There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the world’s most popular celebratory beverage. The name Champagne is well known, but it isn’t always clear what differentiates this New Year’s sipper from other wines on the shelf. I will attempt to clear the fog here. In very general terms Champagne refers to both a location in France, and a style of wine (sparkling wine). It is important to note that not all sparkling wines may legally claim the term of “Champagne” for their labels. Only those wines produced within Champagne, France and made in the traditional Champagne method (more on this later) may use the term. The name is protected by the European Union. In this post, I will talk a little bit about the region of Champagne as well as the wine itself.
Champagne is located in the north central section of France, just a tad east of the city of Paris. There are five major sub-zones encompassing the vineyards: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, and Côte des Bar. This location on the map pushes grape growing to the limit. On average, the temperature in Champagne only reaches 50° F with frost, rain and hail regularly gracing the land with their presence. It’s the sort of thing that keeps grape growers and winemakers on edge. In the language of wine geeks, we would call this a continental climate. This term tends to describe a region that is land locked (far from the influence of an ocean), and experiences a more harsh climate (can refer to extremes for both summer and winter). In the case of wine grapes, a frigid environment like Champagne makes it difficult to achieve complete ripeness. This means that come harvest time, the grapes are low in sugar and high in acidity. But in the case of sparkling wine production, this is actually ideal.
There are three workhorse grape varieties for Champagne production: Chardonnay (a white grape), Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (red grapes). Champagne may be made from any one of these grapes alone, or from a combination of two or all three. If only Chardonnay is used, the wine is likely to be labeled as Blanc de Blancs. If only the red grapes are used, then it may be labeled Blanc de Noirs.
Champagne is a wine that is process driven, meaning that its character is largely defined by how it is made. Upon completion of harvest, a still base wine is produced. The base wine is not fermented with the skins. This avoids extracting bitterness, and it also ensures that a white wine is produced. (Most red grapes have clear pulp, so if skin contact is avoided, a white wine can still be produced). Since the grapes are barely ripe at harvest, the base wine is lower in alcohol, high in acid and neutral in flavor. No bubbles at this point. In most cases, this is the stage where a winemaker will blend this base wine with other base wines. These other base wines might be made from other grape varieties, come from different vineyards or even come from different vintages. This blending (referred to in French as assemblage) creates the cuvée. The purpose of this is to create a consistent house style from year to year. Many cuvées are indeed a blend of vintages (base wine from every harvest is always kept on reserve), and this may be indicated on the label with either NV (non-vintage) or MV (multi-vintage).
Once the winemaker is satisfied with his/her cuvée it is time to create the bubbles. A mixture of sugar and yeast is added to the complete cuvée; the cuvée is then immediately bottled and capped into the heavy glass bottles we are all familiar with. The sugar and yeast mixture is referred to as liqueur de tirage and it initiates a secondary fermentation (called prise de mousse). This secondary fermentation will create the bubbles as well as boost the alcohol content by a percentage or two. With every fermentation, yeast eats up the sugar and creates alcohol plus carbon dioxide. With normal still wine production, the carbon dioxide is released into the surrounding environment. With sparkling wine production, this secondary fermentation is taking place inside of a sealed bottle. This traps the carbon dioxide and voila, bubbles. The pressure that builds up in this process is tremendous. On average, a Champagne bottle contains 6 atmospheres of pressure or 90 pounds per square inch. This is why the glass for sparkling wine bottles is so much thicker than other bottles and contains an indent or punt on the bottom. So handle with care please.
Once the second fermentation is complete, it is time for the wine to age a bit. Bottles are placed on their sides and will age on the dead yeast cells or lees. Over time, the yeast cells decompose in a process called autolysis. This imparts the doughy and nutty aromas into the wine that you might already be familiar with. Champagne is legally required to age on the lees for a minimum of 12 months. Depending on the pedigree and style of the Champagne, additional aging time is required once the lees has been removed (NV/MV for example must age for an additional 3 months, for a total of 15 months). So then, how the heck do they get that dead yeast out of the bottle???
The process of removing the lees is a bit tedious, but modern technology has mechanized and sped up the process. Traditionally, bottles would be placed into an A-shaped rack or pupitre and turned by hand just a tad each day. This causes the dead yeast to be shaken slightly and moved toward the neck of the bottle. This process is called riddling or remuage. Over a period of several weeks or months, the bottles become nearly completely inverted in the rack, with all of the sediment collected neatly in the neck of the bottle. A machine called a gyropalette can achieve the same results with far more bottles and in much less time. Both methods of riddling are used; it is a matter of preference from the producer. At this point, the sediment can finally be removed.
The necks of the bottles are dipped into an icy brine solution that freezes the sediment, turning it into a solid plug. The bottles are flipped upright and the bottle caps are removed. Those 6 atmospheres of pressure send that plug of sediment flying out. This process is called dégorgement or disgorging. A small amount of wine is lost in this process. Prior to being sealed with the mushroom shaped cork we are all familiar with, the bottle is topped up with a small amount of wine and sugar, which will determine the final sweetness level of the wine. This process is referred to as dosage or liqueur d’expédition. The sugar helps to balance out the high acidity level in the wine. Depending on what the winemaker is trying to achieve, there are various sweetness level options that will be indicated on the label.
- Brut Nature: No sugar added
- Extra Brut: Very dry
- Brut: Dry
- Extra Dry: Off-dry (the name is a misnomer as it is sweeter than Brut)
- Sec: Slightly sweet
- Demi-Sec: Sweet
- Doux: Very sweet
So in a nutshell that is the Traditional or Classic Method for producing Champagne and sparkling wine. I mentioned earlier that the name Champagne is legally protected by the EU. The phrase Méthode Champenoise is also legally protected and may only be used on labels of wines produced in Champagne, France. Any sparkling wines made in this method outside the Champagne region are likely to state Traditional Method or Classic Method on the label. There are alternative methods for producing sparkling wine, but for the sake of keeping this article relevant and concise, I will not discuss those methods here.
There are many different styles of Champagne produced and various terminology that you may encounter on a Champagne label. I have already mentioned MV/NV, Blanc de Blancs and Blanc de Noirs.
- Prestige or tête de cuvée: this will be a producer’s pride-and-joy, top-of-the-line wine. For example, the prestige cuvée for Louis Roederer is Cristal. For Moët & Chandon, it is Dom Pérignon. Prestige cuvées are often vintage wines as well, but they do not have to be.
- Vintage: this is when the base wine is produced from grapes all harvested in a single year. Vintage Champagnes are typically only made in exceptional years. Since the weather in Champagne is harsh and unpredictable, it is possible that only a couple of vintage wines will be produced within a decade. The vintage will be indicated on the bottle. Vintage Champagnes must age for a minimum of 36 months prior to release.
- Rosé: there are a few ways of making rosé Champagne. A small amount of red wine may be blended in, or the base wine may ferment on the skins for a very short period of time in order to extract a small amount of color.
Champagne may also come in a variety of bottle sizes (beyond the standard 750 ml bottle), all named after biblical characters.
- Magnum: equivalent to 2 bottles
- Jeroboam: equivalent to 4 bottles
- Methuselah: equivalent to 8 bottles
- Salmanazar: equivalent to 12 bottles
- Balthazar: equivalent to 16 bottles
- Nebuchadnezzar: equivalent to 20 bottles
- Solomon: equivalent to 24 bottles
Champagne may or may not be the best sparkling wine in the world. That would be subjective. One thing is for sure: Champagne is the benchmark for sparkling wine and has inspired contenders from parts of the globe you might not expect (South Africa, Italy, England, etc.). Either way, there is much to be explored. Champagne is available at a variety of price points, so you don’t need to wait for a celebration to enjoy its delights. Now get popping!
The Wayward Winerd 