Champagne

In 1668, in the village of Hautvillers the monk turned cellar master, Dom Perignon, is said to have discovered how to make sparkling wine. The technique is used all over the world today, but the region of Champagne continues to make some of the finest.

So what makes wine sparkle? Adding a solution of sugar and yeast to a white wine starts another fermentation in the bottle, which results in the bubbles. Once the yeasts have done their job, on the side of the bottle collects a sediment known as “lees”. Contact with this deposit during maturation gives the wine its characteristic flavours of freshly baked bread, toast and biscuit. Once this sediment is isolated (remuage) and removed (dégorgement), the champagne is topped up with a sugar solution to make it dry or sweet.

Champagne is the most northerly wine region in France and is situated north-east of Paris. There are three main vineyard areas: Côte des Blancs, Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims. Ripeness of the grapes is often a problem, which is one reason why a blend of grape varieties is usually used; the white Chardonnay to give fruit and elegance and two reds, Pinot Noir particularly to give backbone, and Pinot Meunier.

In Champagne there are around 15,000 growers and 290 champagne houses. Traditionally, growers have sold their grapes to the champagne houses which account for 70% of production and 90% of exports. Recently, increasing numbers of growers are making “growers’champagnes” themselves, using their own grapes.

Champagne sales are booming currently, with 320 million bottles produced a year, and the UK is the main export market.

Champagne Glossary

Non-vintage (NV)
Accounts for 80% of the region’s output. Variable in quality.

Vintage
Made exclusively from grapes grown in a single year, this is produced only in the best years and released at about six years of age.

Vintage Champagne
Can age more than a decade.

Luxury Cuvée
Top of the range, this is vintage-dated,such as Dom Pérignon, Louis Roederer Cristal.

Brut
Dry

Demi-Sec
Medium-dry to medium-sweet (or riche).

Grand Marque
Top Champagne house.

RD
“Recently disgorged” prior to shipment.

Blanc de Blancs
Made exclusively from chardonnay grapes.

Classification
Three hundred champagne villages are rated for quality