Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1344370
16 | OHCC LIVING | MARCH 2021 | Champagne is the most well-known of sparkling wines. The French AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) rules are strict as to which grapes can be used, where grapes can be grown, grape-pressing methods and fermentation. In the European Union, no other sparkling wine can use the term Champagne. Compliance with this rule is gaining acceptance world-wide. We used to see California Champagne – now they call it something else. The sparkling wines produced in some other areas of France are given the name Crémant and have their own requirements based on the region. French Crémant régions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Die, Jura, Limoux, Loire and Savoie. Belgium and Luxembourg have their own Crémant designations. There is another sparkling wine from the south of France – Blanquette de Limoux. This is the oldest sparkling wine in France and was first made by accident by Benedictine monks in the 16th Century. The principal grape used in this wine is Mauzac. The Limoux region also produces a Crémant but uses different grape varieties. Blanquette de Limoux is very hard to find in the US. The Cava of Spain is produced using the traditional method under rules set by the Cava Demonicación de Origen (DOC). This regulatory board controls the grapes used in the product, the size of the vineyard, and the yield of the harvest, the aging of the wine as well as the sugar content. Italy produces several sparkling wines throughout the country, most notably Prosecco, Franciacorta, Asti, and Lambrusco in the regions Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, and Emilia, respectively. Prosecco and Asti are made using the Charmat method while Franciacorta uses the traditional method. Germany produces sparkling wines using the Charmat method and the traditional method. Germany attempted to have the term 'Sekt' reserved for sparkling wines from countries with German as an official language but was denied by the European Court of Justice in 1975. The first Californian wine produced utilizing the méthode champenoise was in 1892 by the Korbel brothers. Although the US American Viticulture Area (AVA) rules and wine laws to do not regulate the sparkling wine industry, most producers tend to follow European standards. The Finger Lakes area of upstate New York have seen increasing numbers of vintners producing sparkling wines from a blend or from 100 percent Riesling grapes. With all these options, we have some choices for the Welcome Wine at our next in person wine tasting party. Wine Tasting Club