Bubbles

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The effervescence of 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 wine, in fact, is. Opening the bottle releases the gas, and its bubbles create the characteristic foam of these wines. In semi-sparkling and sparkling wines, the carbon dioxide bubbles (also called perlage) create the foam, enhance the aromas and the brilliance 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 that is more fleeting in semi-sparkling wines and more persistent in high-quality sparkling wines, especially those produced using the classic method. Any deviation from these ideal conditions—such as sparser, coarser, or short-lived bubbles—is considered a negative factor when evaluating and scoring the wine in question. The abundance, fineness, and persistence of the bubbles in the wine are due not to pressure, but to the wine’s structure itself. At the lowest end of the structure scale is distilled water. If supersaturated with carbon dioxide, it immediately releases all the gas in a tumultuous manner when the excess pressure is removed. As the amount of dissolved substances in the wine increases—and thus as the wine’s structure and complexity increase—physical properties such as density, viscosity, and surface tension ensure that the release of bubbles after the bottle is opened occurs continuously and gradually. At the same level of overpressure, a classic-method sparkling wine that has undergone extended aging will have more numerous, finer, and more persistent bubbles than a younger, lighter sparkling wine. High-quality sparkling wines can be produced using two methods:

Metodo Classico (traditional, champenoise): used to produce Champagne and the highest-quality sparkling wines, this method involves a second fermentation of the wine in the bottle.
Charmat (Martinotti) method: characterized by shorter production times and lower costs, it involves the wine undergoing a second fermentation in a pressure tank.

Metodo Classico pairs wonderfully with fresh seafood and fish dishes. It’s important to remember, however, that the more flavorful the dish, the more robust 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 is 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 more intense and complex flavors, such as chocolate, and ice cream—both due to the temperature and the strong fruit aromas and texture in the case of cream-based desserts.