Staff photo by Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Various bottles for the New Year Eve buyers guide to champagne. Bottles courtesy of Riverside Wine and Spirits.DID YOU KNOW?* Marilyn Monroe was reputed to have taken a bath filled with 350 bottles worth of Champagne.* Möet et Chandon's vintage champagne, Dom Pérignon, is named for the Benedictine monk who is credited as an early pioneer in making sparkling wines.* German scientists measured the speed of a cork expelled from a vigorously shaken bottle of champagne at 24.8 mph.* Scientist Bill Lembeck estimated that a standard 750-milliliter bottle of champagne contains 40 million bubbles.SPARKLING TRANSLATIONBecause of the amount of foreign phrases listed on the bottles, becoming a sparkling-wine connoisseur can feel like learning a new language. Here's a translation of some common terms.* Méthode traditionnelle: Indicates sparkling wine from somewhere other than the Champagne region of France was produced using the traditional champagne-making process. Occasionally listed as "methode champenoise."* Blanc de Blancs: Delicate sparkling wine made exclusively with chardonnay grapes.* Blanc de Noir: Heavier sparkling wine made with black pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes.* Cuvée: A sparkling wine created using a blend of grapes to yield a specific taste year after year. Can also indicate wines made using the first and best juice to flow from the press.* Négociants manipulants: Sparkling wine made using a blend of grapes purchased from other growers rather than the vintner. Signified on labels with the initials NM.* Récoltants manipulants: Sparkling wine made using fruit grown on the vintner's own land. Also called grower champagne. Signified on labels with the initials RM.BOTTLE IT UP (AND UP AND UP)750-milliliter is the standard bottle size for bubbly, but sparkling wines can come in much larger bottles, many named for biblical figures.* Magnum - 1.5 liters/2 bottles* Jeroboam - 3 liters/4 bottles* Rehoboam - 4.5 liters/6 bottles* Methuselah - 6 liters/8 bottles* Salmanazar - 9 liters/12 bottles* Balthazar - 12 liters/16 bottles* Nebuchadnezzar - 15 liters/20 bottles* Melchior - 18 liters/24 bottles* Solomon - 20 liters/26.66 bottles* Sovereign - 25 liters/33.33 bottles* Primat - 27 liters/26 bottles* Melchizedek - 30 liters/40 bottlesDRY OR SWEETAccording to 2009 guidelines set forth by the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, the legal sweetness label on sparkling wine is determined by its sugar content (grams/liter).* Brut Nature (0-3 g/L)* Extra Brut (0-6 g/L)* Brut (0-12 g/L)* Extra dry (12-17 g/L)* Sec (17-32 g/L )* Demi-sec (32-50 g/L)* Doux (more than 50 g/L)CHAMPAGNE BY ANY OTHER NAMEOnly sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of northeastern France is considered true Champagne, but there are many names for sparkling wines from other regions:* Spain - Cava* Italy - Prosecco/Asti* Burgundy, France - Cremant de Bourgogne* Loire Valley, France - Cremant de Loire* Germany/Austria - Sekt* Portugal - Espumante
From the coronation ceremonies of French kings to celebrating the new year, champagne has a long history of association with luxury and revelry.
As the ball drops tonight and revelers pop the cork on a bottle of bubbly, whether sparkling wine or actual French Champagne, they will be continuing that centuries-old tradition, said Michael Vasta, the director of operations and former food and beverage director for Bluff View Art District.
"I'm not someone who opens a bottle of sparkling wine very often, but anytime someone does, it's a great way to start or finish an evening," Vasta said. "To me, it is the wine of the party."
When shopping for sparkling wines, experts say it's possible to purchase a quality bottle without breaking the bank.
"It gets expensive really quickly with true Champagne ... but $15-$40 is a range where the quality can be fantastic," said Josh Carter, the wine director at St. John's Restaurant.
"If you look around at stores that have a wide selection of sparkling, you can find some really, really great things for $40-$50," Carter said. "But give yourself an opportunity by going somewhere with a good selection."
According to European Union regulations, true Champagne is produced only in a region of northeastern France. So-called "grower" Champagnes made by smaller vineyards within that region can offer superior taste, sometimes at a lower price point, to larger houses such as Mumm or Taittinger, said Brian Leutwiler, who taught wine classes at Chattanooga State Community College for 10 years.
"[They] are your small, hand-crafted wines, the good guys," Leutwiler said. "Price is not always indicative."
That's not to say cheaper is necessarily better. When it comes to sparkling wines, small, long-lasting bubbles are signs of quality, Leutwiler said.
Although it may be tempting to celebrate the ball drop with a $4 bottle of American-made Andre, spending a little more for true Champagne, or a well-made sparkling wine, is a better investment, Leutwiler said.
"Great Champagne is racy," he said. "It's supposed to be like this tightrope and have a real edginess to it."
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6205.