A Year of Wine : Wine and Food Blog

April 25 - Riddling and Langres - Podcast

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April 25 - Riddling and Langres

Langres

In the early 1800's, Champagne was not the limpid liquid we have come to love. Because the second fermentation occurs in the bottle, the dead yeast cells left the wine murky and cloudy. The lack of clarity in Champagne was highly objectionable to Madame Clicquot of Veuve-Clicquot fame. She found that by shaking the bottles and slowly turning them upside down, you could loosen the yeast sediment. The dead yeast would settle in the neck of the bottle and could be removed. This process is called riddling, and though once done by hand, machines now do all of the shaking. Next time you serve Champagne, make the experience complete by also serving Langres, a cheese from the same region. Langres has a strong smell and a firm texture that absolutely melts in your mouth. It is produced in small cylinders with slightly bulging sides and an intentional depression, called a cuvette, in the top. It is traditional to pour a little Champagne in the depression before serving. More than a meal, this is a memory.

March 30 - Blanc de Blancs Champagne and Eggs Benedict - Podcast

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January 01 - New Year's Mimosas and Hoppin' John - Podcast

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December 31 - New Year's Champagne Trivia - Podcast

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December 31 - New Year's Champagne Trivia

Soil in the Champagne Region

The big celebration is almost here. At the stroke of midnight everyone will be toasting the new year with a glass of Champagne. Did you ever wonder where the name Champagne came from? That part of Burgundy is known for its snow white soil. Once the bottom of an inland sea, the white limestone soil is the remnant of that ancient period. The Celtics called the region kann pann meaning white country. This in turn may have influenced the Roman name for the region, Campania. What about the idea of toasting, where did that come from? In the days of the Greeks, one of the easiest ways to end the life of a rival was to poison their wine. It became a custom to raise a glass to the health of your drinking partners and drink first - to assure the safety of the beverage. The Romans adopted this practice and added their own flair by dropping a piece of burnt bread, "tostus" in latin, into the cup. Happy New Year from ViniCode.com!

December 30 - New Year's Champagne Glasses - Podcast

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December 29 - New Year's - Champagne Widows - Podcast

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