Wine Baby’s Guide to: Champagne
“It’s not technically Champagne unless it’s from the Champagne region in France.”
I think as Wine Babies we’ve all been reprimanded by this phrase at some point in our lives.
But there is a reason that Champagne is so revered and respected. From the iconic clay soils of the region and the painstaking traditional production method, to the versatility of pairing and it’s symbolism of celebration , Champagne is truly set apart.
Let’s do a deep dive into the how and why, so the next time you “pop a bottle”, you can enjoy it just a little bit more.
GROWING CHAMPAGNE
Climate
The Champagne region sits in Northeastern France, and is much further North than most other wine regions. It is one o the coldest wine growing regions in France, but benefits from the warming influence of the Atlantic Ocean and has been gradually getting warmer over time.
This cool climate results in grapes that are soaring in acidity, a necessary component for excellent quality Champagne.
Terroir
The Champagne region is also famous for it’s chalk soils. Chalk retains moisture, keeps the soil warm, and helps to produce grapes rich in Nitrogen. Nitrogen is beneficial for encouraging yeast activity later down the line.
As a soft rock, it is also perfect for carving out underground cellars in which to store the wine. These cellars are both practical and awe-inspiring to visit.
Although the best sites typically sit atop chalk, there are other soils present in the Champagne region as well. Limestone, clay, and marl can be found in varying levels, and are becoming a point of interest as growers and producers begin to experiment more.
Grape Varietals
Due to the climate and terroir, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier have done well here, and serve as the base for all Champagne wines.
The Côte des Blancs is an east-facing chalky slope covered in almost exclusively Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, on the other hand, are better suited to the Montagne de Reims – sunny hills that capture enough heat to ripen the black grapes. Pinot Meunier ripens faster than Pinot Noir, and can also be found along the Vallée de la Marne.
There are a total of 320 villages authorized to produce Champagne, and each has their own distinctive characteristics depending on their blends and slight variations in production. And although the market has been traditionally dominated by big names, small “grower” Champagnes are becoming increasingly popular.
MAKING CHAMPAGNE
Aside from the location, it is the method of wine production that also sets Champagne apart. It was the first place to use what is now referred to as the méthode traditionelle.
Base Wine
First, a base wine is produced. Because black grapes are often used, the juice is pressed from the skins very, very gently. This prevents the colour and tannins of the skins from affecting the juice. It is then fermented dry, and results in a wine high in acidity and low in alcohol (barely 10%).
Variations in the flavour of the wine come primarily from this stage. Grape selection, differences in terroir, weather during the growing season, and blending decisions all come into play.
Secondary Fermentation
Sugar and yeast are then added to the base wine, and it is sealed in bottle with a crown cap for a second round of fermentation. This is the key difference that sets apart the traditional method of making sparkling wine. The tank method, by contrast, involves the second fermentation taking place in large tanks and being bottled after the fact.
Just as in the first fermentation, the yeasts eat the sugars and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. When producing the still base wine, this carbon dioxide is permitted to escape into the air. But because the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle, it becomes trapped inside.
Yeast Autolysis
Once the yeasts have died off, it settles to the bottom and is called “lees”. Over time, the lees break down. This process is called “yeast autolysis” and is what gives Champagne it’s bready, biscuit notes. The strength of these notes in the final wine is determined by how long the winemaker chooses to leave the wine in contact with the lees. The legal minimum is 15 months for “non-vintage” Champagnes, and 36 months for “vintage”. These distinctions will be discussed further below.
Next comes the tricky part: getting those pesky lees out of there.
Riddling and Disgorgement
This process is called “riddling”, and it used to be tediously done by hand, but can now be accomplished using a large computer operated cube formation called a gyropalette. Very slowly, the bottles must be moved from their current horizontal position, to an inverted vertical position, so that the neck of the bottle is facing down. The bottles are only moved in tiny increments at a time, to avoid the lees mixing back in with the wine.
Once the bottles are completely vertical, the necks of the bottles are frozen. This creates a solid plug of lees and ice. When the bottle is suddenly inverted and the crown cap released, the pressure of the trapped carbon dioxide forced the plug out.
Dosage and Resealing
Of course, a small amount of wine will be lost during this process as well, so the final step is to top it back up. This step is called “dosage”. A mixture of still wine and sometimes sugar are added back into the bottle. This step determines how sweet the final Champagne will be, since it was previously fermented dry. Resealing
At least, the bottle is sealed with a mushroom-shaped cork and a wire cage. These are needed in order to safely contain the pressure of the carbon dioxide until you, the consumer, are ready to pop the top.
TASTING CHAMPAGNE
At first glance, all Champagnes can appear to taste the same. Especially if you only ever have one glass on New Years Eve. After all, they are all sparkling, high acid, low alcohol, and light in body. Perhaps the most noticeable differences are in the level of sweetness, as determined by the dosage.
But when you start paying closer attention, you will notice that there is actually a surprising amount of variety to be found. Like we mentioned above, it all comes down to the building blocks of the base wine.
The Grapes
One of the easiest ways to start tuning into these differences is to taste a blanc de blancs, followed by a blanc de noirs.
A blanc de blancs Champagne is made exclusively from white grapes (“white of whites”). These will be lighter in flavour with notes of lemon curd, yellow apple, honeydew melon, honey suckle, and light toast notes.
A blanc de noirs (“white of blacks”), on the other hand, is made using only black grapes. These will have more red fruit aromas like white cherries and red currants. They may also have earthier notes like mushroom and smoke.
Unless one of these terms is stated on the label, it’s likely a blend of white and black grapes.
The Vintage
You could also try a non-vintage Champagne contrasted with a vintage Champagne.
What does that mean? Don’t all wines have a vintage?
Nope. Champagne is one of the rare exceptions where the norm is actually to blend across multiple vintages. This not only ensures consistency of quality and flavour, it also saves producers when they have a bad year. Rather than put out a sub-par product, they can use only the best and save it to blend with another year that was more fruitful.
So when do they choose to make “vintage” Champagnes? Only on the best years, when the conditions are perfect and the yield is high enough. These bottles are rare and delicious, so they will always come with a higher price tag.
Pairing
One of my favourite things about Champagne is it’s versatility.
Many of us only think of Champagne for special occasions, a rare treat. But it actually pairs well with a whole host of everyday foods.
In particular, the high acid pairs well with dishes that are equally high in acid. Combine that acidity with bubbles and now we’ve got the perfect duo for cutting through particularly fatty or greasy foods. Add a pinch of salt and you’re golden!
Champagne and french fries, anyone?
SHOPPING FOR CHAMPAGNE
We’ve already discussed a few terms to look out for: blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs, vintage and non-vintage (NV), but there are several more to look for to help identify your favourites.
Sweetness
Perhaps the most important of these are the terms relating to sweetness, as it makes the biggest difference to taste and personal preference.
The following terms will help you distinguish the sweetness level of that bottle of Champagne in your hand:
- Brut nature or zero dosage – less than 3g/l and no sugar additions of any sort
- Extra brut – bone dry, 0-6g/l
- Brut – dry, less than 12g/l
- Extra – dry, 12-17g/l
- Sec – dryish, 17-32g/l
- Demi-Sec – medium sweet, 32-50g/l
- Doux – sweet, over 50g/l
Quality
You will also want to try to select a bottle that comes from the best location possible. “Grand Cru” sites are the best of the best, with “Premier Cru” sites a close second. For more tips on reading French wine labels, click here.
Bottler Codes
Want to get really picky? You can also keep your eye out for these abbreviations to indicate if the wine was producers by the growers, a co-op, or a larger house.
- NM: negociant-manipulant – champagne house that buys in grapes
- RM: recoltant-manipulant – grower who makes their own wine
- CM: cooperative de manipulation – a co-op
- RC : recoltant-cooperateur – grower selling wine made by a co-op
- MA: margue d’acheteur – buyers own brand
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2 years
Tagged 2018 soplo, garnacha, rafael cambra, Red wine, soplo