Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Place the bottle in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or in an ice bucket with a mixture of ice and water for 20–30 minutes until the wine registers about 6–8°C (43–46°F) on a thermometer. Proper chill preserves lively bubbles and emphasizes fresh apple notes.

Chill the bottle

Fill a flute or tulip glass with cold water and a couple of ice cubes for 1–2 minutes to chill the glass, then discard the water and quickly dry the rim with a clean cloth. A chilled glass will help maintain effervescence.

Prepare glassware

Remove foil and loosen the wire cage while keeping your thumb over the cork. Hold the bottle at a 45° angle away from people and slowly twist the bottle (not the cork) to ease the cork out with a quiet sigh rather than a pop to retain as much carbonation as possible.

Open carefully

Pour a small amount into the glass first and let the initial effervescence settle, then continue to fill the flute about two-thirds full. Aim for a steady thin stream down the side of the glass to preserve bubbles and concentrate aromas like green apple and mineral notes.

Pour properly

Float a single thin apple slice on the surface or hang it on the rim, or add a small lemon twist if you want extra brightness. Serve immediately so the wine can be enjoyed at its liveliest.

Garnish and serve

Start with 750 ml of unoaked, dry Chardonnay that is clean, stable, and free of residual fermentation sugar. Ensure the wine is filtered and sulfited appropriately for a secondary fermentation (consult winemaking references for sulfite levels).

Prepare still Chardonnay

Dissolve 5 g (approximately 1 tsp) of priming sugar in 10–15 ml of warm water and cool. Add this solution to the still Chardonnay bottle to provide fermentable sugar for producing fine bubbles during the secondary fermentation in bottle.

Measure and add priming sugar

Rehydrate a small pinch of champagne yeast according to package instructions and add it to the bottle. Gently roll to mix, avoiding oxygen pickup. Seal with a crown cap or sparkling wine cork appropriate for bottle fermentation.

Add bottle yeast

Store bottles at cellar temperature (15–18°C / 59–64°F) for 2–3 weeks to allow secondary fermentation to generate CO2 and create lively bubbles. Then age for an additional 2–6 months on the lees for subtle mouthfeel improvement, or longer if desired.

Secondary fermentation and aging

For a small home batch, chill the bottle neck in a freezer or ice-salt slurry to collect lees in the neck, then quickly open to disgorge the frozen plug of lees. Top up with a small amount of dry wine or dosage (if any) and re-cork with a suitable sparkling stopper.

Riddling and disgorging (simplified)

Chill the finished bottle as described above, pour into chilled flutes, garnish with a thin apple slice if desired, and serve immediately to showcase clean apple character and lively bubbles.

Chill and serve

This wine is unoaked and dry, showing apple and zesty citrus notes with lively bubbles. Serve chilled (6–8°C) in a flute or tulip glass. Pair with oysters, light seafood, soft cheeses (like chèvre), or apple-forward appetizers. Avoid heavy, oak-driven dishes that will overpower the wine's delicate profile.

Chardonnay base (unoaked Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine)

Champagne-style yeast (if making from still wine)

Sugar for secondary fermentation (priming sugar)

Chilled water (for glass chilling)

Thin apple slice (for garnish)

Lemon twist (optional, to brighten)

Flute or tulip sparkling wine glass

Wine thermometer (optional)

Champagne stopper or cork (if making/aging)

ACHRIMERE 1971 BLANC DE BLANCS CHARDONNAY

Make ACHRIMERE 1971 BLANC DE BLANCS CHARDONNAY Recipe in just 15m. unoaked, dry, apple, lively bubbles.

ACHRIMERE 1971 BLANC DE BLANCS CHARDONNAY

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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