Champagne is undoubtedly the world's best sparkling wine. It can be brilliant, crisp, elegant, refreshing - the
ideal celebration drink. Or mature, toasty and subtle - one to sip with wine- loving friends.
Not every sparkling wine can call itself Champagne. Champagne must come from a strictly defined region about 130 kilometres northeast of Paris, based around the city of Reims. It must be made from three grape varieties, the black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and the white Chardonnay. It has to follow certain rules for the growing of the grapes and the production of the wine. The most important of these is that the bubbles have to be created by the 'méthode champenoise' (Champagne method).
Champagne starts its life as still wine. Early in the year following the harvest, the still wines are blended to make the cuvée, usually a mix of wines from different grapes, different vineyards within the Champagne region and, for non-vintage Champagnes, different vintages. This blend is put into a champagne bottle, with some yeast and sugar syrup, and stoppered with a crown cap (like on a beer bottle). The bottles are taken down to the cellar, where they stay for at least one year. During this time, the sugar ferments inside the bottle, making about half a per cent more alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The gas has nowhere to go, so dissolves into the wine. Voilà, bubbles! The rest of the process involves getting the yeasty sediment up by the crown cap by shaking the bottle gently and lifting it until it is up-ended. Then the sediment is frozen and the frozen plug of wine is removed before topping up the bottle and adjusting the sweetness, and, finally, putting in the cork and securing it with wire.
Rosé Champagne is almost always made by adding a little still red wine to the blend before the Champagne process begins. Vintage Champagne is the product of a single vintage. 'Blanc de blancs' is Champagne made only from white Chardonnay grapes. 'Brut' means dry; 'demi-sec' is sweeter.
