Eva Bertran had her first taste of sparkling wine within hours of her birth in Barcelona. When her sons were delivered at Sonoma Valley Hospital, she repeated the family ritual, welcoming them into the world with an effervescent drop on the tongue.
Sparkling wine has been an everyday part of Bertran’s life for as long as she can remember and now, as executive vice president of Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard, it’s her livelihood. Although many consumers save it for momentous occasions – 40 percent of all sparkling wine purchases are made during the last six weeks of the year – she makes it her business to share the more comfortable side of her glamorous product.
“It’s more than just a celebration beverage,” Bertran said. “It’s something to enjoy every day.”
While growing up in Spain, Bertran learned to treat sparkling wine as just another part of a typical meal. “In Barcelona it is our local wine,” she said. “Because it has high acidity and sugar, it pairs with more things than any still wine.” She likes it with spicy foods and salty things like chips, caviar and a slice of pizza. “When you eat that, the fat just sits there on your tongue,” Bertran said. “The acidity of sparkling wine clears your palate.”
Axel Schug likes to save his sparkling wine for the dinner table, where he pairs it with wife Kristine’s roasted pepper and tomato bisque or a nice piece of smoked salmon.
“If I want a cocktail, I’ll go for a martini or a glass of scotch,” said Schug, who serves as marketing director for Schug Carneros Estates. “I’ll wait until dinner for sparkling wine.”
His family’s version is a cranberry-colored elixir called Rouge de Noirs made from Sonoma County pinot noir grapes that are fermented with their skins. The winery produces just 500 to 700 cases of it each year.
Unlike the overly sweetened Australians that gave blush wines a bad name, Schug’s bubbly has a quarter the sugar content of most sparkling wines. That makes it a bit tart for sipping solo, but positions it as a refreshing foil for Asian spices and savory smoked dishes.
“Our Rouge de Noirs is pinot in its most delicate form,” Schug said. That’s how he thinks of it when choosing menus that bring out its best attributes. “It’s just pinot noir that happens to sparkle.”
Gloria Ferrer and neighboring Schug Carneros Estate are just two of the five Sonoma Valley wineries that produce at least one type of sparkling wine, but both of them bring old-world technique to the art. Ferrer follows the Spanish tradition of its founders, Jose and Gloria Ferrer, while Schug reflects the German roots of its founder, legendary winemaker Walter Schug.
“It’s a testament to what our valley does best,” said Grant Raeside, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance. “Because of our unique terrain and terroir, we have more different varietals than anywhere else in the world.”
Especially at this time of year, Sonoma Valley residents reap the rewards. “There are a lot of nonprofit events during the holidays, and they’ve got to have sparkling wine,” said Raeside. “It sets the tone for the rest of the evening.”
More facts about sparkling wine, courtesy of Axel Schug and Eva Bertran:
Women love sparkling wine because of its delicate flavor and relatively low alcohol content (about 12 percent, compared with up to 15 percent for the darkest red wines). Men usually drink it in the company of women.
Because sparkling wine is light and refreshing, bartenders are beginning to use it instead of vodka in a growing number of specialty cocktails.
Sparkling wines pair well with more foods than still wines because they have high acidity as well as sugar. They work especially well with spicy, salty or fried foods and aged cheeses. Bertran suggests serving them with Asian food, seafood, shellfish, sushi, quail, turkey, chicken, pork, olives, Meyer lemons and nuts.
Sparkling wines do not pair well with most desserts, even though they are often consumed with wedding cake. “Something really sweet will make sparkling wine taste acidic,” Bertran said.
The word champagne can be used only on sparkling wines bottled in the chilly Champagne region of France, although producers throughout the world use the same technique, called méthode champenoise.
Most American champagnes are made from pinot noir or chardonnay grapes. Gloria Ferrer’s Blanc de Blancs is made with chardonnay, its Blanc de Noirs from pinot noir. The rose color comes from pinot skins that remain in the fermentation tanks.
During fermentation, yeast and sugar are added to crushed grapes. Yeast eats sugar, producing carbon dioxide that bubbles up through the wine. Less expensive sparkling wines ferment for no more than two months. Those made in the méthode champenoise are bottled and tucked away for a second fermentation that can last up to seven years.
Bubbles get smaller with age, so the better the wine, the smaller its bubbles. Look for them to leave tiny trails in your glass as they work their way to the surface, and to form a thin crown around the rim.
Detergent and chilled glassware are bad for sparkling wine because they retard the bubbles. After being washed, champagne glasses should be rinsed in hot, clear water to remove soap residue.
When tasting sparkling wine, sniff but don’t swirl, Schug warns. Doing so brings bubbles to the surface prematurely.
Want to learn more? Gloria Ferrer holds tasting seminars every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the winery, 23555 Carneros Hwy. 121. Topics include wine tasting fundamentals, how to pair sparkling wines with foods, and how to pair sparkling wines with cheeses. Cost is $25 to $30, and reservations are required. For details about seminars, tasting and tours, call 707.996.7256 or visit www.gloriaferrer.com.
Schug Carneros Estate’s Rouge de Noirs can be sampled daily at its tasting room, 602 Bonneau Road. More information is available at 707.939.9363 or www.shugwinery.com.
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Bisque with Chevre
From Kristine’s Kitchen
at Schug Winery
This winter soup pairs well with Schug’s Rouge de Noirs sparkling wine.
3 large red bell peppers (deepest color = best flavor)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 can (28 ounces) fire-roasted tomatoes
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 cup half-and-half
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Garnish:
4 ounces. crumbled chevre (goat cheese)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives or scallions
Roast peppers by cutting off top and bottom ends and slicing into wide strips. Discard seeds and stems. Place pepper strips on a sheet pan covered with foil and broil until skins are completely blackened. Stack the peppers on top of each other in the center of the foil and wrap, letting them steam inside the foil for about 20 minutes.
While they are steaming, heat butter and olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until they are soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute, then add dried sage and the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer.
While that simmers, remove the blackened skins from the pepper pieces and add the peppers to the pot. Follow with canned tomatoes and tomato paste, and then simmer another 20 minutes to develop flavors. Remove from heat and allow soup to cool slightly. Puree it in small batches, making sure it is finely pureed for best quality.
Add smoked paprika, half-and-half, and cream to the soup; stir to blend evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste, return to heat and heat fully without letting it boil. After serving, top each bowl with a generous serving of chevre, to which thyme has been added, and a few sliced chives. Serves 6 to 8.
