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For the discerning traveller with an avid interest in food and wine, a French barge cruise through the magnificent Champagne region has got to be among the most highly recommended. Blanketed in famous vineyards and, more often than not, bathed in warm golden light, this region is perfectly suited to exploring from the vantage of a luxury barge. Of course, on your French barge cruise there will be ample opportunity to sample the different sparkling wines for which the region is so well known. Like all wines, tasting Champagne is a veritable feast for all five senses. Sampling these decadent bubbles and learning to distinguish the subtleties of the different flavours and aromas is an art that takes practice. Here are a few tips on how every sense can be called upon to help you appreciate what you are drinking. Hearing That familiar ‘pop’ when the cork comes out is not just your cue to get the glasses out of the cupboard. It is a very important part of a wine’s identity. The cork, when extracted, should come gently and firmly and be released with a faint hiss or breath-like noise. Sight Your eyes are extremely important when it comes to wine. They will take in the colour, the fluidity in the glass and the lightness of the liquid. They will tell your brain what shade of yellow it is, which can range from bright yellow to gold, to straw blonde. Your eyes can tell you about the radiance, the clarity and the all-important limpidity. Your sight also allows you to consider the bubbles and the effervescence, which can be indicators of the age and quality of the vintage. Smell Champagne should not have an overpowering aroma but instead give off a delicate bouquet and a subtle aromatic appeal. Every one develops its own smell in terms of fruity, floral, spicy and woody notes. When you first smell a young one, for example, your nose will be treated to dancing flowery aromas that often lead into a soft orange finish that can be accompanied by a wild berry afternote. It is important to note that aromas change constantly, evolving as they react with the air and swirl around the glass. During a tasting session on your French barge cruise, the person leading the experience may talk about the first and second nose. The ‘first nose’ is what hits you when the wine is first opened; the ‘second nose’ is the scent you get when the wine has had time to adjust, and this is usually much deeper and more complex. Recognising a Champagne through smell alone takes practice. Taste As the liquid enters the mouth, the tongue and the palate are greeted with a plethora of flavour. An experienced tester will be looking for intensity and sharpness as well as richness and completeness. Words used to describe a wine vary, and while commonalities do crop up among the experts, defining it is a very individual practice. People might talk about the palate being round or long, they may allude to a wine having a certain mouthfeel or being lively. Some describe wines using adjectives like musky, fresh, fruity, woody or defined, but it really is up to the individual to decide how they perceive a certain wine to be. Louis Bohre, who was a Champagne ‘explorer’ in the first part of last century said that: “the palate should be surprisingly but pleasantly sparkling, instantly seductive and velvety. The taste should have an underlying fruitiness, with a lingering fragrance that causes you to meditate silently and at length on the wine’s aromatic qualities – long after you put down your glass”. Touch Touching is really important, as the temperature is key to its drinking enjoyment. When in the glass it should feel cool and a slight mist should form inside the glass. Ideally you should stand the bottle in an ice bucket for 30 minutes and serve it at 8-10 ?. If reading about Champagne tasting has whetted your appetite for sampling some world famous bubbles, then book a French barge cruise and you will be inundated with opportunity. Book with a company that specialises in this type of luxury cruise and you can look forward to an experience that you will always remember. Author Plate Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways, the UK's most respected provider of all-inclusive, luxury French barge cruise itineraries, as well as barge holidays in other great destinations. Part of a team of experienced barging aficionados, Paul is first in line to endorse the perks of a slow-paced barge cruise to anyone looking for a unique holiday experience.
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