Page 22 - Uncorked Magazine - Winter 2017

the gift of bubbles

WHAT IS
CAVA?
Cava is the famed sparkling wine from Spain which
uses the traditional method of production along with
local grapes. It’s a lighter style than Champagne with a
neutral to tangy fruit note and a medium acidity. Some
Cava producers add complexity by blending local
grapes with Chardonnay.
WHAT IS
PROSECCO?
Prosecco is a grape, a place and a drink, although Italy
officially adopted the old name of Glera for the grape
to untangle some confusion. Prosecco can be labelled
spumante, which means the bubbles are similar to
traditional sparkling bubbles, or frizzante, which means
it is semi-sparkling with a gentler bubble. Prosecco is
the traditional sparkling wine used to make a Bellini,
the peach purée cocktail.

Lewis Hamilton
and Nico
Rosberg at the
Formula One
Grand Prix of
Great Britain
2015 celebrating
with Mumm
Champagne

MASCULINE &
FEMININE BUBBLES
It will come as no surprise to hear that our French cousins
often divide Champagne into masculine and feminine styles.
This classification has given rise to traditions of patronage,
artistic endeavour and sporting adventure. According to
the Champagne houses, the bubbly gender divide comes
from the view that sweeter, floral and delicate flavours are
feminine, whereas drier, steelier flavours are masculine.
This is why the classically austere Mumm Champagne is
so closely linked to traditionally masculine pursuits like
motor racing. Perrier-Jouët, with its unique Art Nouveau
bottle design, is considered a feminine Champagne, so
they matched it to artistic pursuits. In the English-speaking
world, where le and la play a less important role in how we
see things, these divisions are an important reminder of
the scope of Champagne’s flavours from sweet to dry, but
not forgetting all those flavours in between. In fact, one old
view of Champagne is probably still true today: that great
Champagne will work with all food – or to put a modern
twist on it, with enough types of sparkling wine, you’ll also
cover every taste.

20 | UNCORKED CHRISTMAS 2017

019 Uncorked_Xmas 2017 Bubbles_V10_KJ.indd 20 03/11/2017 18:57