Need an excuse to drink champagne….

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Tomorrow, October 23, 2015, is the sixth annual Global #ChampagneDay —

All you need to participate is a glass of Champagne — share your photos, tasting notes, experiences and videos on any social media site, and be sure to add the #ChampagneDay hash tag so your wine friends from around the globe can share in the fun.

Yes, it’s that special time of year to raise your flute to the quintessential wine of celebration, good cheer and toasts everywhere: Champagne!

And remember Champagne is from the Champagne region of France, which, on July 5th 2015 was granted World Heritage status by UNESCO and Champagne is from the Champagne region of France, making it the only sparkling wine that can be called Champagne.

Liz Palmer
The Ultimate Guide To Champagne – Release Date: Spring 2016
wwwLiz-Palmer.com

TOMORROW IS #CHAMPAGNEDAY – HERE IS A CONDENSED GUIDE FOR YOUR CHAMPAGNE SIPPING

THE PRACTICAL PART
Not every wine that sparkles can be called Champagne. True Champagne comes from a special region in France located 90 miles northeast of Paris. Champagne has a legendary history, and has for many hundreds of years been part of many cultural events and historical traditions. This region has a combination of chalky sub-soils and cool climate, which produces the only grapes in the world that can yield the Champagne of legends!

Grape Varieties and Styles
The three primary grape varieties that that are used to make Champagne are pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. The dark-skinned pinot noir and pinot meunier give Champagne its length and backbone, while chardonnay gives it acidity notes and biscuit flavour. There are several other grape varieties that are permitted for historical reasons, and are used occasionally.

Non-vintage
A non-vintage Champagne includes a blend of grapes from several vintages. They also have a consistent style, and are made for immediate consumption. Most Champagne is non-vintage. Only a few non-vintage Champagnes will benefit from further aging.

Vintage
Champagne vintages are declared only for outstanding harvest years and are made from a single harvest year. The producers reserve their finest fruit for this style of Champagne, adding to its desirability. Not every year is declared a vintage year.

Presitge Cuvées
This is a proprietary blend, the top of the producer’s range, and is most suitable for cellaring. The trend is that these Champagnes come delivered in very expressive, distinctively-shaped, and labeled bottles. These Champagnes are usually made with grapes from Grand Cru vineyards.

Blanc de Blancs
Blanc de blanc is a French term that means “white of whites”, and is used to designate Champagnes made exclusively from chardonnay grapes. The blanc de blancs style is popular as an apértif due to their light, dry taste.

Blanc de Noirs
Blanc de Noirs is another French term that means “white of black”. This sounds like a contradiction, but it is not. What it tells you is that the Champagne has been made only using black grapes. Champagne made from black grapes are typically full bodied with intense richness.

Rosé
Rosé Champagnes are produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a short time or, the common method, by adding a small amount of still pinot noir red wine to the sparkling wine.

Sweetness (Brut to Doux)
In addition to classifying Champagne styles, classifications are also used to refer to sweetness. The amount of sugar added after the second fermentation and aging varies and will dictate the sweetness level of the Champagne.

• Brut: dry, less than 1.5% sugar (most common)
• Extra Sec: extra dry, 1.2 to 2% sugar
• Sec: medium sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
• Demi-Sec: sweet, 3.3 to 5% sugar (dessert Champagne)
• Doux: very sweet, over 5% sugar (dessert Champagne)

THE FUN PART – TASTING
What can you see? What can you smell? What can you Taste? Champagne deserves your undivided attention. You need time to appreciate its colour, effervescence, savour its aromas and define its dominant impressions.

Before you pop the cork, there are a few basic tips:

• Flutes should be clean and free of any traces of detergent or rinsing agent [could cause Champagne to flatten]
• Avoid all forms of perfume, i.e., personal or room fragrance [these will interfere with the appreciation of the aromas]
• Ideal drinking temperature is [8° – 10° C] – chill the bottle for 20 minutes in an ice bucket filled with ice
• When pouring, fill the glass only two-thirds [this allows the aromas to circulate]
• Once the Champagne is poured, allow some time for it to open up

Colour and Appearance
Once the Champagne is poured, place a sheet of white paper behind the glass try to identify the shade.

Colours can range from: pale gold; green gold; grey gold; straw yellow; yellow gold to antique gold. For rosé Champagnes colours range from coral pink, salmon pink to deep pink.

How does the Champagne look to you? Is it limpid, sparkling or silky?

And what about the bubbles, are they: light; fine; lively; plentiful or slow?

Nose
Once the initial effervescence has subsided, bring the flute to your nose and inhale slowly, at length and then inhale again.

How do you describe the aromas? Are they floral, fruity, vegetal, or does the aroma remind you of dried fruits or some other indulgent delicacy?

Floral aromas can range from rose, lime blossom, orange blossom or violet.

Fruity smells will range from grapefruit, apple, pear, quince, peach, apricot, nectarine, mango, banana, lychee, coconut, cherry or currant.

Vegetal bouquets range from almond, grass, fern, to truffle.
Dried Fruit odours range from hazelnut, raisin to dried fig.
Other indulgent delicacy aromas include butter, brioche, toast, honey, candied fruit, vanilla and various spices.

Mouth
Champagne reveals its complex personality best on the palate.

Try rolling the Champagne around your mouth – there is bound to be a dominant impression.

How does the Champagne feel?

Does it feel powerful, solid, comforting, smooth, light, mature, or opulent?

Now how would you describe the impression?
Is it creamy, delicate or complex?

Go ahead and enjoy what is hiding inside your flute!

To participate in tomorrow’s festivities, follow the #ChampagneDay hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and on other social media sites. For more information about #ChampagneDay or the worldwide effort to protect wine place names and origins, please visit http://bit.ly/rhBcbh or www.champagne.us.

Liz Palmer
coHost for #ChampagneDay
@champagneHouses
http://about.me/lizpalmer

iPad2 WINNER ANNOUNCED: ERIC MUELLER IS THE OFFICIAL WINNER OF #CHAMPAGNEDAY LABEL CONTEST

The Champagne Bureau recently hosted a contest as part of the #ChampagneDay celebrations. To promote appreciation for and protection of true Champagne, the Champagne Bureau asked participants to send and post pictures of authentic Champagne labels.

Over 300 submissions were received, and can be viewed on their Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/pGmv1F.

Congratulations to Eric Mueller, he is the lucky winner of an iPad2!

Did you know that October 28th is the second annual Champagne Day?

To participate in tomorrow’s festivities, follow the #ChampagneDay hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and on other social media sites. For more information about #ChampagneDay or the worldwide effort to protect wine place names and origins, please visit http://bit.ly/rhBcbh or www.champagne.us.

Liz Palmer
coHost for #ChampagneDay
@champagneHouses

TO ALL TECH-SAVVY CHAMPAGNE LOVERS OCTOBER 28 IS GLOBAL #ChampagneDay

On Friday October 28th, 2011 between 1:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PT) Champagne lovers around the world will join the online conversation to celebrate the uniqueness of true Champagne from the Champagne region of France. This global event is set to run 24 hours to give everyone time to have a glass of Champagne when it makes sense in their time zone.

Champagne Day (International) Co-hosts are: Christian Oggenfuss, DWS, Andrea Immer, MS, Jayne Powell, Liz Palmer, Mélanie and Benoît Tarlant, and Becky Sue Epstein

To participate in this “virtual celebration’: share on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, LinkedIn or any other social site using the #ChampagneDay hashtag all day October 28. You’ll be able to search what other Champagne lovers are sharing by using the #ChampagneDay hashtag.

Here is how you can join the #ChampagneDay conversations:

• Register at http://champagneday.eventbrite.com – This keeps you in the loop of all the
latest happenings

• Choose your Champagnes for #ChampagneDay

• Whether you’re joining in on the Global celebration at home, at a restaurant, or decide
to visit one of the local co-hosted events, you can post your impressions, photos,
tasting notes, experiences, videos, and any other Champagne-related stories online for
others to see – just remember to tag them with the #ChampagneDay hashtag

• Track what other people are sharing by using Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, Kurrently, and Twitter Search

#ChampagneDay C O N T E S T

As part of this celebration, The Champagne Bureau is hosting a contest to recognize authentic Champagne. One Grand Prize winner will be selected randomly and receive an iPad 2. Four runners-up will receive exclusive Champagne tasting kits.

To participate, send a picture of an authentic Champagne label to champagne@clsdc.com or post the picture to your Facebook profile, tag yourself, and The Champagne Bureau in the picture.

Contest entrants may submit multiple entries to increase their chances of winning. All entries must be unique, as duplicate entries will not be considered. For more information visit: Contest entrants may submit multiple entries to increase their chances of winning. All entries must be unique, as duplicate entries will not be considered. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/pEuH8d.

Last year’s Global #Champagne Day was an overwhelming success and this year’s is promising be even better!

Liz Palmer
@champagnehouses