Imfihlo Ebangela Amagwebu

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EFRANCE

EMHLABENI WONKE, IWAYINI I-CHAMPAGNE lihambisana nomkhosi nokugujwa kokuthile. Ngempela, ukuhlohlozela namagwebu alesi siphuzo kuwuphawu lwezenzakalo eziningi ezijabulisayo.

Abaningi bathi nguDom Pérignon owasungula i-champagne. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi, wasebenza ngempela ekuthuthukiseni izinga layo. Le ndela yesigaba sikaBenedict yayinakekela inqolobane yewayini eHautvillers Abbey (enkabeni yesifunda saseChampagne, eFrance) kusukela ngo-1668 kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwayo ngo-1715. Abanye bathi uDom Pérignon nguye owasungula amasu amaningi asasetshenziswa nanamuhla ekwenzeni i-champagne.

Abokuqala ababa magange ngewayini elihlohlozayo kwakungabaseBrithani, kodwa ngekhulu le-18, isigodlo saseFrance sasithola lesi siphuzo esiphambili. Kodwa phawula ukuthi ukuze libizwe ngokuthi i-champagne ngempela, iwayini kumelwe likhiqizwe eChampagne, eFrance. Ngisho namagilebhisi awathathwa kwenye indawo ngaphandle kwale!

Inhlabathi yaseChampagne engaphansi iyakhumuzela kuze kufike emamitheni ayikhulu ukushona phansi futhi imbozwe ingxenye encane yenhlabathi egugulekile.a Lesi sici esingavamile senza kuhlale kuswakeme, futhi ebusuku le nhlabathi idedela ukushisa ekuthole emini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimpande zezivini zishona phansi ebangeni elingaphezu kwamamitha ayishumi, zenza kube lula ukumunca amaminerali abalulekile ekwenzeni iwayini libe elekhethelo.

Nakuba indawo okuthiwa iChampagne ingaba ngamahektare angu-35-000, izivini zihlanganisa cishe amahektare angu-28 000. Izivini zitshalwa engxenyeni engaphezulu yamagquma ukuze zivimbele imiphumela emibi yesithwathwa, njengaleso esaba khona ngo-1985 esaba ngu-30° C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa. Kutshalwa izinhlobo ezintathu zamagilebhisi: i-Pinot Meunier ne-Pinot Noir, okungamagilebhisi amnyama kanye ne-Chardonnay, okungamagilebhisi amhlophe.b

Iwayini Elingenamagwebu

Amagilebhisi asekhiwe afakwa ngokushesha ezikhamweni zewayini ezinkulu nezingajulile ukuze isiphuzo singabi nombala wezikhumba zamagilebhisi. Ukukhanywa kokuqala kwamathani amane amagilebhisi kukhipha amalitha angu-2 050 esiphuzo okwenziwa ngaso amawayini aphambili kuphela. Ukukhama okubili okulandelayo kukhipha amalitha angu-410 kanye namalitha angu-205 ngokulandelana esiphuzo esisezingeni eliphansi. Ngemva kwalokho, noma yini etholakele isuke ingaseyona i-champagne ngempela.

Amasonto ambalwa isibiliso senza umsebenzi waso ngokuthula emiphongolweni ye-oki noma yensimbi. Ngokudla ushukela osesiphuzweni, izilokazane ezincane zikhiqiza utshwala nesikhutha. Ukubiliswa kokuqala kuyefana nokwanoma yiliphi iwayini. Umphumela wale nqubo kuba iwayini elingenamagwebu (elingahlohlozeli). Manje sekuyisikhathi sokushintsha leli wayini elimnandi lenziwe isiphuzo esihlohlozelayo.

Izinga likashukela laleli wayini elingenamagwebu liyakalwa futhi lenziwe cishe amagremu angu-25 ngelitha ngokwenezela utshwala obenziwe ngoshukela womoba oncibilikiswe ewayinini elidala. Iwayini eliphuma lapho libe selifakwa emabhodleleni, avalwa ngesivalo sesikhashana. Abekwa ashaye uklele ezinqolobaneni zewayini ezinezinga elingu-10° C. izinyangana ezimbalwa. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi isibiliso sidla ushukela futhi kancane kancane siqale ukubila okwesibili. Ngokuphinde zidle ushukela, izilokazane ezincane zikhiqiza isikhutha. Kodwa manje ngeke sisaphuma, njengoba senzile emiphongolweni. Kunalokho, sivaleleke ngaphakathi ebhodleleni, kancane kancane senyusa izinga lomfutho womoya osezingeni lolwandle cishe izikhathi eziphindwe kasithupha. Lapho livulwa, kuphuma amalitha amahlanu noma ayisithupha egesi, okubangela ukuhlohlozela okudumile kanye negwebu elikhulu.

Ukuze amelane nomfutho onjalo, amabhodlela kufanele aqine, futhi avalwe kahle. Esikhathini esidlule lokhu kwakubangela ubunzima obukhulu kubakhiqizi. Ngokwesibonelo, encwadini yakhe ethi The Story of Wine, uHugh Johnson ulandisa ukuthi ngasekupheleni kwekhulu le-19, “kwakuwubuwula obukhulu ukungena enqolobaneni yewayini, ikakhulukazi entwasahlobo, ngaphandle kwesivikela-buso sensimbi sokuvikela ubuso bakho ezingcezwini zamabhodlela ezindizayo.”

Kodwa i-champagne yethu ayikalungi kahle. Inzika yamangqamuzana esibiliso afile nosawoti wamaminerali kufanele ikhishwe ukuze ingadungi iwayini. Lona umsebenzi ovamile wama-remueur, noma abaphenduli bamabhodlela. Nsuku zonke ama-remueur aphendula amabhodlela elokhu ewatshekisa, intamo ibheke phansi, kancane kancane. Ezinye izisebenzi zingaphendula amabhodlela angu-10 000 ngehora! Kodwa kuma-champagne avamile, lo msebenzi sewenziwa ngomshini.

Ukuqedela

Ekugcineni inzika igcwala entanyeni yebhodlela. Isuswa ngenqubo ebizwa ngokuthi i-dégorgement (ukukhipha). Lapho ibhodlela lisabhekiswe phansi, intamo yalo icwiliswa engxubeni yamanzi anosawoti engu-27°C. ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa. Ibhodlela libe selivulwa ngokushesha. Umfutho ongaphakathi ukhipha inzika eyiqhwa. Ukuze kubuyiselwe umthamo olahlekile, kwenezelwa obunye utshwala obunoshukela. Ukuthi bunoshukela ongakanani yikho okunquma ukuthi iwayini lizobaba, lizoba kahle noma lizoba noshukela, ukuze livumelane nentando yomthengi. Manje ekugcineni amabhodlela asengavalwa ngezivalo zikakhokho ezikhethekile kancane kancane ezizomisa okwekhowe—olunye lwezimpawu ze-champagne.

Kodwa isivalo sikakhokho kufanele sihlale siqine endaweni yaso. Ukuzama ukusebenzisa indophi ekuqaleni akuzange kuphumelele, ngoba yayibola ezinqolobaneni zewayini ezinomswakama. Lapho kuphinda kuzanywa kwasetshenziswa ucingo, kodwa lwalugqwala bese lusika ukhokho. Ekugcineni, kwasetshenziswa enye inqubo: Kwabekwa isivalo sensimbi phezu kukakhokho, futhi kokubili kwagcinwa kusendaweni yako ngocingo olusontiwe. Sekuyiminyaka engaba ngu-150 amabhodlela evalwa ngale ndlela. Ekugcineni, kwenezelwa iphepha elicwebezelayo elizongqengqa phezulu kanye nelebula elihlobisa ibhodlela.

Isiphuzo Esifiselekayo

Izindawo eziningi ezenza iwayini ziye zafuna ukukhiqiza amawayini anegwebu ngokufanayo. Kodwa ngisho noma kungaze kusetshenziswe izinqubo ezifanayo, umkhiqizo ubizwa ngokuthi iwayini elinamagwebu—hhayi i-champagne—ngoba igama elithi champagne linemibandela. Muva nje, lapho umklami wezimfashini waseFrance ekhulula amakha abizwa ngokuthi iChampagne, wayiswa enkantolo. Kwenzeka okufanayo kumlisa oyiNgisi owayedayisa isiphuzo esibizwa ngokuthi i-Elderflower Champagne, eyenziwe ngama-elder flower, esemabhodleleni afana nawe-champagne.

Njengezimboni eziningi, imboni ye-champagne iye yabhekana nezinhlekele ezingokomnotho. Ngemva kwenani lomkhiqizo eliyingqopha-mlando ngo-1989—amabhodlela ayizigidi ezingu-249—izinga lokudayisa lehla, kwasala inqwaba. Namuhla, abakhiqizi bewayini balikhiqiza ngokusesilinganisweni ukuze balondoloze izinga eliphezulu.

Uma ingekho ekukhanyeni futhi izohlala ezingeni lokushisa elifanayo, i-champagne ingagcinwa iminyaka embalwa, kodwa isuke isihlale isikhathi eside kakade kumkhiqizi. Ngakho-ke i-champagne ingase iphuzwe ngokushesha lapho isanda kuthengwa. Kufanele iphuzwe kanjani? I-champagne kufanele iqandiswe ngezinga elingu-6-9°C.—ukufaka ibhodlela ebhakedeni lamanzi elinamaqhezu eqhwa kuyindlela enhle yokufeza lokhu—bese ithelwa ezingilazini eziwumbhojozi ukuze ibonise amagwebu lapho ekhuphuka.

Ngakho uma uthola ithuba lokuphuza lesi siphuzo esimnandi, cabanga ngokunakekelwa kwaso okuqhubekayo lapho sisenziwa, futhi ujabulele izigidi zamagwebu esiye sazama ukwembula imfihlo yawo.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

I-“Chardonnay”

I-“Pinot Noir”

I-“Pinot Meunier”

[Imithombo]

Photo DUBOIS - Collection C.I.V.C.

Photo collection C.I.V.C.

[Izithombe ekhasini 15]

1 Amagilebhisi akhiwa kahle ngesandla akhanywe emishinini yokukhama amagilebhisi

2 Amasonto ambalwa isibiliso siyasebenza emiphongolweni ye-oki

3 Amabhodlela agcinwa ezinhlakeni ukuze abile okwesibili

4 Enqubweni ebizwa ngokuthi i-“dégorgement,” inzika ikhishwa ngomfutho ebhodleleni

[Imithombo]

Photo M. HETIER - Collection C.I.V.C.

Photo collection C.I.V.C.