The Difference Between Champagne and Cava
October 31, 2006
The Difference Between Champagne and Cava?
Champagne and Cava are sparkling white wines, traditionally consumed during a celebration
Most Champagne (from France) is a blend of wines from many different village vineyards in the region. The trick the vintner has to perform is to blend these different wines from different years to create a consistent taste. Champagne Houses masterfully blend the mix of wines to produce their same, distinctive taste each year. The blended wines is poured into bottles with a pinch of yeast and sugar. The yeast reacts with the sugar to give a little more alcohol and carbon dioxide (the fizziness). The gas builds inside the sealed bottle to a great pressure, waiting to be released when the cork is pulled.
Cava (from Spain) is made in the same way as Champagne but from different grape varieties including: Parallada, Macabeo and Monstrell. Because its grapes are grown in a cooler climate, Champagne is more acidic than Cava, which can be found to be rather more fruity. Cava is the Greek word for wine cellar and the Catalan word for cellar.
Banrock Station
October 23, 2006
Just come across an ad in the Sunday paper (I’m a little behind with my reading!) for the Australian wine producer Banrock Station.
Apparently, Banrock Station contribute to conservation projects all over the world. Here in the UK they have a partnership with the Eden Project in Cornwall. The funding is used to develop an eco-friendly garden that showcases “practical gardening ideas that can be easily re-created in your own home to help protect and sustain the environment” - apparently.
A number of these wine merchants stock Banrock Station wines.
Bottled Wine - Cork or Screwcap?
October 2, 2006
Wine drinkers all discuss one issue probably more than any other - the choice between cork and screwcap. Whilst traditionalists love cork, a method that has served the wine industry for hundreds of years, the modernists (for want of a better phrase) prefer screwcaps for their convenience and the supposed benefit of there being no taint.
Well, at this years International Wine Challenge, tasters discovered that while cork taint is on the decline, screwcap taint is actually a bigger problem than has previously been perceived. A blind tasting of more than 9000 wines showed that 4.4% of the corked wine had been tainted and 2.2% of the screwcapped wine had been damaged. Apparently, damaged screwcapped wine has a build-up of sulphides which gives wine an eggy or oniony taste.
My own preference? Well actually I’m undecided. Cork does have that feel but screwcapped is far easier to open and are far more convenient. I’ll just have to keep drinking both until I make my mind up.
