Welcome to our sparkling wine world
In Slovenia, we have a nice word for sparkling wine: penina. The French protected the name champagne, which originates from the name of the French province of Champagne, the cradle of champagne, where Pierre Perignon, a monastery cellar and a monk, was supposed to produce the first champagne in the 17th century.
The name of slovenian sparkling wine – penina can be traced back to the Bleiweis Novice - News as early as 1853, which read: " Šampanjsko ali peneče vino – penina - je dandanašnji gospodi najbolj ljubo in milo. Ni prave veselice ali slovesnosti, kjer se penina ne peni." Which translates roughly to : "Champagne or sparkling wine is the most popular gentlemen drink today. There is no real joy or ceremony where sparkling wine does not foam."
Indeed, for two centuries, champagne was the drink of kings, nobles, and wealthy merchants and landowners. In all European courts it was a status symbol and an indispensable partner of glamor. Champagne was also named royal wine because of the significant breakage of bottles and therefore only small quantities were produced, which resulted in it being very expensive.
Today, sparkling wine is accessible to everyone and is the wine of all those who are of a joyful spirit and have a sense for its sparkling beauty. Therefore, sparkling wine can be drunk at all times, it can be an aperitif, especially dry. It is also suitable for an afternoon chat in a cafe, as a dessert or at a garden party. It is increasingly recognized as a wine that can accompany a multy course menu , ie lunch or dinner. Its true place, of course, is at ceremonies when we want to highlight a special moment in the family or in a public place.
The sparkling wine is served chilled, best when the wine has a temperature of 6 to 8 ° C ( 42 to 46 °F). As a rule, we use tall and narrow glasses with thin walls so that the bubbles are as thin as possible and travel as long as possible.
