Cheers To Champagne

Rashmi Uday Singh’s Good Food Guide

I raise a toast (with the sensuous bubbly, of course) and present to you ‘The beginner's guide to champagne’. I get cheeky, ask the most obvious questions only to get you the answers from the most knowledgeable, respected and charming source of all. From the direct descendant of the Chandon family, Jean Berchon, vice president of Moet and Chandon, the world's leading champagne house, synonymous with fine champagne since 1743, with its own vineyards in the Champagne district of France.

The dapper Frenchman's passion for champagne bubbles over lyrically as along with Ashwin Deo, managing director of Moet Hennessy, they take me through the art and science of champagne drinking, starting with the popping of the champagne…

HOW TO SERVE…

"Before serving, chill for an hour in the fridge," recommends Jean Berchon. Here is the best way to open a bottle of champagne: remove the foil and wire, keeping your thumb firmly in place on the cork in case the bottle's been shaken and is itching to explode. (Berchon's tip: don't shake or move the bottle too much to prevent the champagne from spraying all over) Now cover the cork with a towel or cloth, grip this with one hand and with the other, turn the bottle - not the cork. Celebrate!

Serve in a flute shaped glass to concentrate the flavour of the wine. Pour two thirds of the glass and do not fill it to the top. The drinking temperature should be 8 to 10 degrees.

HOW TO STORE

Lay the bottles flat in a dark cool place. If you have opened a bottle but are unable to finish it then you can put a resealer and store it in the fridge for two or three days. It's a good idea not to keep champagne in the fridge for longer than six months or it will get too dry.

HOW TO TASTE

"First you must look at the glass and enjoy the ballet of bubbles, three hundred years of history bubbling in it," advises Jean Berchon. Then smell it 'nose' and take small sips. The most noteworthy quality of a good champagne is that it should be 'crisp'. "It should also be mouthful, talk to your full palate," explains Berchon .

HOW TO PAIR CHAMPAGNE AND FOOD

Because it is well balanced, light and elegant, champagne is easily drunk with a wide variety of cuisines including the spicy ones. Goes well with fish, poultry and desserts too.

WHY CHAMPAGNE?

Made with the cool-climate-grown chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, the history of champagne is as romantic as the drink itself but since we are short on space, I will be happy to share that with anyone who is really interested. Please email me.

CLASSIFICATIONS

'Brut Imperiale' which implies a dry champagne with a sugar content of 11 to 13 gms per litre. 'Nectar Imperiale' which is the sweeter (40 to 45 gms) and more popular champagne and the 'Vintage' which is blended from grapes harvested from the same year.

DOS AND DON’TS

• Don't add anything to champagne (ice, fruit etc).
• Do hold the stem of the glass, while drinking.
• Do not chill the glasses in the fridge as it kills the bubbles.
• Do rinse the champagne glass well and ensure no washing liquid is left in it.
• Do remember that smaller bubbles in the champagne indicate it's a finer champagne.