Focus on the flute: French Champagne, American sparkling wine, Italian Spumante, Spanish Cava, German Sekt. I attended a master class with bubbles of many nationalities.

Bubbles of Many Nationalities

I was just a participant in a sparkling affair.  No, it was not an illicit weekend in Paris or anything like that.  It was a master class in sparkling wine, wittily titled “A Sparkling Affair,” and it was conducted right here in East Hampton at Guild Hall.

I might as well admit right now that I have some problems with champagne.  Not with champagne itself—I think it is one of the glories of the world of wine—but with the way we generally drink it.  So often we seem to be sipping champagne at big parties and big dinners, where it becomes a background beverage to the social action.  All too rarely do we sit down quietly and savor our champagne with complementary foods, aware of the marvelous qualities in our glass.

 So I was delighted to see Michael Cinque of Amagansett Wine & Spirits, who is a trustee of Guild Hall, along with Charles Curtis of Veuve Cliquot-Ponsardin, who is one of the most knowledgeable wine experts I have met, conduct a class at which I, and about seventy or so other people, could focus on the wine without the usual social distractions.  The seminar was mostly about champagne, that great appellation of France, but the tasting included sparkling wines from around the world—and there are indeed many good ones.  It was a reminder of how much there is to explore in the world of wine.

 By the end of the seminar we were primed for the tasting.  Which raises the question: can a wine actually taste different if we are more knowledgeable about it?  My answer is a definite yes.  The wine might not change but we do.  Our minds are engaged; our sensory perceptions are heightened. Our noses and taste buds are fine-tuned and we know what to look for.

 About sixty sparking wines supplied by the Amagansett store were poured in tasting portions at the various tables set in one of the galleries.  Most were medium priced, ranging from very reasonable seven and eight dollar bottles to a prestige cuvee at $131.  All of the wines are currently discounted at Amagansett, at unusually competitive prices.  The many high quality wines priced below $30 pleasantly surprised me.

 Willm Cremant Blanc de Blanc, from Alsace, is lively and light, not quite as effervescent as champagne, but with a pleasant, frothy texture.  On sale at Amagansett now for only $10, it is an excellent choice in a low priced sparkler.  I also liked the Italian wines: prosecco, moscato, franciacorta, generally under $15.  Pol Roger, Veuve Cliquot, Nicholas Feuillatte, and Piper Heidsieck showcased the classic houses of Champagne, with offerings in a wide range of prices.  And the California estates of the major champagne houses were abundantly represented.

 In my opinion, no sparkling wine can match the top-of-the-line, vintage (sometimes called prestige or luxury cuvees) champagnes from either the large chateaus or some less well-known producers of great stature.  But this type of champagne usually costs $125 or considerably more.  It is a lovely indulgence, and should be indulged now and then, but is not the kind of thing we drink every day.  Such cuvees by the way are probably the only sparkling wines that can stand up to aging.

 Many “methode traditionnelle” or wines made in the authentic champagne method but not in the region can more than hold their own against some authentic but less-than-stellar, non-vintage champagnes.  So we should really be open minded and adventurous, ready to experiment with affordable, every day sparkling wines, and go where the bubbles take us.  Wherever the region.  Whatever the style and sweetness.  However it is served.

 I raise my flute of French champagne, or American sparking wine, or Italian spumante, or Spanish cava, or German sekt—the international language of bubbly beverages—to Guild Hall for organizing this educational, professional and pleasurable event.