Watchonista’s Guide to Champagne (a.k.a. the Bubbly Basics)

Before we get started, let’s clear some things up. Should the word “champagne” be capitalized? More importantly, can that word be used interchangeably with “sparkling wine”?

According to the Chicago Manual of Style, yes on both accounts: “The word ‘champagne’ with a lowercase ‘c’ refers to sparkling wine of any kind, a generic use that is widely accepted; ‘Champagne’ with a capital ‘C,’ on the other hand, is a proper noun. It literally refers to a specific region in France known for its sparkling wine or, thanks to industry advocacy, to sparkling wine from that region.”

As we are not so hubristic as to disagree with the Chicago Manual of Style, we will take the view that the word “champagne” can be used generically for any sparkling wine. More importantly, if we accept the general-use term, then that means the history of champagne probably dates back quite a ways. So, let’s get to it.

The first Western reference to sparkling wine dates back to 1531, when a group of Benedictine monks near Carcassonne in southern France (nowhere near the official Champagne terroir, and 100 years before the fabled patron monk of champagne, Saint Vincent, was even born) accidentally bottled wine before fermentation had finished.

The French may not want to admit it, however, despite the Benedictine monks’ happy accident, it was actually an English scientist and physician, Christopher Merret, who first documented that winemakers could achieve a second, bubble-producing fermentation by adding additional sugar to finished wine.
 

This second-fermentation, or “méthode champenoise,” process was largely ignored until the 19^th century. Instead, early sparkling wines made in France used the so-called “méthode rurale,” which produced the desired bubbles by (intentionally) bottling wine well before initial fermentation had finished.

In 1668, Benedictine monk Pierre Pérignon (you may know him as Dom Perignon) became the cellarer at the Abbaye Saint-Pierre d’Hautvillers in Champagne, where he did indeed refine the still potentially disastrous méthode rurale process, legitimizing the concoction with an eye towards quality and experimenting with multiple grape varietals from various vineyards in the mix.

While much of his influence on champagne is creative storytelling, his role as a posthumous celebrity spokesman led to a significant boost in the wine’s popularity and to the establishment of the Champagne region as its spiritual home. And, of course, his name has become synonymous with only the best bubbly, forever sainted on the label of Moët & Chandon’s prestige expression, Dom Pérignon, and has been since 1921.
 

Basically, it took a few hundred years for the drinking elite to accept that a sparkling wine wasn’t a wine with a problem.

Champagne, as we know it – that is to say, a purpose-made white or rosé sparkling wine – began its heyday in the early 19^th century, coincident with the adoption of the méthode champenoise of fermentation, the availability of sturdier bottling stock, and the 1844 invention of the champagne cage, or muselet, to keep the corks from popping out at inopportune mome

The exhaustive, potentially confusing lexicon of champagne may actually compete with the notoriously complex terminology used in horology. When you are focused on creating (or replicating) an exquisite product, whether for the tongue or the wrist, recording processes, methods, and variations is essential. However, once you dive in, it really isn’t that hard to understand.

Blanc de blancs vs. Blanc de noirs: Blanc de blancs champagnes are produced entirely from chardonnay grapes, hence the “white from whites” meaning. Blancs de noirs, on the other hand, are generally made from the pinot noir grape, the pinot meunier, or a blend of the two.

Four other grape varieties – arbane, petit meslier, pinot blanc, and pinot gris – are allowed to be included in champagne production in the strictest interpretation of the regulations, but they are little used.
 

Vintage vs. Non-vintage: Vintage champagnes are bottled in particularly favorable growing years, or so-called “good years,” and are composed of grapes from that year.

As for non-vintage champagne, most feature a majority base of a single year’s growth, and are blended with 10% to 15% of older wines (a much larger percentage is technically allowed, BTW).

Non-vintage champagne constitutes the vast majority of global production—and the designation isn’t necessarily a quality indicator. This type of champagne represents the painstaking skills of expert blenders and generally offers consistent flavor, style, and quality.
 

Prestige Cuvée: While this term can also apply to flat wines, it is commonly associated with some of the champagne world’s “hits.” Furthermore, the term always refers to a blend. Moreover, while it may not strictly adhere to terroir regulations, some houses refer to cuvée blends of recognized “vintage years” as “vintage cuvées.”

Moët & Chandon’s Dom Perignon, Louis Roederer’s Cristal, Krug’s Grande Cuvée, Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle, and many other big-sellers are all prestige cuvées.
 

Brut vs. Extra-dry: With the exception of the rare brut-zero champagnes from small cult producers like Tarlant, a champagne classified as brut or extra-dry depends on the amount of sugar (or additional wine) added to champagne after barreling but before bottling to adjust relative sweetness. There are six different terms used to designate dryness versus sweetness in the champagne lexicon, though brut and extra-dry are the most commonly available.

It might be a bit of a stereotypical French obfuscation that the sweeter version of champagne you’re likely to come across is called “extra-dry.” But if you spot a bottle, do yourself a favor and take it for a spin. The same for bottles labeled dry, demi-sec, or doux (if you can find them).

Many aficionados prefer the sweeter approach, which is, in fact, probably closer to Champagne’s original flavor profile.
 

White vs. Pink: For many years, pink champagne was viewed as an overly feminine novelty. However, do not make the mistake of underestimating the benefits of a little extra skin contact. In fact, some fans will tell you that if you are drinking a quality sparkling rosé, you are often drinking the finest exemplar of the champagne house.

The house of Veuve Clicquot has a long-standing rivalry with some other makers over who was first to the pink parade. Regardless, sparkling rosé is created by two methods. First, the lesser-used saignée method, whereby the juice of darker grapes rests with its original skins for a bit of blush color and fruitier, earthier flavors. And second, the d’assemblage method, which involves makers adding still red wine to a sparkling wine cuvée.