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Champagne
Champagne
region
Geography, weather, main
cities, local interests, etc
Champagne
wine making
Soil, wine production, grapes used in
Champagne,
process to make Champagne,
other types of Champagne,
other wines in Champagne
Champagne
history
/
wine classification
History
of the Champagne wine region, classification of wine in Champagne
Champagne is one of the most well known wines in the world. Champagne is definitely a festive wine.
The champagne region spreads in the North East of France, around the cities of Reims and Epernay.
There are basically 3 different areas in the Champagne wine region:
- Montagne de Reims
- Côte des Blancs
- Marne Valley
Champagne region is located East of Paris, along the Marne, Vesle and Aisne rivers. The wine region starts 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Paris, around the city of Meaux and stretches along the Marne river to the city of Epernay.
Champagne spreads on 3 districts: Marne, Aube and Aisne. The heartland of the Champagne region is Marne which can be separated into 3 areas: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne and Cote des Blancs.
Weather is quite special in Champagne. Winter is cool, summer and fall are sunny. The average temperature in the region is around 11 to 12 C (52 to 53.5 F). Champagne is the most up north wine region in France. Sparkling wine usually come from areas where grapes don't have enough sun to ripe according to other wine standards.
The soil is chalky which is what is needed for Champagne wine
Champagne wine, as we know it today, was created by a monk called Dom Perignon during the 17th century. He managed to understand the typical fermentation, mix the grape varieties, invent the cork and add sugar which dissolve the carbonic gas in the wine.
Summer and fall are quite sunny. The grapes in Champagne benefit from a lot of light. The soil made of chalk reflects the sunlight into the the grapes.
The chalky soil is ideal for Champagne wine. It absorbs water during winter and gives it back to the vine's roots during summer. The other way around, it absorbs heat during summer to give it back during winter.
The soil of Champagne is very famous for the cellars winemakers have built. They are about 200 kilometers of cellars dig in the chalk soil. They use these cellars to store the bottles at the perfect temperature and humidity level.
Winemakers use 3 types of grape to produce Champagne. Chardonnay is a white grape. Chardonnay is the typical grape used in great Burgundy white wines. Pinot Noir is a red grape traditionally used in Burgundy to make their famous red wines. Pinot Meunier is a red grape mostly used in Champagne. Pinot Meunier gives a less delicate wine and is mostly used to make second grade Champagne.
- Chardonnay provides freshness and elegance
- Pinot Meunier brings fruitiness and aromas
- Pinot Noir gives body and structure
The three main areas in Champagne are:
- Montagne de Reims: south of Reims city, where the best Pinot Noir grow
- Cote des Blancs: south of Epernay city, where the best Chardonnay grow
- Vallée de la Marne: west of Epernay city, where the best Pinot Meunier grow
It is one of the main reason why winemakers blend grapes from these 3 different terroirs to come up with the best grape juices.
Other types of Champagne: Blanc de blancs, Blanc de noir and rosé Champagne
Some winemakers keep the tradition of making traditional wines in Champagne.
The first wine was made in Champagne about 2,000 years ago.
Champagne was already famous in the middle-age. But it was not the same wine we use to drink these days. At that time, wine was red or white not sparkling, quite similar to wine from Burgundy.
People used barrels to ship their wines. They noticed that the next Spring season following the harvest, the wine tended to foam. It was not good for business.
The first Champagne was made in the 17th century. A monk called Dom Perignon was the first to understand the process of Champagne fermentation and to elaborate the process. He managed to mix red and white grapes from different villages and therefore perfected the way winemakers at that time used to produce sparkling wine.
Nowadays, Champagne is a festive wine.
But a few traditional wines from Champagne are still available.
Champagne wine making - Champagne process - Other types of Champagne
Wine Classification in Champagne:
Many winemakers in the world use Champagne to brand their sparkling wines. However there is of course only one real Champagne wine.
In the European Union, only wines coming from the Champagne region can wear the name Champagne on the label.
In the area, 300 established wineries, known as "crus", produce Champagne.
There are basically two different kinds of Champagne.
Vintage: the bottle of Champagne wears a vintage year on the label. However they are not made every year but only when the wine is good enough. They are the best Champagne specially Tête de Cuvée or Premium vintage such as the most famous Dom Perignon.
Non-vintage: they make more than 80 percent of all Champagne bottles. Winemakers mix different harvests from different places. They mature in cellar for 2 to 3 years before going into the market. They should stay in your cellar for one to two years before drinking them.
There are 3 AOC (wine grade classification) in the region:
- Champagne
- Coteaux Champenois (traditional red wine)
- Rosé des Riceys (one of the best french rosé)
About Champagne
A Champagne bottle should mature in a cellar for one to two years.
Vintage bottles - the ones wearing a vintage year on their label - can mature longer. Champagne winemakers use to mature them from 3 to 8 years.
It is not recommended to leave in a refrigerator for more than 3 days a bottle already opened, even with a teaspoon inside.
The best vintage years are 1990, 1989, 1985 and specially 1982.
There are several different kinds of Champagne according to your taste:
- Doux (means sweet), 4% and more of sugar
- Demi-sec (fairly sweet), 2.5 to 5% of sugar
- Sec (sweet/dry), 1.75 to 2.5% of sugar
- Extra sec (medium dry), 1.5 to 2% of sugar
- Brut (dry), 0.5 to 1.5% of sugar, the most common Champagne these days
- Extra brut (very dry), 0 to 0.5% of sugarWine in Champagne region was famous even before the first Champagne as we know it today was made.
Nowadays, beside Champagne, winemakers still produce a few traditional wines.
Rosé des Riceys is a rosé and was one of the favorite wine of King Louis the XIV. It is one of the best rosés in the country. Winemakers use Pinot Noir. Rosé des Riceys should be drunk young.
Wine from Coteaux Champenois are usually red but there are some white and a few rosés. The most famous is the red wine from Bouzy. There, winemakers use traditional ways to work the vines and produce their wines. There are the only one in France to work the same way that people did 5 or 10 centuries ago. Red wines are Pinot Noir and should be drunk young. Typical aromas are raspberry, black currant and vanilla.
Other regions: Alsace - Burgundy - Bordeaux - Loire - Provence - Cote Du Rhone - Languedoc - South West - Corsica