Champagne Wine Region:
Getting Started
November 22, 2012 Blog » Learn About Wine » Champagne Wine Region:
Getting Started
Articles, Champagne, France, Intermediate, Wine Regions 4
“Champagne and Biscuits” by Alfons Mucha (1901)
Why We Drink Champagne
Champagne. The thing we drink when celebrating…but why? And where
does Champagne come from?
Champagne established itself during the Belle Époque, an era of peace and
prosperity in France from 1890 till World War I. During this time, the new
rich prowled Paris looking for entertainment. It was when the Moulin Rouge
was in its prime.
Party Drink Artists in the early 1900’s, like Alfons Mucha and Toulouse-
Lautrec, were hired by Champagne houses to depict the wine as a
celebratory beverage. This New Year’s Eve, 90 million bottles of sparkling
wine will be opened in the US.
So where does all this Champagne come from?
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Where Champagne is From
Drive Northeast from Paris about 90 miles and you’ll be in the epicenter of
Champagne. Vineyards are everywhere. The local cities of Epernay and
Reims are home to the major Champagne producers such as Mumm and
Moet Chandon.
82,000 acres of vineyards produce an average of a million bottles of
Champagne a day.
How Many Regions in Champagne?
There are 5 Regions with 17 growing areas.
Montagne de Reims
Mostly Pinot Noir, many tête de cuvée wines from major Champagne
houses come from here.
Côte des Blancs
Mostly Chardonnay. Chalk-based soils produce wine with higher acidity.
Wines are elegant and racey.
Vallée de la Marne
Mostly Pinot Meunier, a grape known for its fruity and unctuous flavors.
Côte des
Sézanne
Mostly Chardonnay with soils of both chalk and marl. Wines are aromatic
with less acidity than Côte des Blancs.
The
Aube
(aka Côte des Bar) Mostly Pinot Noir in marl soils, aromatic wines with less
acidity
Examples of
styles of Cha
Vintage, Vin
Cuvée, Blanc
Blanc de No
What ar
Differen
Champa
Styles?
No
Traditional. The most traditional of all Champagne styles. Non-vintage
Champagne is a blend of multiple varieties and vintages of wine. The goal
is to blend a consistent wine every year. Minimum aging is 1.5 years.
Traditional. There have been 46 years denoted as vintage years in the last
60 years. Vintage Champagnes are aged a minimum of 3 years prior to
release.
Traditional. This is the tête de cuvée or “Grande Cuvee” of a Champagne
house–the very best wine a house produces.
Non-traditional. A Champagne made completely of white grapes like
Chardonnay.
Non-traditional. A Champagne made completely with black grapes, such as
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Traditional. Typically a blend of white and red wine to create a pink wine
prior to secondary fermentation. The Saignée Method is also practiced.
What D
Brut is the le
Brut has a lo
out what you
Brut Zero 0-3 g/l RS
0-6 g/l RS
Brut
0-12 g/l RS
Extra Dry
12-17 g/l RS
Dry
17-32 g/l RS
Demi-Sec
32-50 g/l RS
Doux
50+ g/l RS
e must) that is added after the 2nd fermentation is finished. Most Champagnes contain
