THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE CULINARY SPECIALIST

Throughout many years champagne remains to the best and most celebratory of New Year's drinks. A table without sparkling or sparkling - not a New Year's table. "Have invented" champagne in the French province Champagne. Apparently, the hot French sun promotes ease and grace in minds and drinks. The favorable combination of soil, a climate and art of wine makers promote till now that the present champagne remains unsurpassed. Surprisingly quickly it has subdued Europe.

The Napoleonic army during campaigns across Europe promoted its wide circulation. Englishmen quickly распробовали a new drink. They owned manufacturing techniques of strong bottles which maintained pressure at champagne fermentation. The French bottles blew up in thousand. A lot of time that Frenchmen could adjust manufacture of suitable bottles for champagne Was required. Stoppers from the bark of a pith tree brought from Spain also the first were applied by Englishmen while Frenchmen used the hemp impregnated with vegetable oil. England was much richer, than France, and had set of colonies. Champagne has quickly extended and in these countries, having found the admirers among well paid serving and prosperous dealers. They promoted prosperity of the shops trading in champagne. In 1861 London has considerably lowered duties on French wines, and - accessible earlier only very rich - champagne began to cost from 5 to 18 shillings for a bottle. It was start of its triumphal procession worldwide. To Russia champagne from France was delivered by the whole trains. Thus the part of cars remained on alternate routes of numerous German princedoms to provide with champagne and German nobility.

In 1898 Germany imported more than 1 million 800 thousand bottles. Germans and have reached considerable successes in the field of manufacture of sparkling wines. The founder of oldest of German firms - Кеслер was managing director You of well-known widow Kliko.

Hundred years ago champagne has got enormous popularity in Europe and Russia. It became a favourite drink not only aristocracy, but also the grown rich representatives of the third estate. It submitted on banquets and in night clubs. For women the champagne use was considered as a good form sign. To it testify not only verses and pictures, but also numerous archival materials of that time. The idea of creation of a sparkling wine in Russia belongs to prince A.L.Golitsyn. In 1888 it has written out masters from France and has spent the first experiences in the Crimean manor New Light. In 1899 - the most successful year it has been made 60 thousand bottles of magnificent champagne.

SECRETS OF CHAMPAGNE

About three centuries has passed since in Champagne sparkling wine has been invented. And the main merit in it belongs not to wine makers, and especial climatic conditions of this edge. Champagne - one of the most northern areas where grow up grapes. For transformation of a mash into wine the certain temperature is required. If colds came early, is frequent in October fermentation process in flanks stopped. Then wine poured in bottles and pawned on storage in cellars. In the spring fermentation renewed, and when bottles opened, foaming wine was outside pulled out, taste and which influence of all amazed. Sometimes wine foamed poorly, and sometimes, after warm autumn, did not foam absolutely. A lot of time that wine makers have learnt to regulate this process was required.

At first from grapes the mash which in the course of fermentation turns to young wine turns out. From 160 kg of grapes 100 l of a mash turn out. When the mash перебродит, that is sugar will turn to alcohol, wines of a crop of different years and from different grades of grapes mix. It becomes stages to receive strictly certain taste of young wine from which in the future champagne will turn out. It should correspond completely to taste of wine of the previous years, typical for the given house. The bouquet can consist of dozen various wines. Only few grades of good champagne are created from the berries collected from the unique vineyard. Among them such, as "Clos du Mesnil" (Krugs) and "Salon" (Laurent-Perriers). Small wine makers have, as a rule, only one vineyard, and their champagne usually more poor quality. Champagne too has the hierarchy. About one and a half dozen districts have degree "grand cru", about forty - "premier cru". The price for grapes depends on degree. There are following categories of champagne: standard, sustained, Rose and Prestige-Cuvee. Young wine spreads on bottles, yeast, sugar and other wine are added. In the course of secondary fermentation sugar is dissolved and turns to alcohol. At this time in the closed bottles carbon dioxide is formed, creating pressure about 6 atmospheres. As a result during bottle opening the clap is distributed, and champagne starts to foam. Before definitively to cork a bottle, in it add last portion of sugar and wine. By it it is defined, there will be a champagne dry or sweet. Then bottles close definitively: stoppers and additional wire clamps. Champagne again put on storage, and it can go on sale not earlier than in two years after crop removal. The sustained champagne should по­ступать in sale a minimum in three years, but, as a rule, it is stored much longer. Other sparkling wines spread in bottles already in a ready kind, and fermentation process occurs in the big tight vessels.

HOW TO DRINK SPARKLING WINES

Champagne choice

At purchase of a bottle of firm champagne track that the bottle which is sold to you by the seller, before it laid in horizontal position (it concerns bottles with корковой, instead of a polyethylene stopper) and wine moistened a stopper. Otherwise the stopper from long storage of a bottle will crack also carbonic gas will leave a bottle. Wine, despite a solid label, will turn to usual dry wine and will cease to play. This phenomenon named among wine makers "кулез", can be and with polyethylene stoppers, but is the extremely rare.

Choosing sparkling, it is necessary to pay attention to time of endurance and the sugar maintenance. There are fans sustained (not less than 6 months) and collection (3 years and more) the wines, differing a special bouquet and taste. Depending on the sugar maintenance into 1 l, champagne it is subdivided on брют (to 15), dry (to 25), moist, including "gold" (40-45), semisweet (60-65) and sweet (to 85). The spirit maintenance - 10,5 - 12,5 percents/about. In 100 ml брют about 75 calories, and in sweet champagne - more than 110!

How to open a bottle

Open a bottle professionally: at first it is necessary to remove a foil, then strong to clamp a stopper a towel and slowly to rotate a bottle. Thus gas will gradually leave a bottle.

Quality of champagne is not connected in any way with force of "shot". Champagne needs to be opened silently that shots not to frighten sensitive ladies. The shot promotes fast evaporation from carbonic acid champagne. Декомпрессия at fast rise from depth fatally influences all live. Allocation of vials in champagne as some wine makers speak, is connected not so much with allocation of the dissolved carbonic gas from wine as in usual lemonade, but also disintegration of amino acids which are available in fault and were generated in process шампанизации. Fast attenuation of game of wine in a glass testifies to its bad quality. Game of good champagne in a glass proceeds some hours, and the best sparkling wines till ten o'clock. It you will not tell about the Italian aerated wines which often buy instead of champagne.

Professionals, taking a champagne bottle, never stir up it. At opening a champagne bottle hold under a corner of 45 degrees and, densely holding a stopper, rotate not a stopper, and a bottle. If to overcool champagne the stopper can and to be opened.

And if business occurs at home, and you did not manage to open from the first a stopper, I can give advice. Do not despair, do not abuse itself that on took in time in dumbbell hands, clamp a stopper a door and turning a bottle open it. Such reception even the most whimsical bottle can open and the child.

How to pour in a glass

Pour champagne in a glass slowly, directing a champagne stream on the inclined wall of a glass. Wine pour to give the chance in two steps to settle to foam. Fur-trees will pour on a bottom, instead of on a wall foam will rise a violent cap. Stop and wait. The glass is filled on three quarters. It is beautiful and convenient.

When champagne is poured in a glass, it starts to "play". From it vials are allocated. They should be small and proof and develop from the centre of a bottom of a glass фонтанообразно, forming at glass walls пузырьковый a corbel. This corbel consisting of small vials should be kept in a glass some hours. Large vials usually testify to low quality of wine.

How to hold a glass

The technics держания a glass with champagne is original enough. Professionals-tasters and wine makers, in also many judges of wine, prefer to hold a glass with champagne for a wine-glass support. Some consider expedient to hold for a bottom of its leg (more steadily and reliably than in the first case). Also is absolutely inadmissible to clasp a hand its top part. Cognac needs to be warmed up slightly a hand that it was more fragrant. Champagne, on the contrary, from it will fast heat up, will lose the unique aroma and will cease to play.

How to drink champagne

Champagne should not be drunk a volley. Before its use it is necessary to observe and estimate necessarily its game (it as fire in a fireplace), and also to experience and whenever possible to remember aroma of wine. After all this day not the most usual, and memoirs on it you, can, will store all life. To drink champagne with the made up lips also it is not recommended. The lipstick structure includes such substances which will neutralise all most thin and especially valuable qualities of sparkling wines.

Optimum temperature for sparkling wines - from 5 to 8 degrees. Champagne is better for submitting in high narrow glasses. Glasses for champagne should have the form of the cone extending gradually upwards, and then slightly narrowed (the form "Flute"). They are made of colourless glass with smooth walls. The glasses, reminding the form a tulip from which the first fans of champagne drank, keep to the best images its freshness, aroma and шипучесть. Glasses for champagne cannot be trusted the dishwasher as into structure of a liquid for washing enter силиконы - the most malicious enemies of sparkling wines. To wash glasses it is possible only natural soap and to rinse pure water. Excessive game of wine often testifies that glasses insufficiently pure. In wide semicircular glasses champagne exhausts faster.

Do not buy dusty bottles which, probably, long time have lain in a warm and light place, it is poison for sparkling wines. Champagne should not lie too long. In an open bottle champagne long enough remains cool and fresh if it to put in a special bucket, not with ice (as it is often possible to see), and with water in which ice slices float. The champagne bottle should in some minutes from temperature of storage of 10-15 degrees cool down to 7-9, but not to zero. And one more detail. The bucket is not set up on the table centre, and put near to a little table on special подстваке. Not drunk up bottle is better for storing in a refrigerator, having closed a special stopper. Notorious silver tea spoons in a bottle neck cannot detain an exit of carbonic gas and interfere with change of a smell and taste of champagne.

Do not submit to champagne of a straw and especially коктейльные a mixer! It kills sparkling wines. In the meal beginning submit drier wines, in the end - semisweet or sweet.

With what to drink champagne

The assortment of snack is rather various: fruit, sandwiches with caviar, good cheese, salads, dishes from white meat, game, biscuits with fruit and berries. Thus the snack, should correspond on nobleness to the drink. It is well combined with fruit, fried nutlets, chocolate, halvah and мороженным. In Europe it is accepted to submit it to cheese. Champagne chocolate and chocolates is not recommended to have a snack. Other kind of the insult - to prevent in a glass a delay (мюзле) for, that to stop allocation of vials, after all the wine maker has enclosed so much work for the sake of these.

Colour ice for drinks

Colour ice prepare in a freezer from the diluted berry juice - cranberry, strawberry, juice of a red currant and a gooseberry. And still it is possible in ice вморозить вишенку or what other berry.