Beginners Guide to Champagne

  Beginners Guide to Champagne Version 1.4 I. What Is Champagne (and what is not champagne) Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne...
Author: Pierce Owen
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Beginners Guide to Champagne Version 1.4 I.

What Is Champagne (and what is not champagne) Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the Champagne wine region in France, using a specific production method called methode champenoise or method classique (traditional method). Nowhere in EU can a wine, if not produced in the Champagne region, be called champagne.

II.

The Champagne Region and Soil Located about 150 km (90 miles) east of Paris, Champagne is among the world's most northern wine regions and France's most northern wine region. The region’s capital is Reims, home to numerous champagne Houses and 30 km (20 miles) south is Epernay, by many considered the true capital of champagne. The region is characterized by chalk rich soil, which gives the extraordinary flavors to champagne wines. The highly regulated champagne wine is produced from the grapes grown in 319 villages called crus that are scaled according to the quality of their grapes. It is assumed that the higher the scaling of the grapes used to produce a champagne, the better – and costly - it will be. Crus are scaled on a scale of 100% to 80% and are grouped as follows: Grands Crus: 100%. 17 villages. Premiers Crus: 99% to 90%. 42 villages. Crus: from 89% to 80%. 260 villages.

III.

History of Champagne By the 16th century the wines – still and mostly red at the time - produced in Champagne were reputed for their quality. However, the cold winter temperatures of this northern location prematurely halted fermentation initiated by the must (grapes’ juice), as part of its process to convert into wine, transforming only partially its sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas (bubbles). As a consequence in the warmth of spring, the bottled half fermented wines would start fermenting again, producing again carbon dioxide. The trapped 1   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.

 

  gas would mingle with the wine, producing a sparkling wine. Nonetheless this was perceived as a wine default that winemaker – mostly monks - were struggling to fight. It is towards the end of the 17th century that the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon who worked successfully to improve the quality of the still wines of Champagne, eventually mastered the second fermentation taking place within the bottle to produce fine sparkling wines. Champagne was invented. By the 18th century, still and sparkling wines from Champagne were produced and commercialized internationally. Until most of the 19th century, champagne was made very sweet to please the consumers’ taste and to cover up flaws in wines of poor quality. However the English, a major market already for champagne, preferred and asked for drier and drier wines: Brut Champagne, today the most common and sold type of champagne, was born. IV.

How Champagne Is Produced Champagne is produced using the methode champenoise or method classique (traditional method) which consists of two fermentations, versus one single fermentation for still wines: one formation takes place in vat, whereby the gas produced is free to escape in the air, and a second one in bottle. It is this second fermentation that gives champagne its fine bubbles. Wines, from different grapes and harvesting years (vintages), are stored in steel vats (rarely in oak barrels) and left to mature. When the time is right they are blended to create the cuvée (the type of blend/wine) and bottled. To this a small amount of sugar and yeasts are added. This produces a second – in bottle – fermentation but this time gas is trapped into the bottle. Over the months (minimum 15, but most of the time 24 to 36 years at least) during which the bottle is left laying flat, the dead yeast that transformed sugar into alcohol and gas break down progressively releasing and producing special aromas into the wine, while the gas mingles with the wine producing the much appreciated bubbles, that become thinner and thinner with the time. When the time is right the bottles are progressively moved into a vertical position – neck down - so that the dead yeasts that lay on the side of the bottles ends in the lead crafted to accumulate such yeasts. The lead is then removed together with the yeast it contains during the degorgement or disgorgement. Immediately the still wine lost in the operation is replaced with some liquer de tirage or d’expédition (expedition liquor), a blend of sugar and old wines that add balance (sweetness or roundness) to the wine. The amount of sugar will impact the type and taste of champagne. The bottle is now closed with a mushroom shaped cork and after a few weeks champagne is ready to be commercialized and drank. 2   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.

 

V.

Champagne Grapes

 

Grapes used to produce champagne must be the white Chardonnay, or the darkskinned red wine grapes Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. In fact, there are several other grape varieties permitted for historical reasons, however they are rare in current usage. Due to the gentle pressing of the grapes the dark-skinned varieties also yield a white wine. Most champagnes are made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Chardonnay The Chardonnay grape gives champagne floral aromas, freshness and elegance, acidity and biscuit flavor. Pinot Noir The Pinot Noir grape gives champagne a red berry aroma body and structure, spiciness and finesse. Pinot Meunier The Pinot Meunier grape brings fruitiness aromas and ripeness to champagne. VI.

Dosage A small amount of sugar, sometimes with old wines, is added to each bottle of champagne after disgorgement to add balance (sweetness or roundness) before the champagne is eventually commercialized. The amount of sugar (grams per liter) defines the sweetness of the champagne, as follows:     Brut Nature (no added sugar)   0–3 g/l   Extra-Brut   0–6 g/l   Brut   0–12 g/l   Extra Dry (Extra Sec)   12–17 g/l   Dry   17–32 g/l   Demi-Sec   32–50 g/l   Doux   50+ g/l The vast majority of the champagnes produced are Brut.

VII.

Types Of Champagne Rosé White “normal” champagne is produced via a gentle squeeze of the grapes, which very much limits the pigmentation of the must produced by the skin’s color of the grapes. Hence in general champagnes, regardless if produced with white or red skinned grapes, are always white (or rather goldish). But if the red skins are left 3   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.

 

  in contact with the must long enough, this will turn pink. This method called saigné (bleed) is however most of the time replaced by adding instead a small amount of still red wine produced in the champagne region to the blend. Vintage-Non Vintage Millesimé or Vintage champagne is made only form grapes harvested a given year, i.e. the vintage. Vintage champagne is usually produced only when the climate of that year has resulted in superior quality of grapes. Some of the best recent vintages in champagne (and that are available for consumption) include 2004, 2002 and 1996 (outstanding vintage). Vintage champagne must be kept sur lattes (bottled in cellars before disgorgement) for at least 36 months but virtually all houses keep them much longer, usually 5-7 years at least. This results in superior champagnes that developed richer and more complex aromas. Prestige Cuvée Cuvées de Presige, or Cuvée Special, is a wine at the top of a House’s range of champagnes. They are produced only with the best grapes available, usually from Grand Crus only, and usually only using Pinot Noir and/or Chardonnay, using the highest production standards. The most famous examples include Moët & Chandon's “Dom Pérignon” and Louis Roederer's “Cristal”, and Cattier’s “Armand de Brignac”. Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Blancs champagnes are made exclusively from white skinned grapes, i.e. Chardonnay, or Pinot Blanc for some rare champagne. These champagnes are light, fruity, creamy and elegant. Blanc de Noir Blanc de Noirs champagnes are made exclusively from black grapes, usually Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Noirs champagnes are rich and full-bodied. VIII.

Serving Champagne Cooling Champagne Champagne is meant be served at a temperature between 6 and 9 degrees Celsius, or 43-48 degrees Fahrenheit. Since low temperature undermine flavor, a lower temperature would “kill” the aromas that would not be perceived. On the contrary, higher temperatures allow the aromas and the gas to expand, leading to larger (gross) bubbles and the chilling pleasure to be lost. Within the right temperature range, the lower range are better suited for younger refreshing champagne that do not have complex aromas to develop, while the higher range is more suited for older champagne whereby a higher temperature would allow to perceive nuisances and complexity. 4   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.

 

  To chill the champagne at the serving temperature, put the bottle in the fridge for about 3 to 4 hours. Alternatively put it in an ice bucket filled with a mix of half water, half ice. The time needed to reach the servicing temperature will obviously depend on the room temperature of the champagne, but you can estimate anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. Adding rock salt to the mix will make chilling faster. Try to avoid chilling your champagne in the freezer: this will kill the aromas and flavors of your champagne. Uncorking Champagne Take the foil off the top of the bottle so that you can remove the wire cage holding the cork. You loosen the cage turning anticlockwise 6 and ½ times. Here you have to options: remove the gage and then the cork, or keep the cage on the cork and remove both simultaneously. The only thing that matter is that during the whole process you always keep your thumb firm on the cork to avoid it accidentally pops up, due to the intense pressure within the bottle. Now hold the bottle firmly by the body. With the other hand firmly hold the neck of the bottle and the cork (the thumb always over it), gently turn the bottle (not the cork) while pulling the cork. Do this until the cork is about to pop. At this stage push the cork back into the bottle while continuing turning the bottle. This will allow a very soft pop deemed more elegant than the abrupt (but celebratory) pop. Keeping the bottle slightly inclined will help to avoid and accidental spilling of champagne as gas will escape more easily. Sabering Champagne This alternative method, more spectacular than useful, as part of the champagne will go wasted in the act. This consists of sliding a saber along the body of the champagne bottle towards the neck. By doing so the blade breaks the glass separating the collar from the neck of the bottle. The cork and collar remain together after separating from the neck. Pouring Champagne When pouring champagne, it’s important not to overfill the glasses. In the flute, the right amount is usually about half and 2/3 of the glass, so that bubbles have enough space to create the foam and therefore, sufficient room to let the aromas be smelled. First, only a small amount should be poured and after waiting a few seconds, the rest can be poured. Doing it this way ensures the frothiness calms down and measures more accurately the level the glass needs to be filled without the champagne flowing out of the glass. Champagne Glasses Using the correct glass allows the wine to express better its aromas and flavors. In the case of champagne, the perfect glass undergoes two additional functions: to facilitate the bubble formation and to avoid fast warming of the wine. The three main options of champagne glasses are the Flute, the Coupe and the Tulip. 5   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.

 

  Champagne Flute: the most used The flute bowl is designed in a manner to help retain the gas in the beverage. Additionally the flute design adds to the aesthetic appeal of champagne, allowing the bubbles to travel further due to the narrow design, giving a far more pleasant visual appeal. Champagne Coupe: the old fashion For centuries and until the late 1960s, the champagne coupe was considered the best choice. Although very aesthetic, today it is not considered to be the ideal glass to drink champagne because bubbles dissipate too quickly due to the large surface area. Champagne Tulip: the new trend The tulip glass permits the drinker to obtain more aroma than a traditional flute, while still avoiding the champagne to lose carbonation due to an excessively big surface area. IX.

Main Champagne Houses For a detailed list of the most renowned champagne Houses, their history and all their champagnes’ tasting notes visit http://www.bestchampagne.co/champagne-houses

X.

Glossary Visit: http://www.bestchampagne.co/champagne-glossary

6   © 2012 BestChampagne.co. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from the publisher.