In the collective imagination, "BUBBLES" represent a moment of celebration and joy.
Each of us has surely had a particular reason in our lives to celebrate!
Obviously there has never been a shortage of a SPUMANTE to toast with while celebrating the event!
A birthday, a bachelor or bachelorette party, a wedding, an anniversary or the birth of a child, it doesn't matter: the ritual is always the same, CIN CIN!
Now let's shed a little more "light" on these bubbles that always keep us company in special moments, because, just like those moments, they are not all the same!
In fact we can find FINE, NUMEROUS AND PERSISTENT bubbles or COARSE, SCARCE AND EVANESCENT ones.
Sparkling wines belong to a separate category, that of special wines, because they have unique characteristics.
The "special wines" classification does not identify wines of particular merit, but groups together types that are distinguished by their different production techniques.
FRIZZANTE WINES
The natural ones are produced using Charmat method techniques but the re-fermentation is shorter and the final internal pressure is lower (from 2 to 5 g/l of CO2 for 1-2.5 atm of pressure;
Still or quiet ones reach up to 2 g/l of CO2 for about 1 atm
There are two categories: NATURAL or ARTIFICIAL
The artificial ones instead
THE NATURAL ONES
- A high concentration of CO2 (carbon dioxide) that enlivens the color, improves the aromas and optimizes the flavors
- Not too high developed alcohol content
- Fine and fragrant aromas derived from the original grapes, fermentation, foam formation and maturation
THE ARTIFICIAL ONES (CO2 Added)
They are made with pumps that create a vacuum and then inject CO2 into the tanks preparing the wine for bottling; the addition of CO2 must mandatorily be mentioned on the label.
Therefore natural spumante is the product obtained from the first or second alcoholic fermentation:
- of fresh grapes
- of grape must,
- of wines suitable to become table wine,
- of table wine,
- of v.q.p.r.d
Which, once the container is uncorked, has a development of carbon dioxide coming exclusively from alcoholic fermentation and which, at a temperature of 20°C in closed containers, presents an overpressure due to carbon dioxide in solution of no less than 3 bar.
We distinguish the denominations of Spumanti:
Sparkling wine VS
Quality sparkling wine VSQ
Aromatic quality sparkling wine VSAQ
Quality sparkling wine produced in a specific region VSQPRD
Aromatic quality sparkling wine produced in a specific region VSAQPRD
Natural spumanti, in turn, are then divided into two categories:
Classico or champenoise (Champagne, Franciacorta, Oltrepò Pavese, Altalanga and Trento Doc): The foam formation takes place in the bottle (Minimum 12 months of maturation depending on the type)
Charmat (Martinotti): The foam formation takes place in large containers (AUTOCLAVE; normally a minimum of 30 to 80 days, if one wants to preserve the aromas of the grapes.
This period increases if one wants to accentuate the bouquet due to contact with the lees which at this stage can last 12 months and beyond – long CHARMAT)
With the CHARMAT method, PROSECCO DOC and PROSECCO DOCG are produced, a wine famous worldwide for its QUALITY.
Not only Prosecco is produced with this method; in fact there are very many grape varieties that lend themselves to this sparkling wine production, both aromatic and semi-aromatic.
Just think of the various MOSCATI, BRACHETTI, LAMBRUSCHI etc...
The varieties are very many and I won't stop to list them all – suffice it to know that excellent quality wines are obtained in much shorter times than with the METODO CLASSICO, which works very well at a commercial level.
Hoping to have helped you better understand these wines, I wish you to find every day a reason to celebrate or simply to have an aperitivo with friends, whatever your reasons may be... bubbles, health and joy to all of you friends of Wine at Wine.
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