Tomorrow is Cup Day. Like all days of excitement and celebration in Australia, food and wine are a big part of the day. One of the most commonly consumed drinks on Cup Day whether you be at a friend’s barbie, or at Flemington itself, is champagne and sparkling wine. So, before you hoe in, let me share a few facts about this drink, to help you choose wisely….
Champagne is produced using a process of fermentation which traps bubbles of carbon dioxide in the wine. So, yes, it’s true, the bubbles of champagne do cause the actual alcohol in the drink to be absorbed by your blood stream at a faster rate. This is a good reason to sip more slowly. Have you noticed that a champagne flute is smaller than a glass of wine? There’s a good reason for this: to help you to drink less so you get less tipsy. Now it’s your responsibility to ensure that you don’t have too many glasses.
I’d also recommend drinking ‘Champagne’ as opposed to sparkling wine. Practice ‘quality over quantity’. You’re much less likely to skull glasses of Mumm or Bollinger when you’re paying more than $100 per bottle than you will a $5 beer. Savour the intricate flavours, taste the notes, enjoy the bubbles, but savour instead of skull. It will benefit your health, and your head the next day.