"Quickly; I'm drinking stars!" Dom Perignon called out to his fellow monks after his first taste of champagne. With the sultry Long Island summer nights approaching, may I suggest a great way to cool off from the inside out? Bubbly. Champers. Shampoo. Fizz. Sparklers. What other wine has so many nicknames, is so great with different foods, and is left in the refrigerator all alone, waiting for one night a year to pop open? The term "champagne" has unfortunately, if understandably, become a generic descriptive for any high-quality, sparkling wine. However, sparkling wine, no matter how good, is most certainly not Champagne. Only sparkling wine made from specific grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) and made in the Champagne district (appellation) about 90 miles northeast of Paris, France, is entitled to be called Champagne. Lucky East Enders, however, have their own sparklers to enjoy on a hot summer night.

HOW THE BUBBLES GET THERE!

The bubbles in sparkling wine are a natural by-product of the fermentation process. All sparkling wines are made by one of three essentially similar methods, but the best sparkling wines from any vineyard are made by the method traditional to the Champagne region of France, methode champenoise. The distinguishing characteristic of this method is the secondary fermentation. This takes place in the very bottle you buy. The resulting wines have pinpoint bubbles, which rise straight from the bottom of the glass. Tiny bubbles that last for quite a while are what you look for in a good sparkling wine.

The second fermentation is started by adding a little more yeast and sugar to the still wine in the bottle and closing it up with a crown cap. The carbon dioxide given off as a result of the fermentation is absorbed into the wine and can't escape from the bottle. (Think of it as a bubble genie in the bottle dying to get out!) The wine is then laid down for one to four years. When the secondary fermentation is complete, the wine in the bottle is "fined" by riddling. In riddling, the bottles are placed in racks at a 45-degree angle and twisted one-quarter turn each day to dislodge the spent yeast cells. Gradually, the angle of the bottle is increased until, after six to eight weeks, the bottle is upside down.

Finally, in preparation for disgorgement, the neck is dipped in frozen brine. The cap is removed, along with the now-frozen plug of sediment and a little bit of wine. The bottle is righted and topped with more of the same wine and a smidgen of grape sugar (a dosage) to give the required level of sweetness to the finished wine. The cork is then inserted and wired against the pressure. This technique is almost two centuries old and still performed predominantly by hand. That is one reason champagne is expensive; another is that Federal and State taxes are about twenty times higher on sparkling wine than on still wine.

Basic Bubbles

Sparkling wines fall into two basic styles: light and delicate which often shows citrus qualities, and richer and fuller-flavored, showing more yeast and/or toasty flavors. Sparkling wines also come in two basic colors, white or pink. Most are white. Blanc de Blancs, which actually translates as "white of whites," is made from l00% Chardonnay grapes. Blanc de Noirs, "white of blacks," is made from Pinot Noir grapes and is pressed quickly off the skins so as not to impart any color. Pink sparkling wine, which is actually rose, is just as dry as white, though often fuller-bodied and richer, and with an impressive price tag. They are often made with a small amount of still Pinot Noir or by leaving the juice on the red grape skins to impart color.

The two other methods of champagne making are "transfer," which basically gives you tiny bubbles with less staying power, and "Charmat," used for inexpensive wines. Most of the bubblies today are labeled brut, a level of dryness that translates to a residual sugar of less than l.5% and considered the international "standard." The driest possible is brut sauvage, or nature, or - in plain American - natural. It is rarely seen and contains no residual sugar at all.

Bubbly with Food

It is amazing how well sparkling wine works with any food, not only the classic accompaniment, caviar. As a wine type, it is probably the single most versatile table wine made. Try it with anything. I love lobster with sparkling wine, as well as monkfish, shrimp, poultry, pasta with cream sauces, Asian/Pacific Rim infusion foods, Chinese, roasts, and my favorite, chocolate truffles. Do not wait until New Year's Eve to try these sparklers! Take a bottle to the beach in a cooler and dig it into the cool sand, sip the bubbly with a few chocolate-dipped summer strawberries, hear the sound of the ocean, and gaze upward to the star-show. This, dear reader, "is as good as it gets!"

EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ENJOY BUBBLY!

How should I store champagne?
Champagne wines should be kept in a cool, dark place away from heat, light, vibrations, and severe temperature variation. Champagne wines are ready to be drunk when you buy them, or you can cellar them to enjoy later.

What is the best way to chill champagne?
Before serving, chill the wine well, but do not freeze it. Champagne is best chilled by placing the bottle in a bucket filled with ice and water for 30-40 minutes or in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator for several hours. Champagne lovers always keep a bottle there for inspiration, unexpected guests, or making any dinner special.

How do I open a bottle of champagne?
The pressure in a bottle of champagne is about ninety pounds per square inch. Tilt the bottle at a 45-degree angle, away from guests. Put a thumb on the cork, and untwist and loosen the wire muzzle. Grasp the cork, twist the bottle slowly, and let the pressure help push out the cork. Do not try to remove the cork with a loud pop, or you will have expensive champagne pouring all over the table! Allow a light sigh rather than a pop.

How should I serve champagne?
Champagne is best served in a tall flute or tulip glass at a temperature of 42-47 degrees Fahrenheit. Tiny bubbles will rise in a continuous stream. When serving, pour a small quantity of wine into each glass and allow it to settle. Then fill each glass two-thirds full.

GREAT LONG ISLAND SUMMER SPARKLERS!

Wolffer Sagpond's Cuvee Sparkling Wine Brut is an elegant and delicate sparkler with big, full flavor. It is a wonderful marriage of ripe pear, apricot, vanilla, and hazelnut flavors that are deep, well focused, and complex. The grapes for this dry, delicate wine are handpicked and fermented in the traditional methode champenoise style. It is comprised of 88% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Noir and has a smoky and nutty texture that is highlighted by refreshing acidity and mineral flavors that remain lively throughout the long finish.

Pindar's Cuvee Rare Champagne is an extremely rare bottling produced from 100% Pinot Meunier and cellared for five years. It is "rare" because it is one of the few sparkling wines of the world that is "naturale," meaning no brandy or sugar is added. Its pale copper color and subtle yeast and fruit flavors make this sparkler an elegant rival to Dom Perignon and Cristal at a fraction of the price.

Pugliese Vineyardoffers their three sparkling wines in a special millennium, hand-painted, frosted champagne bottle. Blanc de Noir, totally dry and 100% Pinot Noir, is a limited production of a French style champagne, slightly salmon in color, subtle and delicious. Blanc de Blanc Brut, fermented in the bottle from Chardonnay grapes, is light and delicate and their most popular sparkler. Sparkling Merlot, a unique red sparkler, is zesty and fun.

Lenz Winery's Cuvee is a stunning and elegant sparkling white. I recently had the great pleasure of drinking a l991 Cuvee from the wine library at the wonderful Seafood Barge with oysters and a sesame tuna that was simply "out of this world." It had toasty notes and was full and rich with a warm, yeasty finish. Cuvee is made from 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, using the methode champenoise. Lenz ages the wine for extended periods "en tirage," finishing small batches as needed. This method creates layers of complexity over the Pinot Noir fruit base. The finish is dry and technically considered an ultra brut.

Jamesport Vineyard's Blanc de Blanc is Long Island's first, and only, sparkling wine produced in the traditional French Charmat method. Made from l00% Chardonnay, the wine is fermented outside the bottle, achieving its delicate mousse through specialized, glass-lined, Charmat tanks. It is a wonderful wine as an aperitif or as an elegant alternative to complement light cuisine.

Jamesport Vineyard's Grand Cuvee made in the traditional methode champenoise style of the great French champagnes, was fermented in the bottle and allowed three years of aging "en tirage" before release. It is a multi-vintage blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Gamay Noir.

Lieb Cellars Champagne (soon to be released) is made mostly with Pinot Blanc. Their first release of the 1993 was made at the Lenz Winery. It is a delicate sparkling wine, also very delicate in flavor with the notable Pinot Blanc taste, not heavy in either toast or autolysis flavors.

Macari Vineyard's Macari Brut is also made in the traditional methode champenoise style. This sparkler is clean and crisp with lovely toasty aromas, wrapped in flavors of apple and citrus.

Osprey's Dominion's sparkler comes with a very colorful 2000 label called Y2K. The Estate Bottled Cuvee is a world-class blend of 40% barrel fermented Pinot Noir and 60% stainless steel fermented Chardonnay.