By Shannon Latimer
Photography: Moet & Chandon. Food Pic by C&D Heierli

All you need to know about bubbly this festive season—from how to open your bottle and what temprature to serve it at, to pairing it with food and using it on your skin.

Where Do the Bubbles Come From?
Sparkling wine is wine that has been carbonated—this is what makes the fizz. In the champagne and methode cap classique style of sparkling wine, the carbon dioxide comes from natural fermentation, either in the bottle—known in France as the Méthode Champenoise, but here we call it Méthode Cap Classique—or in a large tank designed to withstand the built up pressure. This is known as the Charmat process. But cheaper sparkling wine can be made by injecting the carbon dioxide, SodaStream fashion.

Choosing a Sparkler
When it comes to choosing a sparkling wine, make sure to read the label—it will give you the information you need to find the bubbly you enjoy the most. Here are a few things to know.

Sweet or Dry. If you’re confused about whether Extra Dry is really drier than Brut, then take note that it has its own ‘sweet’ terminology. Extra Brut means driest possible. Brut means very dry. Extra Dry means fairly dry, but with a touch of sweetness. Sec or Dry means medium sweet. Demi Sec means quite sweet.

Vintage. If the vintage is marked on the label, the wine has been made exclusively with wines from that year. It will also mean that the wine came from a particularly good harvest. If wines from several different harvests are used, it’s called a Non-Vintage.

Grand Cru and Premier Cru. Some provinces in the Champagne region produce very precious grapes. These are awarded with the title Grand Cru or Premier Cru. These are the most prized wines.

Opening a Bottle of Bubbly
It’s good to note a couple of important tips about opening the bottle. There should be no loud noise when the cork is ejected—especially if your grandparents are in the room. The proper way to remove the cork is first to untie and remove the wire basket. Of course—you won’t get any further otherwise. Then hold the bottle at a 45° angle, cover the cork with a towel, hold the cork tightly, and turn the bottle instead of the cork. Don’t allow the cork to rush off with a bang (that happens only when they honour winners at Grand Prix races), but rather allow the cork to come out with a pop that is more a sigh than anything else. This method ensures you will ‘taste the stars’ without injuring people or frightening dogs.

A Classic Cocktail
Try this simple cocktail to start any event with a smile. Soak a sugar cube in tall bubbly glasses with 2 splashes of Angostura bitters. Add the sparkler and 10ml of brandy. Squeeze in a twist of lemon. Garnish with half a slice of lemon, or orange.

Pairing Your Bubbly with Food
You can never go wrong serving sparkling wine with food, but here are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Blanc de Blanc. This will stand up to creamy or spiced dishes. Try seafood, oysters and gently-flavoured white fish.
Blanc de Noirs. Suited to light meat dishes. With bottle age, pair this bubbly with richer fare.
Non-Vintage. This is a classic for pairing with cheese. Try young and fruity versions with fancy cheeses such as Beaufort, Gruyère, Emmental.
Vintage. Bubblies with bottle age are great with cheeses such as Parmesan and lightly smoked foods. Younger vintages can go well with fish served with rich sauces, poultry, light meats and local cheeses.
Rosé. Take this to a picnic or down to the seaside. Try it with prawns, lobster and other seafood.
Demi Sec. Easily paired with savoury dishes such as foie gras. Dessert dishes too, but only if not too sweet.

Bubbly around the World
In some parts of the world, the words ‘champagne’ or ‘spumante’ are used as a synonym for sparkling wine. Laws in Europe and other countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type from the Champagne region of France. The terms Mousseux or Crémant are used to refer to sparkling wine made in other French regions.
When travelling, make sure always to use the correct word—except in America, where they call their local bubbly ‘champagne’. If you want the real stuff there, you have to ask for it by brand name.
Ask for Cava in Spain.
Italy produces more different kinds of sparkling wine than any other country in the world. Their spumantes vary from light, off-dry Proseccos to classic Franciacortas, Italian sparkling wines are varied, tasty, and often quite affordable.
In Germany and Austria you’ll need to order Sekt.
Cap Classique is South Africa’s own term for sparkling wine made in the méthode champenoise style.

Keep it Cool
The ideal drinking temperature for champagne is between 8°C and 10°C. Chill the wine in the lowest part of your fridge and, unless you dispense the whole bottle right away, serve it from a bucket filled with ice cubes and water.

Is Bubbly Good for Your Skin?
You’ve probably heard the story about Marilyn Monroe filling up her bathtub with 350 bottles of champagne, and taking a nice relaxing bath in it. She swore it was good for her skin. Is this true?
Our skin is constantly exposed to pollution, sun, smoke and stress. There are so many remedies out there for looking after our skin, so perhaps it’s time to try champagne. It’s said that champagne apparently does a good job because it contains antioxidants. These are the components that prevent free radicals from damaging the cells and robbing our skin of oxygen, making it look worn.

Champagne has a lot of tartaric acid, which can apparently lighten the skin and therefore prevent pigmentation. Because the molecules of champagne are small, it is averred that they are able to seep into the skin and rejuvenate the cells. Then it is said that the fizz in champagne is supposed to help close pores, making the skin tight, firm and glowing. It’s a good toner but leaves the skin dry, so it works well for oily skin but not quite so well for dry skin.
You be the judge. We think the best champagne protection for skin is to take the medicine internally, and often.