Hi again danpaul9
This isn't looking good for the person
that thinks Champagne would be sold in
a can. ;-( sorry
It seems to be a "true" Champagne, it
must be bottled and corked. The Cork
will say champagne.
<Summary is at bottom>
Some Champagne info:
The Label
The following information must be present on all labels:
Appellation of Controlled Origin: Champagne
Degree of sweetness - extra-brut, brut, extra-dry, sec, or demi-sec
Country of origin - naturally it's always France for champagnes
Town of origin
Volume of bottle, i.e. 750ml, 1.5L, 3L, etc
Alcohol contents (11% is the minimum for vintage wines.
Trade registration. Each producer has an assigned number by the CIVC
(French trade organization for Champagnes)
The name of the champagne maker
In the USA, the name of the importer must also be on the label
Other optional information might be the vintage or the grapes the
champagne was produced from.
How is Champagne made?
[ http://www.franklinliquors.com/WINECHAMPINFO.htm ]
The methode Champenoise used in the production of
Champagne is one of the more complex wine-making
procedures, and follows the following steps:
Grape Harvest: Late September to early October
Grape Pressing: Only 3 pressings of the grapes are
allowed. The best Champagne comes from the first
pressing.
Fermentation: The grape juice undergoes a primary
fermentation in barrels (wood or stainless steel) to be
converted into wine. This process takes 2-3 weeks, and
is usually done from October-February.
Blending: Following initial fermentation, the winemaker
makes essential decisions concerning the addition of
different wines to mix together to bring out the best
characteristics in the finished Champagne. These
nonvintage blends are called cuvees.
Adding the Liqueur de Tirage: The blended wine is put
into its permanent bottle, a blend of yeast and sugar is
added (the Liqueur de Tirage), the bottle is temporarily
capped (frequently with the same type of cap used in
capping soda bottles), and second fermentation begins.
Second Fermentation: Carbon dioxide forms in the bottle
as a byproduct of the second fermentation. This produces
the bubbles associated with Champagne, but it also
produces a natural sediment in the bottle.
Remuage: During the next one to three years, the bottles
are occasionally turned and slowly tilted upside down to
allow the sediment to fall near the cap.
Degorgement: After appropriate aging, the neck of the
bottle is submersed in a salt-ice solution to freeze the
wine near the cap. The cap is removed, and the pressure
built up inside the bottle from the carbon dioxide
forces the frozen sediment, and a little of the wine,
out of the bottle.
Remplissage: The bottle is now topped up with the
dosage, the wine-sugar mixture needed to create new
bubbles. At this point the winemaker can alter the
sweetness of the finished product. The bottle is then
recorked with its permanent cork.
Empilage: The bottle is allowed to rest on its side for
4-6 months prior to shipping.
Here is an interesting thing I thought I'd pass one
while I'm at it:
[ http://www.restaurant.org/business/champagne.cfm ]
"Seventeenth-century winemakers such as Benedictine
monk Dom Perignon considered the bubbles an
imperfection and are believed to have spent much
time trying to eradicate them. But eventually,
unable to avoid the bubbles, Dom Perignon instead
enhanced the process for creating the bubbly
beverage, developing the methode champenoise for
making champagne. Among Perignon's contributions
were the blending of grapes from different
villages, and the use of corks and stronger bottles
to prevent the contents from bursting under the
pressure of the trapped carbon dioxide."
The AOC (The Appellation d'Origine Controlee):
[ http://www.champagnes.com/gb/decouverte/aoc-gb.htm ]
Champagne history:
[ http://www.champagne.fr/gb/decouverte/histoire-gb.htm ]
And finally, ALOT of text on Champagnes:
[ http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/viticulture/463-017/463-017.html ]
To summarize all of this:
A Champagne is created under strict rules by the
CIVC and AOC and adheres to the Méthode Champenoise,
as I described above. I'm pretty sure, considering
how the French are about their Champagne, that if it
did end up in a can, it would no longer be champagne.
Not only that, it appears that even if you did do all
procedures in the Méthode Champenoise, that placing
the final product in a can, would potentially ruin it.
A champagne bottle is under 90psi of pressure, so a
webpage states. I don't think even if you had a
sparkling wine, that it would be able to live in
a can without blowing up. This page appears to
concur, and states the upper limit of cans are
barely 90psi, with the average of 30-40psi
[ http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2000/SeemaMeraj.shtml ]
So I don't think this one could be won, even if
you agreed to sparkling wines.
I'll include this, just cause it's a darn pretty
pdf:
[ http://www.aube-champagne.com/pdf/1-11route_du_champagne_en.pdf ]
-search techniques-
Looked in google at every combo of these words
Champagne "in a can" "comes in a can" "found in a can"
Sparkling wine "Champagne FAQ" "Champagne info"
"Champagne history"
If you have any additional questions, just ask
for a clarification. Sorry I couldn't find a
can of bubbly for you. I even looked for the
millennium stuff, just in case... someone
produced a case.
-AI |
