It's Memorial Day weekend and is a perfect time to celebrate the warm weather that is upon us or if you're me you're less than 5 weeks to delivering your first born. All perfect reasons to celebrate with some sparkling wine (like we need one!)
If you're a lover of Italian sparkling wine you may or may not be familiar with the differences in some of the different varieties of sparkling wines produced throughout Italy. We're going to learn today why some of these differences exist. It's mainly because there are two styles of producing sparkling Italian wines: the charmat method and the metodo classico.
If you're a lover of Italian sparkling wine you may or may not be familiar with the differences in some of the different varieties of sparkling wines produced throughout Italy. We're going to learn today why some of these differences exist. It's mainly because there are two styles of producing sparkling Italian wines: the charmat method and the metodo classico.
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| Photo by Bill Masson |
The Charmat Method
The charmat method was created back in 1895 by a gentleman, Federico Martinotti, an enologist from the town of Asti in Piedmont, Italy. It was then adjusted in 1907 by Eugene Charmat, hence the Charmat method. With the Charmat method the secondary fermentation that is normally done in the bottle is done in large stainless steel tanks. This allows for higher production quantity and is a cheaper style of sparkling wine production. The charmat method produces sparkling wines that are more aromatic.
The charmat method was created back in 1895 by a gentleman, Federico Martinotti, an enologist from the town of Asti in Piedmont, Italy. It was then adjusted in 1907 by Eugene Charmat, hence the Charmat method. With the Charmat method the secondary fermentation that is normally done in the bottle is done in large stainless steel tanks. This allows for higher production quantity and is a cheaper style of sparkling wine production. The charmat method produces sparkling wines that are more aromatic.
Examples of Charmat wines
Examples of
sparkling wines produced in Italy with the charmat method are
lambrusco of emilia romagna, prosecco of the Veneto, and
Asti of Piedmont.
Metodo Classico
The sparkling
wines made from the champenoise method are typically more complex.
During this process the secondary fermentation takes place in the
bottle as mentioned earlier with additional yeasts and sugar added.
Those yeasts take the sugar and convert them over to acohol and
carbon dioxide, the bubbles! Following that the wine will age on the
dead yeast cells known as the lees for 24 months.
Examples of Metodo Classico
Some examples of
Italian sparkling wines made in Italy with the metodo classico are
from the Franciacorta D.O.C.G and those of the Oltrepo Pavese
Metodo Classico D.O.C.G and Oltrepo Pavese Pinot Nero Metodo
Classico D.O.C.G from Lombardia Lastly, the sparkling wines from
the Trento D.O.C in the Trentino Alto Adige region also
produce the metodo classico. Most of these wines are made with
variations of chardonnay, pinot nero and pinot bianco.
One of the biggest
differences, other than the taste and complexity of these two
methods, is the consistency of the bubbles, or bollicini.
Since the process of a classic method takes a long time you tend to
get smaller, more consistent bubbles where those of the charmat
method are bigger bubbles.
What are some
of your Italian sparkling favorites?
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