Snap, Crackle and Pop!

Saturday was spent conducting tastings on sparkling water.

Sparkling water preference varies from country to country, with Germans drinking it almost exclusively and the UK consuming, on average, a 2:1 ratio of still to sparkling, certainly in the on-trade.

It is not perverse, however, to incorporate sparkling waters into our tasting schedule, even if it does mean that we are effectively doubling the number of wines and therefore the length of time required to commit to 'Minerals & Terroir'.

The fact is that people drink sparkling waters alongside wine also, so is it always the case that a low level of carbonation is preferable, or are there other factors involved?

I have decided to opt for ten different sparkling waters, with a variety of factors as for still waters i.e. TDS, origin, alkalinity. We have the added dimension of carbonation - something that is rightly categorised by Michael Mascha in his book 'Fine Waters' as:

• Effervescent e.g. Badoit
• Light e.g. Hildon, Malmberg
• Classic e.g. San Pellegrino
• Bold e.g. Perrier

The carbonation certainly varies, from 1 to 6 (of 10), but the subtleties of the water remain recognisable, as with the still waters. The carbonation does add another element of texture and mouthfeel - and the naturally sparkling waters promise to be very interesting, as they are generally high in minerals and offer a 'taste'.

 

I think that the combination of sparkling waters with wines promises to be very interesting, both with delicate whites and bold reds.

Once again, you can see from the myriad of lines swirling across the page, there is a great variety in the organoleptic experience that different sparkling waters offer. 

Next time - our first wine & water tasting!