The ultimate expression of traditional sparkling wine production and emblem of luxury oenology, Champagne has played a key role in wine history, and still today represents an essential purchase for those who desire a refined and prestigious product in their glass. The key to its success? Careful selection of grape blends and an exclusive production method that pays attention to even the smallest detail.
Here's everything you need to know about monsieur Champagne, the French bubble par excellence, from its region of origin to vinification techniques, through to types and pairing recommendations!
A unique region for an iconic sparkling wine: Champagne's production area and grape varieties
If one could choose a single word to represent the essence of this French bubble, exclusivity might be the right one. To display the designation Champagne on the label, this wine must respect numerous rules, primarily being produced only within the eponymous region, delimited by a 1927 law.
With its 34,000 and more hectares of vineyard surface, Champagne is a land profoundly changed by human intervention, which has smoothed some of the territory's typical roughness.
Positioned in the north-east of the country, almost at a limiting latitude for vinification, the Champagne region in France blends oceanic and continental characteristics. The former are responsible for a mild climate, whilst the latter are characterised by harsh winters and hot summers, but also by frequent rainfall and excellent solar exposure, fundamental for the wines' aromatic complexity and for balancing sugar levels and acidity.
Similar variety can be found in the soils, of oceanic origin, which give the vines a mixture of sediments. Primarily limestone, characterised by excellent drainage capacity, followed by chalk, porous and able to store necessary water during dry summers, and finally a good presence of marl.
Champagne, the wine of three grape varieties
Champagne is generally produced from three main varieties, one white-berried and two dark-berried. These are specifically Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which can be worked in different percentages depending on the desired result. Each of the Champagne grapes gives the bubble unique characteristics, typical of the variety:
- Chardonnay: imparts floral and fresh notes, with citrus hints and a mineral note that makes the tasting even more lively. It lends itself well to ageing.
- Pinot Noir: presents more decisive organoleptic characteristics and good structure, thanks to which it gives Champagne enchanting shades of red fruits, typical of the variety.
- Pinot Meunier: whilst Pinot Noir amplifies the wines' structure, Meunier contributes to sensations of softness, enriching the bouquet with irresistible fruity notes.
Although to a much lesser extent, the regulations also permit the presence of other varieties - Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbane - rarer and therefore less utilised.
How is Champagne wine produced?
It's a long, slow and precise process that brings Champagne to the shelves of wine shops and stores, a collection of traditional techniques that in this region - and only here - goes by the name of méthode champenoise. Its conception is traditionally attributed to the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon, who - at the monastery of Hautvillers - improved the vine selection criteria and perfected the sparkling wine method in use, subjecting the sparkling wine to a second fermentation in bottle, still the cornerstone of this process today.
After arrival at the winery, the different grape varieties (but also the different crus, that is the communes of origin) are pressed separately, and the must transferred inside stainless steel tanks, to be subjected to the various phases of the method:
- First fermentation: inside the tanks, selected yeasts are added to the must, responsible for the first alcoholic fermentation. The yeasts feed on the sugars, transforming them into carbon dioxide and alcohol, giving life to the actual wine. Generally different varieties and crus are fermented separately.
- Blending: this phase allows cellar experts to create various vinification styles. This is possible through blending, that is the combination of varieties, crus and vintages, after individual fermentation. Only in this way is it possible to give the product a strong identity. Vintage wines, instead, are sparkling wines that come from a single, particular year.
- Second fermentation: once the first fermentation is complete, bottling Not before 1st January following the harvest, the wine is poured into bottles together with the liqueur de tirage, a mixture of wine, yeasts and sugar that initiates the second fermentation and produces the effervescence typical of sparkling wines, a process called prise de mousse.
- Maturation: following refermentation, Champagne bottles are placed in the cellar to mature on their own yeasts, in the dark and at constant temperature conditions, for at least 15 months for standard Champagnes and 3 years for vintage wines, although generally the timescales are more prolonged.
- Riddling: during cellar rest, bottles are placed in wooden racks, called pupitres, where they remain in an inclined position and are periodically rotated (by hand or with a special machine) so as to deposit the dead yeasts in the bottle neck.
- Disgorging: the dégorgement, or disgorging phase, allows the elimination of yeast deposits that have accumulated near the cork and consists of freezing the bottle neck at about -27°C. Subsequently this "plug" is removed, then topping up the lost liquid with a new mixture, the liqueur d'expédition.
- Dosage: the liqueur d'expédition recipe is a precise choice of the winery, as it contributes to dosage. It is composed of wine and sugar, in percentages that determine the type of Champagne obtained, from the driest to the sweet ones.
After this long and careful procedure, Champagne bottles are corked with the iconic cork with metal cage, subjected to a further rest period and finally placed on the market, where they find space on the tables of the most discerning consumers!
Champagnes compared: colour, dosage and cru
It would be extremely reductive to speak of Champagne in the singular, when in reality this refined bubble presents itself to consumers with countless faces.
Distinctions between various types can be made taking into account different factors, primarily colour:
- Blanc de Blancs: this category includes Champagnes that are produced vinifying only Chardonnay variety in white. For this reason it offers the senses vibrant and citrusy shades, rather delicate, typical of this grape variety.
- Blanc de Noirs: when red varieties are also used for vinification, this type is obtained. To prevent the wine from taking on a red colour, the must is immediately separated from the skins. The choice of grape varieties and their percentage of use obviously impact the style, which welcomes unmistakable shades of red fruits and a decisive structure.
- Rosé: rosé Champagne, fresh, fruity and pleasantly mineral,can be obtained in various ways. One method consists of leaving the must to macerate longer in contact with the skins, so as to obtain a more intense colouration (maceration method). Alternatively, red and white wines can be blended together (blending method).
Another very important distinction - useful for those who must decide whether to purchase an aperitif or after-dinner product - is dosage, that is the percentage of sugar contained in the wine, an aspect decided during topping up through the liqueur d'expédition recipe:
- Brut Nature: the driest type, presents a sugar quantity less than 3g per litre.
- Extra Brut: contains a sugar level less than 6g per litre.
- Brut: one of the most widespread types, characterised by 6-12g of sugar per litre.
- Extra Dry: presents a sugar degree that ranges between **12 and 17g** per litre.
- Sec: contains between 17 and 32g of sugar per litre.
- Demi-Sec: provides a sugar level between 32 and 50g per litre.
- Doux: the sweetest variety, characterised by a high sugar degree, over 50g per litre.
Finally, area of origin and vintage should not be underestimated. The first distinction criterion is defined as Cru and refers to the sparkling wine's vinification from vineyards or production areas of particular historical value, whilst the distinction by vintage takes into account particular production periods, which have given birth to rare or high-quality wines:
- Premier Cru: this designation identifies Champagnes produced exclusively within 44 selected communes within the region. These are labels of excellent quality.
- Grand Cru: Grand Cru Champagnes are defined as those of excellent quality, rarer and more precious, produced only within 17 areas in the entire region.
- Sans année: non-vintage Champagnes are the standard, most widespread and economical ones, produced by blending different vintages Choosing specific vintages over others is a way for winemakers to obtain Champagnes consistent from an organoleptic point of view and characterised by a particular style.
- Millésime: vintage wines are the least widespread and most precious sparkling wines, as they are composed exclusively with grapes from a single vintage, generally characterised by climatic conditions that guaranteed high quality.
Labels and pairings not to be missed!
After completing as comprehensive a journey as possible discovering Champagne production methods and types, all that remains is to move on to tasting, exploring more closely Svinando's best tasting recommendations!
Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs
The best paths are those that start from the basics, which is why tasting the most interesting Champagnes in the Svinando catalogue should start precisely with a Blanc de Blancs, the most widespread category. The selected label - a Champagne Ruinart Blanc de Blancs - appeals to lovers of fresh and refined bubbles, who are looking for an ideal wine to uncork during special occasions.
This Brut owes everything to Chardonnay grapes from various vintages, which - vinified in purity - offer the senses an articulated organoleptic bouquet, but which doesn't renounce the vivacity of this style. On the nose, delicate notes of lemon and grapefruit, white stone fruit and flowers emerge, whilst the palate can enjoy a mature flavour, which blends soft hints of pastry cream and peach with the satisfying and mineral aftertaste of graphite.
Among the best pairings with Champagne Brut Ruinart are especially raw appetisers - from salmon or tuna tartare to swordfish or amberjack carpaccio, up to mackerel ceviche - for an excellent harmony between the citrusy bouquet and the marinade of these preparations!
Champagne Largillier Blanc de Noirs Brut
Considered the most famous dark-berried grape variety in the world, Pinot Noir plays a central role in Champagne production, to which it imparts an enchanting fruity identity. In this bottle of Champagne Largillier Blanc de Noirs Brut, the vignerons' choice is to vinify it in purity, so as to maximise this characteristic.
With its refined golden and luminous colour, this Blanc de Noirs offers an extraordinary tasting experience, thanks to an intense, structured and vibrant aromatic profile. Among the primary aromas stand out those typical of the grape variety, in a balanced mixture of strawberries and redcurrants. With time, notes of flowers and yeast also emerge, whilst the tasting reproduces the fruity identity, balancing it with a tart nuance that refreshes the palate.
It's precisely the red fruit-focused bouquet that directs pairing towards more flavourful dishes, starting from a rich cheese board of aged cheeses, to be enjoyed as an aperitif or after dinner. This bubble also lends itself well to accompanying meat menus, such as beef steaks, roast beef, beef wellington and duck à l'orange, and also represents the best champagne to pair with oriental and spiced food, such as Thai or Indian curry, lightly spiced tofu or flavourful soups.
Champagne Bruno Paillard Rosé Première Cuvée Extra-Brut
The tasting of the best Champagnes from Svinando cannot be considered complete without a glass of rosé, well represented by this Champagne Bruno Paillard Rosé Première Cuvée Extra-Brut. Its first element of charm is obviously the colour, a copper with golden reflections that owes much to Pinot Noir, which is partly vinified in white and partly in red, and subsequently blended, giving life to this little masterpiece. A small part of Chardonnay - in secret percentage - doesn't fail to enliven the whole.
At an organoleptic level it's equally surprising: the olfactory examination reveals scents of redcurrant, wild strawberries, morello cherry and violet, which dictate the stylistic signature of this wine, whilst a touch of freshness is imparted by the lemon nuances donated by Chardonnay's presence. Just a few years of ageing are enough to mature the aromas, making them more full-bodied and profound, with suggestions of black cherry, fig and blackberry. On the palate the red fruits reappear, in a persistent and elegant sip that immediately encourages another taste.
For gastronomic pairings with rosé Champagne one is spoilt for choice: it can be uncorked for after dinner, pairing it with tarts, cakes or fruit pastries, or chosen throughout the meal, with fish tartare and carpaccio, sushi, sashimi or canapés with salmon and a light squeeze of lemon.
Champagne Veuve Clicquot "Rich" Demi-Sec
This guide closes sweetly, bringing to the table a bottle of Champagne Veuve Clicquot "Rich" Demi-Sec, the ideal companion for courses based on fresh fruit and fruit salads, vanilla sweets, fruit pastries, apricot tarts, puff pastry treats and everything that the creative mind of a good pastry chef can produce.
Carefully balancing Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, this product with golden reflections conquers the senses thanks to its aromas of fruit, citrus and flowers. The fine and elegant perlage tickles the nose, whilst the palate welcomes a soft and persistent flavour, with sweet but never invasive nuances.
Another clever way to enjoy it? Using it in mixology, for creating refined sparkling wine-based cocktails!
Do you prefer Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir or Rosé? Discover all Champagne styles in the Svinando catalogue, for a dinner devoted to elegance!