When a solemn event is ahead, how can we do without sparkling accompaniment? Everyone has long known that champagne is the most festive drink. Not a single happy event is complete without it. The main thing is to find your own bubbly drink among the options provided. The wineries of the hero city of Sevastopol are recognized as the best of the best manufacturers and time-tested.
Winery history
Today there is a rich assortment in the champagne market. And give your preference is a proven wineries. If we talk about reliable producers of the drink, then one of the best can be called the Sevastopol winery, whose history began back in 1936, when Stalin signed a decree on the development of champagne production and viticulture in Massandra.
The construction of the plant began in all the quarries of Sevastopol, and already in 1938 the first bottles of champagne were laid, and in 1940 the production of bottles reached the jubilee 500 thousand, while 2 million consumer containers were stored at the same time.
The Sevastopol plant also participated in the Second World War: the mine workings were used as a shelter for those who were wounded and not only, and the drink was transported to the heroic defenders to maintain combat forces. The soldiers quenched their thirst and disinfected the wounds, and the containers were used for the famous Molotov cocktail. Unfortunately, during the defense of Sevastopol, all the underground workshops suffered - they were blown up.
Only in 1961 were they able to recreate new underground tunnels for the plant, then they resumed production of the most high-class, brave sparkling drink of the Crimean peninsula.
It is worth noting that throughout its history Sevastopol champagne has never been put into mass production. Here, the sophisticated technology and the refined taste of the drink played a role, which allowed it to become a favorite of supply in the elite circles of the government and parties of the Soviet Union.
Production of champagne wines of Crimea
Speaking of champagne, it is worth noting the production technology. Despite the fact that the opening of an effervescent drink goes back to France in the 17th century, where the monk Perignon discovered the famous method of preparation, the roots of Russian champagne go deep into the Crimea. In 1799, the first bottles of Russian fizzy drink were bottled on the estate of Academician Pallas.
Champagne production is a very painstaking and complex process. Sparkling wine requires very careful preparation from several stages.
The pre-stage basis is harvesting. Everything depends on it: the better the raw materials, the more vivid and rich taste the final product will get. Of course, Crimeans can boast of their natural conditions and therefore prefer to grow grapes on their own to produce their champagne. The climate allows them to harvest the best crops that go to both automated and elite, manual production.
So, the first stage is assembly. It consists in the selection, sorting and combination of similar grape varieties. Here, the very first wine purification takes place simultaneously. Assembly is done in boutas of different capacities, into which the drink is poured using rubber sleeves and pumps.
Next is the stage called “blend” - different types of wine are mixed: Pedro, Aligote and others. After a short period of time, the second pasting of the wine is carried out with fish sturgeon glue. This is necessary in order to achieve clarification of the drink.
And then the last stage takes place - circulation - direct bottling of wine.
Before pouring wine into bottles, pour a certain amount of yeast and circulation liquor. After that, mechanically clog the bottles with a stopper and tighten the top with a strong bracket. Then all the finished bottles are stacked horizontally in stacks for a period of fermentation, which lasts one and a half to two months. Thanks to this process, carbon dioxide and alcohol are formed, which give a sparkling game to future champagne. During the entire period of fermentation, the bottles are transferred, stirring up the sediment, and, as a result, they are placed on aging.
And already only in the third year of aging (usually lasts from 2 to 5 years), a remuage is carried out - each bottle is gradually turned upside down with a stopper in an inclined position on special music stands. In this position, the bottles rotate periodically. This must be done so that sediment is discharged onto the cork from the container walls, while the movement must necessarily be screw-like.
The last process is degorging - sludge discharge. To do this, the bottle in an upright position is sent to freeze the neck in salt water with a temperature of about -18 degrees. After freezing, when the containers are uncorked, an ice cork flies at a speed along with sediment. After the procedure, a bottle awaits a liquor-dosing machine, where the fate of champagne will be finally decided: brut, dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet. And then they clog the bottle with a new cork, twisting it firmly with wire.
Of course, this is how the main process of making champagne goes, and we will never know the individual subtleties that each producer inherited in strict confidence. And this is even for the best, as these hidden nuances give each champagne a unique taste.
Types of Sevastopol sparkling
Champagne is produced in two colors: white and pink. In the manufacture of a pink drink, red grapes are used: Pinot Moire or Pinot Meunier. For white champagne, a Chardonnay grape variety is used. Of course, these three varieties are the basis for production. There are many more grape varieties, thanks to them they make a unique blend.
For 70 years, the Sevastopol Champagne Wine Factory has been the undisputed sales leader. Today, the winery offers our attention fizzy drinks, which are a clear example of high-quality products:
- sparkling nutmeg (white, pink);
- sparkling brut;
- semi-dry sparkling;
- semi-sweet sparkling wine;
- semi-sweet sparkling red.
The composition of sparkling wines
For sparkling nutmeg champagne, they use the Muscat grape variety, which is harvested in the Crimea. Varietal composition of white: Muscat white, Muscat Hungarian, Alicante, Pink Muscat.
Pink muscat champagne contains a blend of grape varieties Muscat pink, Alicante, Hungarian muscat, White muscat.
Sparkling brut has the following varietal composition: Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Fran.
Semi-dry sparkling wine is produced from local elite grape varieties - Chardonnay, Aligote, Riesling, Pinot.
Composition of sparkling semisweet: Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Pinot Fran.
Varietal composition of semisweet red: Tsimlyansky black, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ruby Magaracha, Bastardo.
Excise stamp
The main thing is that when you buy Sevastopol champagne, you don’t stumble on a fake. Having an excise stamp is not enough! To check for benign alcohol, you need to compare the data on the excise tax and the bottle itself. Confirmation of quality is the inscription "correspond to wine products" (abbreviation "VP").
The numbers on the excise stamp must correspond to the digital designation of the manufacturing city. That is, on all bottles of Sevastopol champagne there is an excise stamp with the abbreviation "VP" and the index of the manufacturing city - 27.
Interesting Facts
During the war, the Asti sparkling wine was especially fond of the Black Sea sailors, who among themselves affectionately called it Nastya.
The director of the winery K. T. Segedin-Pidvorko led a detachment of partisans. And his best remuage master Tatyana Semenova joined the squad and fought bravely.
The experimental Sevastopol workshop was located in a three-story underground adit of a former military facility.
Sevastopol champagne has a huge number of awards for high quality production: 35 gold and silver medals, as well as two Grand Prix cups, which were awarded honorably at international competitions. Golden Cup of quality and marketing achievements awarded in Geneva.
The winery annually produces about 3 million bottles of sparkling wine.
The Sevastopol plant is located in the very center of the city, having its own rail and road routes.
Price of Sevastopol champagne
Everyone has long known that the high price of a product is not a guarantee of quality. Sevastopol champagne is in the average price range, and its cost is from 250 to 500 rubles per bottle. It all depends on the varietal composition of the products.
Consumer Reviews
Reviews of Sevastopol champagne confirm the invariable quality of the Crimean winery, starting with the external packaging design. Many emphasize the sophistication of taste. For example, white champagne plays wonderful golden color in a glass; it can decorate any festive table. Especially good is the taste combined with light dishes. Many note the magnificent combination: a chilled glass of white Sevastopol, shrimp and the sea.
Sevastopol pink champagne is considered a long-awaited novelty . The aroma of the blend can be felt at a feed temperature of 12-15 degrees. Ideal in addition to sweets or grapes. Some lovers of this champagne note the uniqueness of taste in combination with purple figs.
Sevastopol champagne embodies the perfect combination of price, quality and unique taste.