This New Year's Eve- Drink the Stars!

Champagne is synonymous with celebration. Tomorrow night, many people will be raising their glasses and toasting to the New Year with Champagne. But what is the history of this sophisticated drink, and what do all of those terms such as Cuvee mean? And what is the difference between Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Cava, Asti and Spumante?

Let's begin with the grapes. There are three primary grapes used in the production of Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The primary types of Champagne and terms you may sometimes see on the labels include, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rose. Blanc de Blancs literally means white from white. Basically this is a white Champagne made from a white grape, Chardonnay. These are lighter, drier Champagnes that pair well with light courses such as soups, salads and seafood dishes. Blanc de Noirs are white Champagnes made from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). These are fuller-bodied Champagnes that tend to go well with meats and cheeses. Pink or Rose Champagnes are made by one of the two following methods: adding a small amount of still Pinot Noir wine to the base wine (or Cuvee) prior to the secondary fermentation, this is known as the traditional method. Or the Maceration Method, which involves the pressing of the grape skins and allowing them to soak with the juice of the grapes before the fermentation process. This is what gives Champagne (or Rose wines) their pinkish color.

Champagne is made traditionally (Methode Champenoise or Champagne Method) by introducing the wine through a process of in-bottle secondary fermentation to produce the carbonation (bubbles). This is usually done in the same bottle as it is sold. Only those "sparkling wines" produced in the Champagne region of France are allowed to be called Champagne. The name is legally protected in the European Union by the Treaty of Madrid (1891). Although many other countries also produce sparkling wine, the term used to describe it varies from country to country. Spain uses the term Cava. Italy calls it Spumante, or Asti if it is made from the Muscat grape. Prosecco is an Italian dry sparkling wine made from the Prosecco grape, and a more affordable alternative to Champagne. Even other wine regions in France such as Burgundy and Alsace use the term Cremant and not Champagne. The United States uses the more generic term, Sparkling Wine.

Some of the most prestigious and well-known Champagne Houses in France include House of Roederer's Cristal, and Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon. Cristal was created by Louis Roederer in 1876 for Czar Alexander II. Legend has it that the name Cristal came from the color of the clear, crystal bottle, which the Czar insisted on, so that the contents of the bottle could be seen and nothing would be hidden in the bottle such as a bomb. Russia was experiencing political instability at that time and Czar Alexander was worried about assassination attempts. There was recent controversy from a 2006 interview that Frederic Rouzaud, managing director for Louis Roederer gave The Economist, in which he stated that he viewed the attention from rappers with "curiosity and serenity", and when asked if he thought the association between hip-hop artists and his Champagne would harm the Cristal brand, he replied, "that's a good question, but what can we do? We can't forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business".

A less controversial, but just as famous and prestigious, is Moet & Chandon's Dom Perignon. It is named after a Benedictine monk who served as cellar master in the Abbey of Hautvillers, in the town of Epernay. He is mistakenly credited for "inventing Champagne". In reality, he worked hard to avoid the re-fermentation process because back then, in-bottle fermentation caused many problems by causing the bottles to explode during warm weather. Dom Perignon was the first Prestige Cuvee, released for sale in 1936 with the 1921 Vintage. Another misconception surrounding this monk is that when he tasted the first sparkling Champagne, he said, "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!" It seems that quote first appeared in an 1800's advertisement.

Regardless of who invented Champagne, and who is drinking it now, one thing remains. Champagne is the drink of celebration and festivities. Whether you are enjoying a bottle of Cristal or a more affordable sparkling wine, you no longer need to be a Czar to enjoy it.

This New Year's Eve, may you drink the stars and celebrate the beginning of a great new year.

Cheers!