Champagne!

My favorite style of wine is Champagne. I love the bubbles, the high acidity, and it pairs wonderfully with cheese. Champagne tends to be lower in alcohol but the bubbles help the alcohol rush to your head. I must admit that I also enjoy Champagne because it makes me feel fancy.

All Champagnes are sparkling wines but not all Sparkling wines are Champagnes. Champagne refers to the Champagne region of France. In the United States, producers can use the term champagne under certain circumstances. Champagne is produced when bottled wine undergoes a second fermentation. Champagne is primarily made from Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier grapes.

Christopher Merret, an English scientist, documented the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation six years before Dom Perignon entered the Abbey of Hautvillers. Dom Perignon did not invent Champagne but he did develop many advances in its production. In 1662, Merret presented a paper to the Royal Society detailing what is now called the méthode champenoise. Champagne did not use this method for the next 200 years.

Vineyards in Champagne have a rating system and Grand Cru is at the top of the list followed by Premier Cru. Within Champagne, there are many varieties. The cuvée de prestige is a proprietary blend which is considered to be the top of a producer’s range. Blanc de noirs is a white wine made from black grapes. Blanc de Blanc is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes. Rose is produced by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate or Pinot noir is added. When you see NV on the label it refers to non-vintage. This means the grapes come from multiple vintages. If a Champagne is vintage, the grapes come from one place and time. Champagne is also labeled according to sweetness. The breakdown is:

Brut Natural or Brut Zéro has less than 3 grams of sugar per liter
Extra Brut has less than 6 grams of sugar per liter
Brut has less than 15 grams of sugar per liter
Extra Sec or Extra Dry has 12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter
Sec has 17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter
Demi-sec has 33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter
Doux has more than 50 grams of sugar per liter

Champagne has been associated with luxury and power. Champagne first became know because it was used to anoint French Kings. Much marketing and advertising has led us to believe that Champagne is reserved for special occasions. I think Champagne can make a special occasion out of anything. It’s Tuesday and I didn’t crash the car, I’ll drink Champagne to that! I never need a reason to enjoy Champagne. But some occasions call for Champagne. What would New Year’s Eve be without a bottle of bubbly?

Champagne will pair with almost anything. Champagne is often paired with double and triple crème cheeses as the high acidity and all those bubbles do a great job of cutting through the richness of these high fat cheeses. Champagne pairs well with goat cheeses like Chevre, Garrotxa, Midnight moon, and Goat Gouda. Champagne can also pair well with Tetilla, Irish Vintage Cheddar, and Aussie Jack.