Champagne 101: The Grapes of Champagne

“So, what pét-nat offers is a simple, raw and natural version of sparkling wine. Back to basics, and indeed, simple can be very beautiful.”

In this episode, wine expert Deniz Bayram deftly unravels the mystery of food pairings with sparkling wines. Understand the art and science of matching your sparkling wine with what goes on the table, as Deniz gives away some quick wins and at the same times teaches some time-tested principles of food pairings.

And you’ve guessed it. It’s all about mishandling pressurized bottles of sparkling wine resulting with projectile corks flying around like bullets.

Prosecco, the handsome Italian cousin of Champagne, is on the spotlight today as wine expert and storyteller extraordinaire Deniz Bayram tells its story. Meet a Greek philosopher, an Italian poet and other colourful characters in the true tale of this world-famous sparkling wine.

“Hate to burst your bubble, but what if I told you that Champagne wasn’t even invented in Champagne?” History has never been so shocking yet so delicious. In this episode, wine expert Deniz Bayram bursts your bubble with a fascinating history lesson that can put the French at war with the English. Be prepared to … Continue reading "The Story of Champagne"

“In today’s world, we seem to be obsessed with grape varieties. There are tons of names going around and people are either fanatics of some great varieties or they hate their grape varieties.” In this episode, wine expert Deniz Bayram wraps up the Champagne 101 series by saluting to one of the pillars of wine … Continue reading "Champagne 101: The Grapes of Champagne"

“Not all of us have the same taste. Some of us have a bit of a more sweet tooth, some of us do not like any kind of sweetness in our wine, so for this reason, there tends to be a lot of different varieties of sparkling wines that have different amounts of sugar levels…” … Continue reading "Champagne 101: It’s All About the Sugar"

“Though it might sound anything but sexy, it is the process that actually gives the most beautiful and the most sought after flavors, unique flavors of Champagne to the wine.” There is no stopping Deniz Bayram as he picks up from the previous episode on Champagne and sparkling wine production. Here, Deniz solves the mystery … Continue reading "Champagne 101: How is Champagne Made? (Part 2)"

“What we’re really interested in is the process of fermentation because it creates what we call the best stuff in wine, the good stuff that we want which are, of course, alcohol and bubbles.” In this episode, wine expert Deniz Bayram dives into the deep end of the Champagne production. Deniz puts on his geeky … Continue reading "Champagne 101: How is Champagne Made? (Part 1)"

“… if some of these terms sound like gibberish to you, then I can assure you’re listening to the right podcast.” In this inaugural episode, wine expert Deniz Bayram jumpstarts the podcast with a whirlwind tour of the great sparkling wines of the world. Without skipping a beat, Deniz takes the time to lay down … Continue reading "Champagne 101: Not All Bubbles Are Created Equal"