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Champagne and Sparkling Wine

Table of Contents
  1. From Still to Sparkling Wine in Champagne
  2. Viticulture and Climate in Champagne
  3. The Regions of Champagne
  4. The CIVC and Échelle de Crus
  5. Types of Champagne Producers
  6. The Méthode Champenoise
  7. Styles of Champagne
  8. Still wines of Champagne
  9. Other Traditional Method Sparkling Wines
  10. Other Sparkling Winemaking Methods
  11. Review Quizzes

From Still to Sparkling Wine in Champagne

The techniques of sparkling winemaking did not originate with the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon, nor was the first purposely sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne. Regardless, through centuries of refinement Champagne has become the world’s leading sparkling wine and the vinous embodiment of luxury and celebration.

The méthode Champenoise, a complicated process involving secondary fermentation in the bottle, is at the heart of Champagne’s character and has been adopted by sparkling winemakers worldwide. The term, like “Champagne” itself, is protected by the EU, and may only be applied to sparkling wines produced according to the prescribed method within the Champagne AOP. Wines made in the fashion of Champagne but produced elsewhere may be labeled as traditional method (méthode traditionnelle) or classic method (méthode classique). Some producers, particularly in the US, continue to label their sparkling wines as Champagne, but such wines are banned from the EU.

Dom Pérignon’s lasting contributions to modern Champagne lie in the techniques of assemblage (blending) and viticulture, despite the persistent myth that anoints him as the inventor of sparkling winemaking. As cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers from 1668 until his death in 1715, Pérignon struggled with the problem of natural refermentation. The irrepressibly cold winters of the region created a danger: as the weather cooled off in the autumn and the yeasts became dormant, fermentation would sometimes prematurely stop, and the wines
Comments

  • Matt, I am curious about the requirements for Blanc de Blancs. The Study Guide above states Blanc de Blancs must be 100% Chardonnay grapes. However, the AOC document is not specific, but states only white grapes may be used (which of course should include Pinot Blanc Vrai, Petit Meslier, and Pinot Gris). Do you have an official source stating it must only be Chardonnay? (Jancis Robinson states 100% Chardonnay as well) Thank you!

  • Scott,

    From what I can tell there is the traditional method Blanquette de Limoux, and also a Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale. And don't forget a traditional method Cremant de Limoux, as well. This is my understanding, but could be wrong.

  • Above, Blanquette de Limoux is noted as being made by the traditional method.  Has something changed in the AOP law b/c I have always known it to be made by Methode Ancestrale...and as sort of the birth place of said method.  Thanks.

  • Robert,

    They do seem like contradictory statements, however:

    I do not know when exactly the Contrôle des Structures was enacted (any French lawyers on the board?), but prior to the law firms could own however much land they wanted.  So, it is possible for an NM firm to purchase an older, ailing house with larger holdings, and therefore control a greater number of hectares, but it would not be possible to purchase the vineyards outright currently.  I owe this answer to Stevenson:

    www.wine-pages.com/.../Champagne_2005.pdf

  • "Some NM houses own a significant portion of their own vineyards;"

    "Contrôle des Structures prohibits any firm from farming more than fifteen owned or rented hectares."

    These two passages seem to contradict each other. Can anyone please explain?

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