Wines of the region : Champagne

Distinguishing different types of Champagne

The non-vintage Champagne is assembled from grapes harversted in different year. This wine can only be called vintage Champagne if it is assembled from grapes harvested in the same year. This wine has to age for at least 3 years unlike 15 months for non-vintage Champagne.

Grand Cru and Premier Cru Champagne.
  • Only 17 regions can own the distinction Grand Cru (Ambonnay, Avize, Ay, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Bouzy, Chouilly, Burning, Louvois, Mailly-Champagne, Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Oiry, Puisieulx, Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay and Verzy)
  • 44 regions can own the distinction Premier Cru (Venay, Bergères-les-Vertus, Bezannes, Billy le Grand, Bisseuil, Chamery, Champillon, Chigny Rose, Chouilly, Coligny, Cormontreuil, Coulommes the Mountain, Cook, Cumières, Dizy, Stumbling block, Etrechy, Grauves, Hautvillers, Jouy Reims, Mesneus, Ludes, Mareuil on A ÿ, Montbray, Mutigny, Pargny Reims, Pierry, Rilly the Mountain, Sacy, Sermiers, Taissy, Tauxières, Tours-sur-Marne, Trépail, Three Wells, Vaudemanges, Virtues, Villedommange, Villeneuve Renneville, Villers Allerand, Villers in Knots, Villers Marmery, Voipreux and Vrigny).

Adding sugar or dosage to qualify certain varieties of Champagne.

Lets look at natural Champagne Brut, or Zero dosage Champagne where the sugar content is less than 3 grams per liter because no sugar was added after the foam (a method of fermentation in bottle which allows the formation of bubbles for sparkling wine).
  • For Extra-Brut Champagne, the content in sugar is between 0 and 6 grams per litre.
  • For Brut Champagne the content in sugar is lower than 15 grams per litre.
  • For Extra-dry Champagne the sugar content is between 12 and 17 grams per litre. For Dry Champagne the sugar content is between 17 and 32 grams per litre.
  • For Medium-dry Champagne the sugar content is between 32 and 50 grams per liter

The association of colours characterises Champagne

The white colour in white wines consists of white grapes, such as Chardonnay wine. A flowery, delicately fine and fresh tasting wine.
White wine produced from black grapes are wines composed of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. A type of wine so rare yet powerful.
Pink champagne however has red wine, the grape must is allowed to remain in controlled contact with white pulp and the skin of black coloured grapes; Macerated Pink champagne ("Rosé de saignée") is rather precarious because it needs a good dose of dexterity so that tannins contained in the skin of grapes do not color the juice too much. Every house its valued or prestigious vintage wines with pride, a reflection of their exclusive, rare and refined worth.

Coteaux Champenois

The Coteaux Champenois are still wines produced in small quantities from the same appellation as Champagne. It produces a well known rosé wine with an AOC accreditation called the "Rosé des Riceys"

Ratafia

Ratafia is elaborated from must (unfermented grape juice extracted after compression) and brandy liquid sediment ("baked" with solid elements of grape) of Champagne. It has a sweet taste and when served cold will delightfully awaken your taste buds.