Champagne
Champagne - everyone’s favorite bubbly! I'm sure many of you have heard this before, but it is true that in order for sparkling wine to be labeled "Champagne," it must come from the Champagne region of France. Everything else falls under a number of sparkline wine categories like Cava, Prosecco, Sekt, and so on.
Champagne AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) is the lone appellation in the Champagne region of France; this is not a common occurrence as many wine regions in France contain numerous AOCs. But not many regions produce something quite as special as Champagne! The Champagne region, however, is divided into five sub-regions, and further divided into 320 villages, each with varying levels of classifications from Cru, to Premier Cru, to Grand Cru. These classifications are in part used to help us determine what the "better quality" wines are, with Grand Cru being the "best" (and likely most expensive), but also designate which wines fall under the strictest regulations. Out of the 320 villages, only 17 fall under the Grand Cru classification.
Champagne is typically made from the juices of at least one of three grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Sparkling wines made entirely from white grapes (Chardonnay in most cases) are labeled Blanc de Blanc; wines made entirely from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Meunier) come with the label Blanc de Noir (a white wine made from black grapes); and then there's rosé, which can contain a blend of white and black grapes. In this case, Pinot Noir might be fermented on the skins to extract the red color, and a touch of the resulting wine added to the white base wine to create the pretty pink color of a rosé.
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Champagne is known for its bright, delicious aromas and flavors of citrus, apple, and flowers, as well as cream, brioche/toast, and nuts. It’s also known and admired for its delicate and tiny bubbles that are indicative of a grand celebration. These flavors and textures are developed through a meticulous winemaking process called the Traditional Method, or Méthode champenoise. The Traditional Method goes something like this (takes deep breath):
In this process, secondary fermentation (this is what gives the wine its signature bubbles) is done within the same bottle you purchase at the store, rather than in a fermentation tank. Yeast and sugar are added to a still wine (called the “cuvee”) within the bottle (this step is called “Tirage”); the bottle is then capped with a crown cap and stacked on its side in a cellar to complete the fermentation process. The yeast eats the sugar in the bottle and produces alcohol and CO2 as byproducts. The CO2 has nowhere to escape, and thus creates bubbles within the liquid. After a few weeks, the yeast cells die and settle in the bottle and the wine is allowed to age on these dead yeast cells (called lees) for a minimum of 15 months. Aging on the lees gives Champagne those rounded toasty bread notes we love. Once aging is complete, the lees will be extracted from the bottle by riddling and disgorging (riddling, simply put, is where the bottles are placed on a rack upside down, at an angle to allow the yeast to settle into the neck of the bottle and disgorging is the process of freezing the neck of the bottle, popping the crown cap and allowing the frozen lees to burst out of the bottle). The final step is “dosage,” in which a mixture of sugar and wine is added back into the bottle to achieve the desired level of sweetness and also refill the bottle from what escaped during disgorging. Finally, the bottle is corked and labeled and ready to be loved and celebrated.
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There are seven levels of sweetness in Champagne, starting with no detectable sugar to a smidge of detectable sugar (Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut), smidge to noticeable sugar (Extra Dry and Dry) and up to just plain sweet (Demi Sec and Doux). So there is a Champagne for everyone’s style!
Champagne is great to drink on its own, but also pairs amazingly well with foods we love to celebrate with. Champagne’s high acidity pairs well with high fat/fried foods like potato chips and fried chicken. Its citrusy, zesty flavors go great with briny seafood, like fresh oysters. Champagne also pairs wonderfully with fruit and desserts (have you ever had strawberry & champagne cake?? OMG). It's just best to stay away from bitter foods, like dark chocolate or brussels sprouts, and super acidic foods like tomatoes (there's plenty of acid in the wine already). The varying levels of sweetness in different styles of Champagne allow you to pair your food with the right Champagne for the occasion.
Of course, this special beverage comes with a price tag that may be out of reach some. Expect to pay at least $40 for a bottle of true Champagne, but prices can easily jump into the hundreds for the fancy stuff. One reason many people save their bottles for special occasions. Of course, if you do get your hands on a bottle of this bubbly, just remember, the best Champagnes are best enjoyed with friends.
Cheers!
