All Things Champagne

For a very long time, U.S. labeling laws were quite lax about regulating the use of European place names on American wines. Terms like Chablis, Burgundy and Champagne were commonly implemented, even though the wines described were often nothing like the originals. This oversight has been somewhat corrected, but habits were created, and habits can be hard to break. That is why so many people casually use the term Champagne to refer to any sparkling wine at all. But it’s not! Read on to find out why.

What Does Champagne Taste Like?

Have you ever noticed that Champagne smells like fresh baked bread? This distinct quality occurs because Champagne is made in the Traditional Method (often called the Champagne Method), in which the second fermentation takes place inside a sealed bottle. CO², one of the primary byproducts of fermentation, has nowhere to go and so becomes dissolved in the wine, creating bubbles, and the liquid has more contact with the yeast (aka the “lees”). This subtle nuance differentiates Champagne, giving it a creamy luxurious mouthfeel that provides a delightful counterpoint to its high acidity.

Where Is Champagne Made?

Champagne can only come from the region of the same name in northern France, and it is only made from one or a combination of these three grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

If 100% Chardonnay, the Champagne is a blanc de blancs (white of whites); these can show great elegance and finesse. A blanc de noirs (white of blacks) is white Champagne made from one or both of the red grapes. These are often richer and more full-bodied than blanc de blancs. Rosé Champagne is produced by adding red base wine to white until the desired color is achieved. This occurs before the second fermentation and is one of very few times in the world of winemaking that any type of Rosé is made this way.

The vast majority of a Champagne house’s production is non-vintage, or NV, meaning the base wine (the term used to describe the wine before the second fermentation) is a blend of lots from multiple vintages, principally from the past three years or so. The immense skill of the winemaker is evident in the remarkable consistency these NV versions display from year to year. In exceptionally good years, which may occur a few times a decade, the houses “declare a vintage” and set aside certain lots for the purpose of making a vintage Champagne, with all of the juice coming from that same year. Additionally, producers will utilize the best fruit from the best vineyards for their finest offering. These are called a prestige cuvée or tête de cuvée, and they most often are also a single vintage. A well-known example is Moët & Chandon’s Dom Perignon.

Another key differentiator in Champagne production is aging. By law, NV bottles must age for a minimum of 15 months before release, with at least 12 months resting on the spent yeast cells (the lees) left in the bottle after that second fermentation. This is known as sur lie aging, and many houses exceed that 15-month requirement. For vintage Champagnes, the minimum is three years aging although, once again, most houses exceed that number.

Before bottling, the lees must be removed for the sake of clarity. This is called disgorging, and since a bit of Champagne is lost in the process, the bottle must be topped up with reserve wine, called liqueur d’expédition. The winemaker will add enough sugar (called dosage) to the liqueur to reach the desired level of sweetness for the final product.

Champagne Sweetness Levels

• Brut Nature: 0.3% sugar
• Extra Brut: 0 to 0.6% sugar
• Brut: less than 1.2% sugar
• Extra Dry: 1.2 to 1.7% sugar
• Sec: 1.7 to 3.2% sugar
• Demi-Sec: 3.2 to 5% sugar
• Doux: 5% sugar or more

When to Drink Champagne

Champagne is the gold standard of sparkling wine and the classic for toasting big events, but don’t discount its ability to be a partner in a meal. Champagne, especially as it gets older, pairs perfectly throughout a meal of many courses and flavors. Keep up your Champagne toasts, but also try making this a partner at your dinner table. 

Cheers!
Jeff

Jeffrey M. Cohen, CMS, is the Wine Specialist/Beverage Manager at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at jcohen@cordilleraranch.com and 210.677.9234.