How to Choose Your Champagne: 4 Things to Pay Attention to When Choosing a Great Wine


Champagne

A bottle of bubbly can make a celebration memorable. It’s refreshing to sip a sparkling wine or pair it perfectly with the right foods and desserts. But the task of buying a bottle can be intimidating. It is challenging because of the price, prestige, production methods, labeling jargon, regional differences, etc.

Not every sparkling wine you see is Champagne. Thankfully, you don’t need to worry about finding the best Champagne for your party anymore. You can get Jeroboam Wines on millesima.co.uk. Choose creamy, dry, or lean and pair it with the right foods.

Champagne is a sparkling wine that the region of Champagne in France produces. Other options are Prosecco, Cava, Cremant, or other sparkling wines produced by other grape-growing regions around the world, such as Argentina, the USA, Australia, Chile, and South Africa, to name a few.

This article will help you identify and choose a great wine.

1.      The Range of Sweetness

Different Champagnes have different sweetness levels. But this sugar gives it sweetness, bubbles, and alcohol. The sweetness that Champagne has is different from what is in wine because of how it’s produced.

The sweetened dosage that winemakers add at the end of the second fermentation phase in Methode Champenoise determines the sweetness of Champagne. It’s thus an important stage because high acidity can make the wine undrinkable. Therefore the majority of Champagne has a Brut level of sweetness.

2.      Vintage or Non-Vintage

How long a Champagne is aged is an important factor, but it’s least talked about. Best wine producers age their wine on tirage (on the lees) for nearly 5-7 years. During your research, you must have heard words like Vintage or Non-vintage (NV) champagne.

Unlike what is popularly known, vintage doesn’t mean old when it comes to Champagne. It simply means grapes from a single year were used to produce your bottle of bubbles. On the other hand, non-vintage implies a blend of harvests made this wine.

Champagnes with a Vintage label are pricier. Producers create such wines during special years when they have really good harvests. The non-vintage selections are widely available and at a lower price. The style is fruitier and less bready compared to their vintage ones.

3.      Pairing and Serving

Champagne is definitely more costly than other sparkling wines. It denotes luxury and celebration. When shopping for Champagne, focus on the sweetness and style that fits your occasion. Brut Nature (Brut Zero) and Extra Brut wines are perfect for washed rid cheeses with jam and crackers. Brut Champagne pairs well with grilled fish or rotisserie chicken because of its richer texture and level of crispness.

Brut rose will go well with brunch dishes such as smoked fish or eggs. For your fruity desserts or cheese, opt for sweet Champagne so that you can match their sweetness. It’s best to serve your ice-cold Champagne in flutes or white wine glasses to admire the bubbles and capture the aroma.

4.      Producers

Champagne winemakers use a technique known as the methode champenoise. This method is only used in the Champagne region because its producers protect it. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the main grapes used to make Champagne. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, and arbane are rarely used, although they’re allowed in the blend.

Your Champagne might have specific terms on its label, such as:

Blanc de noirs: Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier are some of the lack-skinned grapes used to make this white Champagne.

Blanc de Blancs: Chardonnay or white grapes were used to make this white Champagne.

Rose: Winemakers blend the red wine into a white wine base to make the pink Champagne.

Additionally, you can find the name of the Champagnes winemaker on the label of your bottle. There are three types of producers, namely:

Maisons: These are big champagne houses that source their grapes across the Champagne region. They include Bollinger, Clicquot, Moet, Perrier, Veuve, etc. Other label terms linked to Maisons include:

  • Negociant Manipulant (NM) refers to producers who source all their grapes or most of them from other growers.
  • Marque d’Acheteur (MA), or Buyer’s Own Brand, refers to a large restaurant or retailer that source finished wine and sell it under their private label.
  • Negociant Distributeur (ND) refers to sellers who neither grow nor produce wine, but they label and distribute it.

Cooperatives: Certain villages in the Champagne region have cooperatives. Nicolas Feuillatte is one of the largest cooperatives in that region.

  • Cooperative Manipulant (CM) is a cooperative for the growers that come together, pool their resources and produce a single brand of wine.

Vignerons: A single person or family can grow their own grapes and make their own wine. Some of the popular labels are:

  • Recoltant Manipulant (RM) refers to a grower/producer who makes wine from over 95% of their estate fruit.
  • Societe de Recoltants (SR) refers to a group of growers who pool resources and collectively market their own wine brands.
  • Recoltant Cooperateur (RC) refers to a grower/producer who makes their Champagne brand at a cooperative facility.

Conclusion

Champagne is a sparkling wine that many people are fans of because of the quality of its taste. There are many factors to consider when choosing your wine. The article has highlighted just 4 of them. So pick the best style and pair it with the perfect meal.


Purity Muriuki
I'm a passionate full-time blogger. I love writing about startups, technology, health, lifestyle, fitness, electronics, social media marketing and much more. Continue reading my articles for more insight.

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