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Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Table of Contents
  1. From Still to Sparkling Wine in Champagne
  2. Viticulture and Climate in Champagne
  3. The Regions of Champagne
  4. The CIVC and Échelle de Crus
  5. Types of Champagne Producers
  6. The Méthode Champenoise
  7. Styles of Champagne
  8. Still wines of Champagne
  9. Other Traditional Method Sparkling Wines
  10. Other Sparkling Winemaking Methods
  11. Review Quizzes

From Still to Sparkling Wine in Champagne

The techniques of sparkling winemaking did not originate with the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon, nor was the first purposely sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne. Regardless, through centuries of refinement Champagne has become the world’s leading sparkling wine and the vinous embodiment of luxury and celebration.

The méthode Champenoise, a complicated process involving secondary fermentation in the bottle, is at the heart of Champagne’s character and has been adopted by sparkling winemakers worldwide. The term, like “Champagne” itself, is protected by the EU, and may only be applied to sparkling wines produced according to the prescribed method within the Champagne AOP. Wines made in the fashion of Champagne but produced elsewhere may be labeled as traditional method (méthode traditionnelle) or classic method (méthode classique). Some producers, particularly in the US, continue to label their sparkling wines as Champagne, but such wines are banned from the EU.

Dom Pérignon’s lasting contributions to modern Champagne lie in the techniques of assemblage (blending) and viticulture, despite the persistent myth that anoints him as the inventor of sparkling winemaking. As cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers from 1668 until his death in 1715, Pérignon struggled with the problem of natural refermentation. The irrepressibly cold winters of the region created a danger: as the weather cooled off in the autumn and the yeasts became dormant, fermentation would sometimes prematurely stop, and the wines
Comments

  • Any clarification on brut nature wines still being allowed to have up to 3G RS, but not permitted to be from dosage? Would this be from liquer de tirage not fully fermenting to bone dryness during secondary then? I've always assumed base wines are always bone dry even in "ripest" years.

  • Have come across a term that I don't understand the point of:  'Proprietaire-recoltant.' Obviously, this is a small grower, but why the "owner" tag? What is this producer doing, exactly? Are they growing the grapes, then paying someone else to make their wine under their own label? I'll keep looking for the answer, but figure someone here knows what this is about.

  • other publications are wrong :)

    But don't take my word for it; check out the link to the original INAO file on our Champagne AOP compendium page, and find out for yourself!

  • Matt, it states the minimum of 12 mos. is required for sur-lee aging yet I have read in other publications and had other instructors in master classes state that for non-vintage, the minimum aging is 15 mos.  Could you clarify this for me?

  • In my WSET advanced manual  Asti is described as a different  method than the cuve close /charmat.

      'This method is different from the other methods used in making sparking wine as it does not involve the production of a still dry wine.The must is stored at close to freezing point until it is needed. When it is required the must is warmed and the fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks.CO2 is allowed to escape until the alcohol reaches 6 per cent. At this point the CO2 is retained. The ferment continues until the alcohol has reached 7-7.5% about and the pressure is close to 5 atmospheres.  '

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