Bubbles

Effervescence in wine refers to the formation of bubbles (perlage) after opening a bottle of wine as a result of the release of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas at room temperature, but it dissolves very easily in aqueous solutions—which is essentially what wine is. Opening the bottle releases the gas, and its bubbles create the characteristic foam of these wines. In sparkling wines and spumante, the carbon dioxide bubbles (also called perlage) create the foam, enhance the aromas and the brightness of the color, and reinforce the sensation of freshness on the palate that is characteristic of these wines. The ideal bubbles are fine, numerous, and persistent. They create a fine foam—more fleeting in sparkling wines and more persistent in high-quality spumante wines, especially those made using the classic method. Deviations from these ideal conditions—such as sparse or coarse bubbles, or short-lived bubbles—are considered negative factors when judging and scoring the wine under examination. The number, finesse, and persistence of bubbles in wine are due not to pressure, but to the structure of the wine itself. At the lowest end of the structural scale is distilled water. If supersaturated with carbon dioxide, it immediately releases all the gas in a tumultuous manner when the overpressure is removed. As the concentration of dissolved substances in the wine increases—and thus the wine’s structure and complexity increase—physical properties such as density, viscosity, and surface tension ensure that the release of bubbles after opening the bottle occurs continuously and gradually. At the same level of overpressure, a long-aged classic method sparkling wine will have more numerous, finer, and more persistent bubbles than a younger and lighter sparkling wine. Quality sparkling wines can be produced using two methods:

Classic Method (traditional, champenoise): used for the production of Champagne and higher-quality sparkling wines, it involves a second fermentation of the wine in the bottle.
Charmat Method (Martinotti): characterized by shorter production times and lower costs, it involves the refermentation of the wine in an autoclave.

Metodo Classico is excellent with fish and fish dishes. It should be remembered, however, that the more flavorful the dish, the more full-bodied the sparkling wine should be. A simple yet excellent pairing is with scampi or smoked salmon. The iodine in the fish finds a perfect match in the characteristic acidity of the bubbles. It pairs well with all cured meats, but Metodo Classico and culatello make a truly excellent pairing. As an aperitif and to accompany appetizers; paired with desserts, especially those made with yeast and cream-based desserts (the bubbles help “cut through” the richness of the dessert), with the exception of those with a more intense and complex flavor, such as chocolate and ice cream—both because of the temperature and the strong fruit aroma, as well as the texture in the case of cream-based desserts.