There are few wine regions that have a more interesting “founding” story than that of Champagne. While there is a great deal of evidence to indicate that the story of the sparkling wine of Champagne being invented by Dom Pérignon, a monk at the Abbey of Hautvillers, is not true, the idea that he was responsible does persist to this day. Legend holds that Dom Pérignon discovered a bottle of wine in which a second fermentation had taken place which had produced carbon dioxide and cried out to his fellow monks, “come quick Brothers, I am drinking the stars!” While we know that this was not what happened, it does much to illustrate the certain “Hollywood” quality unique to Champagne.
So how exactly is Champagne made? Well, first the grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) are picked by hand. This is necessary because you want to avoid breaking any grapes so that there is no contact between the grape skins and the grape juice. This is important because color in a wine comes from skin contact and as 2 of the 3 grapes for Champagne are red - but the final color of the wine desired is more often than not white - you don’t want to encourage anything that will promote skin contact and color extraction.
Once picked, the grapes are pressed in whole bunches, again to prevent as much skin contact as possible. The wine is then fermented with the goal of producing a wine that has high acidity, moderate alcohol and a fairly neutral aroma and flavor. Different vineyards and different grapes are fermented separately and then blended together. The blending step is considered to be one of the most important, as you are not only blending together wines that have just been fermented, but also wines from other vintages. The goal is to create a base wine that will produce a sparkling wine that reflects the house style. For some houses, this can mean blending together as many as 300 different wines to create the final base wine!
After the final base wine is created, a process known as Assemblage, then the Liqueur de triage, a blend of sugar syrup and yeast, is added to the wine. The wine is then bottled and stored horizontally at a cool temperature while the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle. The secondary fermentation that occurs adds not only carbon dioxide (bubbles), but will also add a bit of alcohol and complex flavors and aromatics to the wine. Once the secondary fermentation has finished, the wine will then go through a process called remuage, or riddling. During remuage, bottles will be slowly and gently tilted and turned so that they move eventually from a horizontal to a vertical position with the neck of the bottle pointing to the floor. This will allow the sediment that has been created as a result of the secondary fermentation to collect in the neck of the bottle.
Once the riddling has been completed, the sediment then has to be removed from the bottled. During the disgorgement process, the neck of the bottle is dipped into a freezing solution and then the cap removed. The sediment, which has frozen into a small “ice cube” of sorts, is pressed out by the pressure of the CO2. The final step before the wine is sealed with a mushroom shaped cork, is for the Liqueur d’expédition to be added to the wine. The Liqueur d’expédition, or the dosage, is an addition of wine and sugar that is added to Champagne to adjust the sweetness level.
Personally, I have always found these labels a bit confusing. Why isn’t “Extra Dry” drier than Brut? Instead, Extra Dry, while still on the dry side, can have a little bit of sweetness to it. If you want to compare Champagne sweetness levels for yourself, simply try the two from my list – the Taittinger Brut and the Moet & Chandon White Star. The Taittinger is a Brut Champagne while the White Star is an example of the Extra Dry style.
The sparkling wines of the Champagne region are truly in a unique class all their own. While so many people tend to think of Champagne as the “go-to” wine for celebrations and New Year’s, there is so much more to appreciate about this region and the wines it produces. Champagne, while it does have bubbles, is still a wine, and a very food-friendly one at that. You might be surprised at the idea, but next time you are having sushi or a fish dish, consider opening a bottle of Champagne. Or even try it with BBQ – you might find yourself pleasantly surprised at the combination.
And furthermore, next time you find yourself in Paris, I recommend thinking about a day trip out to the Champagne region. There are any number of producers to visit and the city of Rheims is well-worth exploring. But check the times and tours before you go – making up your own translation to a tour of Champagne caves can be amusing, but you’ll definitely be missing out on some key information that will help you appreciate this wine!