Bubbles

Effervescence in wine refers to the formation of bubbles (perlage) after opening a bottle of wine, resulting from 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 wines, 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—constitute a negative factor when judging and scoring the wine under examination. The number, fineness, and persistence of bubbles in wine are due not to pressure, but to the structure of the wine itself. At the lowest level of the structure 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 consequently the wine’s structure and complexity—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 in the bottle.
Charmat Method (Martinotti): characterized by shorter production times and lower costs, it involves the refermentation of the wine in a pressure tank.

Metodo Classico is excellent with fish and seafood dishes. It should be noted, however, that the richer the dish, the more full-bodied the sparkling wine should be. A simple yet excellent pairing is with scampi or smoked salmon. The briny notes in the fish are perfectly complemented by the characteristic acidity of the bubbles. It pairs well with all cured meats, but Metodo Classico and culatello make for a truly excellent pairing. As an aperitif and to accompany appetizers; paired with desserts, especially those made with yeast and creams (the bubbles help to "cut through" the richness of the dessert), excluding those with a more intense and complex flavor, such as chocolate and ice cream, both due to the temperature and the strong aroma of the fruit, as well as the texture in the case of creams.