Our wine expert explains the méthode in her madness

All right, I’ll admit it. I’m an out and out fizz fan. I just can’t get enough of all those dancing bubbles. Tasting fizz (as opposed to merely drinking it) is slightly more tricky than wine tasting, as the added prickle of carbon dioxide makes it more difficult to taste several. To start off with, I’d suggest just comparing two. Make a note of the size of the bubbles, the colour of the wine, the bouquet and what the wine tastes like (see Part 1).

Many people mistakenly believe all fizz is the same, but once you put a couple of examples side by side you’ll immediately see how different they can be.

How do the bubbles get inside the wine?

Carbonated like cola. The cheapest method of making a sparkling wine is simply to carbonate it – i.e. pump carbon dioxide through the wine in the same way all fizzy drinks like cola are made. This is used for the cheapest rather than the best types of sparkling wine. Generally, you’ll notice wines made using this method have large bubbles that disappear quite quickly after the wine is poured.

Bottle fermented or champagne method. Top-quality fizz is fermented in the bottle. This means the wine undergoes a second fermentation in bottle (yeast and sugar are added) and then there is a lengthy process to remove the dead yeast particles without loosing the all-important bubbles. The vast majority of quality fizz is made like this. Look for the words ‘bottle fermented’ or ‘méthode traditionale’ on the label.

How to open the bottle
Unless you want to waste loads of fizz by opening it racing driver style, follow these tips on cork-popping the correct way.

Peel off the foil and place the thumb of your left hand on top of the cork. Gently untwist the wire cage with your right hand and take it off. Grasp the cork with the palm of your left hand. Hold the bottle in your right hand and gently twist the bottle while holding the cork still. Providing the fizz is well chilled and hasn’t been shaken up, the cork should come out with a gentle sigh. That way, you get the maximum number of bubbles in your glass.

Next page: tasting fizz

Tasting fizz
Now the fun starts. Select two different types of fizz from those mentioned below.

Champagne. Real champagne can only come from the delimited appellation area of Northern France that bears the same name. It’s made from a blend of three grapes, Pinot Noir, Pinot Menieur and Chardonnay. The vast majority of champagne sold is non-vintage, i.e. a blend of several different vintages. Either start by sampling a supermarket own-label champagne (expect to pay around £15.00 a bottle), or opt for one of the well-known names, such as Moet & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot or Bollinger. Make a note of those that you like. You will find each champagne house has its own individual style. As a general rule, a good champagne should have small consistent bubbles, which rise to the surface at the same rate. It will also stay fizzier for longer than a cheaper sparkling wine.

Crémant de Borgogne. A dry sparkling wine made according to the traditional champagne method from grapes grown in the Burgundy region.

Crémant d’Alsace. Again made using the traditional champagne method from Alsace grape varieties. Crémant d’Alsace tends to be slightly floral in character.

Blanquette de Limoux. Often quite sweet and grapey, this sparkling wine is made in the south of France. It is widely available throughout France, and is stocked in most large supermarkets in the UK.

Cava. This quality Spanish sparkling wine is made in exactly the same way as champagne. The only difference is that it uses indigenous Spanish grapes. It has a distinctive character and aroma and a flavour some people describe as ‘soapy’. Cava tends to be very good value for money at around £4.99 a bottle. Tesco are currently discounting their cava (£3.49). Fantastic value for Christmas.

Australian sparkling wine. The vast majority of Aussie sparklers are made using the champagne method. Many are excellent value for money. Expect to pay around £4.99 for fizzes like Angus Brut, which are available both in white and rose. Demain Chandon’s 1997 Greenpoint always does well in blind tastings and is again good value at around £11.99 a bottle.

New Zealand sparkling wine. Quite a recent runner in the fizz stakes. Lindauer, at £8.99 a bottle, is widely available and excellent value. It has a dry, crisp taste.

Californian Fizz. Many of the French champagne companies invested in wineries in California. One of the best and most consistent and affordable Californian fizzes is Cuvée Mumm Napa. Try the white and the rosé versions, widely available at £10.99.

Asti Spumante. A well-known Italian fizz, this tends to be medium to sweet and has a distinctive grapey aroma and flavour. It’s also lower in alcohol than standard fizz.

Part 1: getting started
Part 2: white wines
Part 3: red wines
Part 5: port

For more information about Alice King and her wine-tasting courses, check out www.alicekingwineschool.co.uk