I think that a lot of people love Champagne but don’t really know what they are talking about when they say the name. Most of the sweet stuff that we pour after dinner is not Champagne, but a cheaper alternative that has nothing to do with Champagne at all. The grapes are different, the region of production is different, and the vinification is different.
When I say Champagne I am talking about the sparkling wines that come from the wine producing region in France called Champagne. These wines are not made with Champagne grapes as some might believe, but are made with two black varieties and 1 white variety. The reds are called Pinot Noir and Pinot Muneir. When a Champagne is made with only black grapes is called Blanc de Noirs. The white variety is Chardonnay and when a Champagne is made with only this varietal the wine is called Blanc de Blancs. There are also blends between red and white varietals and Rose Champagne exist as well.
Another common misconception is that Dom Pierre Perignon was the inventor of Champagne. This is totally false. He did however help to improve the quality of sparkling and still wines by selecting only the best grapes, developing pruning techniques and finding the optimum
conditions for harvesting. He actually tried to STOP the second fermentation that takes place in bottle! This is totally ironic because this second fermentation in the bottle is the basis of the Methode Champenois.( I will discuss this method in the next post.) Good thing he did not succeed.
All Champagne are sparkling wines, but not all sparkling wines are Champagne. Sparkling wine that is produced in Champagne with the Methode Champenois is called Champagne. Other Methode Champenois sparkling wines produced outside of Champagne are called Cremant in France. Examples include Cremant de Loire, Cremant de Burgogne, and Cremat de Alsace. In Italy there is sparkling wine produced with the Methode Champenois and it is called Franciacorta. These wines coincidentally are made with Chardonnay, Pinot Muneir and Pinot Noir. Another famous Methode Champenois wine is from Spain in teh area of Penedes. This sparkling wine is called Cava and is produced with Spanish and French varietals. Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo being the Spanish and Chardonnay of course the French. These wines are cheaper alternatives to to Champagne and can give you a better bang for your buck in some cases. Methode Champenois sparkling wines are also produced in America and Australia.
Next up: What is the Methode Champenois(Champagne Method) and why is Champagne so expensive?
