Created and distributed by Sauvage, Comsi Comsa Apple Sparkling Wine, is an all natural, gluten-free and kosher sparkling wine. Not having ever heard of or seen another, I simply had to get my hands on a bottle of Comi Comsa, French for “Like This, Like That.” This is the little story of how I absolutely fell in love with this 100% apples champagne.
Well, let’s start with what you’re probably thinking, which was what was going on in my mind before I tried it…how does one make apple champagne taste as good as the traditional thing?
As you probably already know, Champagne is made with three grapes, two red (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and one white (Chardonnay). These grapes are fermented in the bottle to produce the fun little Co2 bubbles we love so much. Yeasts eat up grape sugars and some resulting sediment is made that settles on the bottom of the bottle-except it doesn’t! Champagne bottles are kept upside down making the sediment go to the neck of the bottle. The winemaker will eventually pop this cap (the sediment deposit) and bottle the wine under pressure to preserve as much of the Co2 mousse as possible.
So when I chanced on this bottle, I was immediately drawn to the story behind its production. Why would they even?Turns out, they pay as much attention to the winemaking process as you would expect traditional Champagne makers too. Bit of a bummer, to be honest, I was so skeptical, I wanted to write about how we should stick to good old grapes.
Just like Old World (European wine regions e.s.p France), the apples come from a little town in upstate New York called Oneota. The climate there is cold in the Winter and moderately sunny during Summer months. Oneota is perfect for apples, as Champagne is perfect for Chardonnay.
In the distillery, the fermentation process and techniques stay as close to Champagne as possible, so much as to use the same strain of yeast as Champagne. Careful to keep everyone in mind, Comsi Comsa Sparkling is made Kosher and gluten-free.
Note: Winemakers are picky with the yeast strains because of quality predictability and a strain’s ability to withstand high alcohol levels. When all this done and dusted, the wine is bottled fresh and crisp.
At the table, Comsi Comsa Apple Sparkling is vibrant in its youthful green tinge, aromatic with a fruity punch on the nose chased with hints of citrus and stone fruit. It goes on to stay as vibrant as its promise with a healthy mousse, sharp acidity, and excellent balance. The finish is long and promising.
I had a great time sipping on this easy drinking wine, something you too can take home and pair with literally anything from Netflix nibbles to sweeter desserts.
Comsi Comsa Sparkling
Color: Amber
Texture: Semi-Sweet
Region: New York
Alcohol Content: 12%
Still or Sparkling: Sparkling Wines
For more information, head over to www.drinksauvage.com.