Champagne is a favorite drink of many people, which is associated with holidays, fulfillment of desires and magic. Everyone tried this amazing drink, but what do we know about the rules of its use, benefits and harms?
History of champagne
The first mention of champagne dates back to the Middle Ages. People of that time disliked the drink, because they did not understand how the wine is filled with bubbles. The situation was complicated by the fact that wine producers in the Middle Ages did not fasten corks with a special bridle and could not handle a bottle that contained sparkling wine. All these circumstances led to spontaneous exploding of blood vessels and the flight of traffic jams.
Only in the 16th century did a famous English doctor explain the technology of the appearance of mysterious bubbles. Since then, champagne has been produced all over the world, and the attitude towards it has changed dramatically.
Champagne finally became fashionable only at the end of the 19th century. It was at this time that all the winemakers of the world sought to visit France and learn the secrets and secrets of champagne wine. The geniuses of winemaking art created new methods for saturating wine with bubbles circling his head.
How is champagne made?
Today, champagne is a table decoration at any gala event. Sparkling wine is able to give a good mood and holiday sensations. But how is this amazing drink produced, and what is the secret of the appearance of bubbles?
Some might be surprised, but champagne is also made from grapes. Ideally, these are white grape varieties. For expensive sparkling wines, grapes are used: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Thanks to this, champagne has a white, pink or golden hue.
After the grape harvest, which, by the way, is carried out manually, the stage of squeezing begins. Grapes, divided by variety and vineyard, squeezed using a press. As a result of this procedure, three types of grape juice are obtained: cuvée, first and secondary wort. These species vary in quality, the most expensive is the cuvée.
Further, grape juice is subjected to prolonged fermentation in special vats. If we talk about the industrial scale of champagne production, the fermentation takes place in metal containers, but some foreign manufacturers of high-quality sparkling wines still carry out the fermentation process in oak barrels.
After wine fermentation, the blending stage begins. It consists in mixing cuvée, primary and secondary wort, different types of wine. Better wines are not blended.
Further, the wine is waiting for a second, that is, secondary fermentation. In this case, the drink is bottled from durable glass and added to each 18 grams of sugar and 0.3 grams of yeast, which will just cause the process of re-fermentation. An interesting fact is that during the secondary fermentation of wine, the bottle should be in the cellar and placed horizontally.
After fermentation, a precipitate remains in the drink, which, as a rule, needs to be removed. For this, the bottles are tilted down and rotated around its axis. Within a few days, the entire sediment moves to the neck of the bottle. Such a procedure at industrial enterprises for the production of champagne is carried out mechanically. Manufacturers of elite wines carry out the process of remake manually.
After the process of remake, the champagne is aged for several years. The ideal maturity for a drink is 4 years.
The penultimate stage in the manufacture of sparkling wine is degorging - the destruction of the sediment collected during the remuneration. For this, the bottles are turned down with the neck and lowered into cold brine. After the neck has frozen, the bottle is opened and the cork containing sediment flies out. During these manipulations, a significant part of the drink is lost from the bottle. Computerized equipment performs this entire procedure on an industrial scale. If the sediment is not removed from the bottle, then champagne will be cloudy.
Lastly, a bottle of champagne is corked and a special metal bridle is put on for strength. The bottles are washed and glued on the manufacturer’s labels. After that, champagne arrives on store shelves.
Champagne: nutritional value and composition
Champagne is a fairly high-calorie drink.
It does not contain fat.
The percentage of proteins in the product is also small.
There are about 80-90 calories per 100 milliliters of sparkling wine.
Champagne is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fluorine, iron and absolutely does not contain cholesterol.
Useful properties of champagne
Champagne is a delicious and festive drink. Despite the fact that sparkling wine contains alcohol, it still has some useful properties for the human body.
• Contains antioxidants
• Stabilizes blood pressure
• Accelerates and normalizes metabolism
• Enhances blood circulation
• Positive effect on the respiratory system
• Normalizes bile secretion
• Increases blood vessel elasticity
Of course, the greatest benefit can be obtained from the highest quality sparkling wine. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the daily dose of champagne consumed. One glass a day will be beneficial, but if you abuse a sparkling drink, you can seriously harm your health.
Harm of champagne: to whom is it contraindicated?
Any product has contraindications, and can even harm human health. Champagne is no exception. Do not forget that sparkling wine is an alcoholic drink, which contraindications are simply necessary. So who should not drink champagne, and what harm can it do?
• Destroys the liver
• Irritating to the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines
• It provokes the death of nerve tissue, destroys brain cells
• Forms an addiction to alcohol
• Increases the acidity of the stomach
• Leads to general intoxication of the body
• Increases the risk of heart attack and stroke
• Violates the ovulation process in women
• Cripples the female reproductive system
Obviously, champagne is not the most healthy drink and brings a huge number of devastating consequences for a healthy and adult person. But who should not drink sparkling wine at all?
• Women during pregnancy
• Women during lactation
• Children
• People suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
It should be remembered that champagne is an alcoholic drink and should be approached with careful care. With prolonged abuse of sparkling wines, deterioration of memory and vision, damage to organs and systems of organs of the body was noted.
In conclusion, we can say that champagne has useful properties, and by drinking one or two glasses a day, you can only improve your condition. However, before use, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with all contraindications to the drink and take into account possible harm. It is safest to consume champagne, being full and in small quantities.
