Seeing stars in Britain - and beyond

When going out this party season don't forget champagne. Whether out visiting friends or hosting a party these bubbles go a long way to impart that holiday spirit. It makes a great hostess gift as well.

Sparkling wines come in many styles and from many countries. The king of the hill is, of course, champagne.

Made in individual bottles, rather than casks, champagne is only produced in a small district in northeastern France. Originally a still wine, some stories tell of the Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, who supposedly made the first sparkling version of this famous wine, exclaiming he "saw stars" when he first tried this new style. I personally know a lot of people who have seen these same stars while drinking champagne, but that is another story.

The real credit for the discovery, however, goes to the British, who were also responsible for many other important wine discoveries (including the aging of ports and madeiras, which they originally shipped to add ballast to their sailing ships). Shipped in bulk and then bottled in Britain, the merchants supposedly added molasses or sugar before bottling, thus producing the secondary fermentation that adds the effervescence.

Or stick with the traditional story that the monk wanted to prevent the bottled wines from exploding in the cellar and replaced the corks of the day (which were wrapped in oily rags and stuffed into the opening) with an oversized version that was pounded into the bottles and wrapped with wire, giving us the characteristic champagne cork we know today. Either way, there must be some additional sugar to feed the yeast that starts the process of making champagne.

There are many styles of cham- pagne to choose from; Brut, which is the standard and the driest; Extra Dry, which is in

the middle; and some sweeter versions such as sec and demisec. These last are very sweet to American tastes but are well accepted across the pond, especially in England.

Sparkling wines from other countries, although not entitled to use the name champagne, can be very good and are generally less pricey.

Some of the less expensive wines are made like soda; carbon dioxide is introduced during the bottling to impart the bubbles, but there are many good sparkling wines made this way, so do not overlook these.

When opening the bottle, a nice loud "pop" followed

with a gush of wine from

the bottle is exciting and will get the attention of

everyone close enough to

hear it. Of course, that sound is the sound of millions of bubbles leaving quickly. The best way to open a bottle is to remove the foil wrap and wire cage, hold the cork firmly and twist the bottle with the other hand, resulting in a light popping sound. Be sure to serve sparkling wine in a tall flute, a thin and narrow glass. This allows the bubbles to rise evenly

and at a slower pace, thereby prolonging the pleasure.

Wine picks of the week

>>55 º at Gulf Coast Town Center. Owner Daniel Hostettler says: You can pay $50 to $60 for champagne but the other wines are not as pricey and have good quality. Some like a wine a little sweeter as well. A wine I like is Torre Galatea, a Spanish cava that was the favorite wine of Salvador Dali. In fact the box was designed by him. This producer, Castillo Perelada, has an entire line of good sparkling cava, and this one is a rose, so it is light and colorful. In champagne, I recommend Perrier-Jouet Brut with the hand painted flower label. We even have the gift pack, which comes with four painted glasses. We encourage people to try wines from different places, but stay in a manageable price range, like the Spanish cavas, which run around $12 to $13. >>KitchenAid Culinary Center at Robb & Stucky Outdoor Living in Bonita Springs Chef Martin Murph: "The first thing that comes to mind is Italian prosecco. It is a little different and is a fun wine. When going out it is nice to bring something that is different. Another good wine is Syn Cuvee Blanc de Blanc, an Australian chardonnay, under $20. Most people spend $10 to $15 for their everyday wine, and rarely over $20. After that there is a question if your friends will be able to appreciate it, especially during the holidays and parties. Another good choice is an Asti moscato from Italy. This is a light slightly sweet effervescent wine, almost sparkling, and is a good dessert wine. We serve it a lot as a dessert wine because it helps digest after a meal. California is also certainly challenging the big champagne houses, and Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc is an excellent choice" (this is the wine that President Nixon took with him to China). "What will I be drinking? We are having a small get together with friends and family, six of us, and I have a bottle of La Grand Dame from Veuve-Clicquot, which I have been saving for several years for a special occasion. We're going to sip and enjoy it."

>>Total Wine & More: Jennifer Gilliford, wine manager: "I recommend champagne from Jean-Paul Brice, Grand Cru Brut ($45) from Bouzy, which is not too full bodied or yeasty, but full of bubbles and not overpowering. Another popular wine is Zefiro Prosecco Brut ($14) from Italy, made in a dry style but with great bubbles, and a moderate price."