing product is an anti-foam, therefore an anti-bubble, therefore an anti-champagne. If you are pressed for time, then you must wipe the cuts well after going through the washing machine to remove any deposit.

Wearing lipstick is not recommended when drinking champagne

True The acetone contained in the beauty product removes the effervescence of the beverage during tasting.

A bottle of champagne can be stored without worry

True and False When you buy it, it is ready to taste. To keep it, forget the refrigerator or a cupboard. It must be laid down in a cellar, without temperature variations, in a cool place and protected from light. Under these conditions, you can keep it for two to four years. A vintage champagne can be kept for twenty to thirty years.

*Author of Woman of Champagne, Le Cherche Midi.

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