Buying Champagne

Champagne is often seen as the height of luxury around the world. A good quality champagne can cost up into the thousands of dollars. With so many different varieties and brands of champagne on today’s market, it can be hard to know what you are looking for. This article should help you know what ot look for when buying champagne.

Champagne originates in the French region of Champagne, and only champagne that originates from here can truly be called champagne. Although, many countries around the world create their own versions but are under other names, most usually ‘sparkling wine’. These can often be very similar, as they use the same grapes and the same methods, but due to copyright, they may not call them ‘champagne’ unless they are from Champagne. So if you are after a true Champagne, it is important to check the label to see where it originates from.

When purchasing champagne, you can choose to purchase a French champagne (which are usually the most expensive, but best quality), or there are other great ones that are made in California, England, and New York State to name a few. Prices for champagne can vary from just a few dollars up into the thousands. The most expensive aren’t always the best though, and it really is a matter of personal opinion and taste.

It is much easier to choose a champagne if you know something about the different grape varieties and some of the terminology used to describe champagne.

To be champagne, generally it needs to consist of chardonnay and/or pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes. Most champagnes are a combination of the two in varying percentages.

Blanc de Blanc champagne is made from 100% chardonnay grapes. One of the most expensive and most luxurious blanc de blanc champagnes is by the Salon Champagne house whose grapes originate from a single Grand Cru vineyard in Le Mesnil-sur-oger, a town in the Champagne region.

Blanc de noir champagne is made entirely of either pinot noir or pinot meunier grapes, and sometimes a mix of the two. The French Bollinger champagne house is best known for it’s fantastic blanc de noir champagnes and many other champagne houses have tried to emulate their champagnes.

Another type of champagne is rose champagne. These are generally pink in color, and are produced by leaving the clear juice of the black grapes to macerate on its skins, or by adding a small amount of pinot noir red wine to the champagne during blending.

For the highest quality and most prestigious champagne, always look for the words ‘Prestige Cuvee’ on a champagne bottles label. These are generally the champagne houses top quality champagnes, and the most expensive. Some of the most famous and best quality are: Louis Roederer’s Cristal; Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siecle; and Moet and Chandon’s Dom Perignon. Dom Perignon was the original prestige cuvee and was launched in 1936.

When buying champagne you should be aware of the difference in vintage and non-vintage champagnes. The majority of champagnes on the market are non-vintage, however the more exquisite and expensive champagnes are vintage. Non-vintage champagne is created from a blend of grapes from different vintages. The majority of the champagne is from a single vintage, but up to 15% of different vintages are added to it. Vintage champagne is produced from a minimum of 85% of wine from a particular vintage year. Vintage champagnes are generally of a higher quality and subsequently are more expensive.

One of the most important aspects to think about when buying champagne is to decide what level of sweetness you want. By understanding some of the key terminology for describing champagne you can ensure you buy the right champagne to suit your taste.

Brut Natural or Brut zero refers to champagne that has less than 3 grams of sugar per liter making it very crisp and dry. Extra Brut contains less than 6 grams of sugar per liter.

The most popular form of champagne is Brut champagne. These have less than 15 grams of sugar per liter and are a good choice if you are unsure which champagne to buy or are purchasing as a gift.

Extra sec or Extra dry are champagnes that have 12-20 grams of sugar per liter. Sec champagne has 17-35 grams of sugar per liter; demi-sec has 33-50 grams of sugar per liter. The sweetest champagne of them all is called Doux - which contains over 50 grams of sugar per liter. These champagnes are generally drunken as a dessert champagne.

If you are still unsure when buying champagne, the best thing to do is speak to an expert. Many specialty wine stores have experts on hand to help you choose the right champagne for you.