Champagne Wine Region

An Introduction to Champagne

Everyone in this world is aware of this party drink – Champagne. However, some people say Champagne and sparkling wines are same whereas others say it is different from other sparkling wines.

The question whether Champagne is different from sparkling wines is widely asked by people all across the globe more often. The answer is a simple yes.

Champagne, which is the sparkling wine type, is coming from the Champagne wine region of France.

This historic French province forms the northeast part of the country.

Champagne from the Champagne Region

More Champagne at the buttom of this article …

Champagne production

The production of Champagne requires the producer to follow strict guidelines in terms of the following things:

Secondary fermentation
Vineyard practices
Sourcing of wine grapes
Pressing regimes

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Although the term Champagne is being used as generic for sparkling wines, it is often illegal to label the sparkling wines as Champagne in many countries.

The product can be labelled as Champagne if and only if it is coming from the France’s Champagne wine region and has been produced following the regulations quoted under the appellation system of France.

Grape Varieties used in the Champagne Making

In general, three varieties are being used as the primary grapes in Champagne making. They are:

Pinot noir (red)
Pinot Meunier (red)
Chardonnay (white)

Of these, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier have dark skins and are attributed to the length, as well as the backbone of these wines.

Apart from these major varieties, four more varieties are permissible to be used in the Champagne production, according to the current appellation system (updated in the year 2010). They are:

Arbane
Petit Meslier
Pinot blanc
Pinot gris

Champagne Production Method

The traditional method which is employed in the Champagne making is termed as Méthode Champenois.

In this method, after the completion of the first fermentation (including bottling), the wine will be subjected to another fermentation in the bottle itself.

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This fermentation inside the bottle will be initiated by the addition of yeast and rock sugar. It is to be noted that Champagne would take a minimum of 18 months to develop its flavour completely.

Champagne Types:

Prestige cuvee: This is a blended type of Champagne and is considered to be the top-of-the-range. Few examples of this type are:

Louis Roederer’s Cristal
Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle
Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon
Duval-Leroy’s Cuvée Femme
Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill

Blanc de noirs: This is the white wine that is being produced using black grapes.

Blanc de blancs: This is the white wine that is being produced from white grapes. Most commonly, this type of Champagne is produced by using Chardonnay grapes alone. However, in some occasions, Pinot blanc will also be employed.

Pink Champagne: This low-cost version of Champagne with sweet taste was produced during the 1950s and 1960s. The production of pink Champagne has been discontinued now.

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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