I know many people who do not need any reason to drink Champagne and you could be one of them. If you want to explore Champagne, following are seven good reasons to go ahead and explore.
First let’s get a few basics out-of-the-way. When we say Champagne we mean Champagne France. It is the only place in the World Champagne comes from. From California? Not Champagne. Hails from Spain? Not Champagne. Any sparkling wine that comes from anywhere in the world other than Champagne France is sparkling wine it may have its own title e.g. Cava Prosecco etc. It could be tasty, It could be astounding, it just is not Champagne. People use the words Sparkling and Champagne interchangeably which confuses the truth.
In future updates I will cover some Champagne basics, for now let’s cover a few great reasons to drink it.
7 reasons to drink more Champagne
1. It is delicious.
2. It pairs with almost anything you can imagine eating.
3. It is has a huge range of flavors, price points and styles.
4. No special occasion needed.
5. Instantly make everybody in the room happier and more energetic.
6. Improves short-term memory.
7. Improves spatial Memory.
It is delicious. It tastes great and has flavors ranging from lemon, orange, apple, peach, cherry, butter, brioche, caramel and many more depending on the exact Champagne in question. One little side note, I have “cured” so many people of Champagne headaches I have lost count. Headaches are not delicious but I have never seen anybody get a headache from Champagne. If you drink two bottles by yourself you will likely get a headache but that is not the Champagnes fault. Headaches tend to come from “Champagne” not Champagne. One early “Champagne” experience many people have is attending a wedding. I would say 95% of the time you are not drinking Champagne. Whatever it is that you are drinking is your impression of Champagne for the rest of time. Do not let this happen to you. Find and drink good Champagne and experience for yourself how great it is.
It pairs with almost anything you can imagine eating. Yes literally. From a brilliant and energizing apéritif to pairing with rib-eye, Champagne is up to the task. Not every Champagne pairs with everything, they do have a generous pairing range though. In the case of rib-eye you would want a heavier more vinous rosé Champagne for instance. Champagne is loved by wine professionals to a one in my experience. Wine professionals can easily taste 2,000 wines a year and Champagne is often cited as a favorite. One of the reasons for this favored position is its ability to pair so widely. You can enjoy Champagne from the beginning of a meal to the end.
It is has a huge range of flavors, price points and styles. In addition to the flavors listed above we can add apricots, bread, chalk, smoke, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pears, quince, baking spices, toast, vanilla, flowers, coffee, and more, that is a lot of aromas and flavors to tie in with food.
Champagne prices are widely feared and a great excuse for people to not drink them. Champagne prices range from about $35 to several thousand per bottle. There are many good Champagnes for under $60, experience shows that $60+ range is where most of the magic happens. These prices are not at all out of line with a good bottle of just about any wine.
Styles of Champagne are almost limitless there are several different levels of sweetness from Brut Nature to Doux (very dry to very sweet) and with seven different grapes allowed there are many combinations of blend that give different character, aroma, and overall character. Consider a single variety Champagne made of 100% Chardonnay. On average this would pair well with many of the foods Chardonnay pairs with in it’s still form, e.g. chicken, fish, shellfish, smoked fish and pork. It would also have many aromas that would compare to still Chardonnay e.g. lemon, citrus, almonds, chalk, flowers, honey minerals pear etc. On the other end of the spectrum you could sample rosé Champagnes often with a heavy dose of Pinot Noir and it’s attendant characteristics. Aromas of Baking spice, cherry, current, coffee raspberries and such. This could pair with berries, bouillabaisse carpaccio, lamb, charcuterie and even steak if it was densely structured enough.
Grape varietals allowed in Champagne are the “Big three” Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In addition to these three there are four historical varietals: Pinot Blanc, Petite Meslier, Pinot Gris and Arbane. Most people are not familiar with these last four being grown in Champagne and in fact they only make up a very small amount of the total planted area (approx .02%). They can make for a very fun and unique experience.
No special occasion needed. As you begin drinking more Champagne people may ask what the special occasion is. Waking up in the morning alive is reason enough. The need for a celebration is a holdover from the earlier days of Champagne marketing. Good Champagne makes any occasion special just by being opened. Sit down to dinner with friends and family alike, share a bottle and watch the energy in the room go up several notches. One of my favorite things in the world is sharing good Champagne with people who may not have been around it. It is an experience comparable to watching one of your favorite movies ever with somebody who has never seen it. Some of the top Champagnes may call for a higher level of food to keep up with the wine being served. This does not have to always be the case though. Champagne and Fried chicken is a match made in heaven, sweet Thai hot wings, check! Bacon pancakes with a 100% Pinot Noir Champagne yes! You get the point.
Instantly make everybody in the room happier and more energetic. If you have not seen this get a good bottle of Champagne and open it with friends. It just happens.
Improves short-term memory. A recent scientific study conducted by Reading University in the UK (ranked among the top 1% of universities in the world) have shown that three glasses of Champagne per week can help short-term memory. Compounds found in Champagne help fight off dementia and Alzheimer’s. It mentions that these issues can start as early as forty and that the sooner you get started the better, start now. I am no scientist but this is a study I can get behind without argument, anecdotally I always feel sharper when I drink Champagne (and better looking), who am I to argue with such an intelligent, irrefutable study?
Improves spatial Memory. In the same study mentioned above The University of Reading concluded that: “Changes in spatial working memory induced by the Champagne supplementation are linked to the effects of absorbed phenolics on cytoskeletal proteins, neurotrophin expression, and the effects of alcohol on regulation of apoptotic events in the hippocampus and cortex.” Who knew?
We are doing our part to improve ourselves and take care of our brains. How about you?