How to choice a Champagne?
For me the most important thing is the sweetness of the Champagne. There are different ways to descirbe the sweetness of the bottled Champagne Wine:- Extra Brut (less then 6 grams of sugar per litre)
- Brut (less then 12 grams of sugar per litre)
- Extra Dry (between 12 and 17 grams of sugar per litre)
- Sec (between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per litre)
- Demi-Sec (between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per litre)
- Doux (50grams of surgar per litre)
More than 90% of Champagne wines are categorized as Brut now in the market. Although in 19th century Champagne was generally much sweeter than it is today.
Then it came with Cuvee. There are 4 standard ranges for that:
- Le brut "non-millesime" (Not Vintage), usually blended from wines of different years and from different crus(growth).
- Millesime (Vintage Champagne), is made exclusively from the wines of a single exceptional harvest when the quality jusitifies the declaration of a vintage.
- Rose Champagne, has more color and body than regular Champagne.
- Special cuvee,Champagne whether vintage or non-vintage, is always blended from wines of particular delicacy.
Different Champagne Bottles
A picture worth more than anything.
How to Recognize real Champagne?
- Name of the producer or company name, followed by the name of the commune where that producer is registered and the country of origin (France)
- The registration and code number issued by the CIVI, precede by two initials that indicate the category of producer
- Batch code
- Allergen content
- The Green Dot symbol indicating that the collection and sorting of packaging waste is financed by producers and retailers
- Where appropriate, the vintage and specific details relating to the type of cuvee
Of course these are just really basic stuff, but it is enough for you to buy a good bottle of Champagne. Get a tulip glass, and cool your Champagne to 48F, and enjoy it.
This is an awesome breakdown of how to look at Champagne, thanks Gin! Our trip to Reims was really fun and it's awesome to say that we've been to the region where true champagne comes from. I'll have to reference this list next time I'm looking to enjoy some champagne.
ReplyDeleteI always try to know about the things I love :) I am glad that you found this interesting! I think it is also extremely important to know about little things like this, especially if you like Champagne.
DeleteI was raised in a household with very strict rules when it came to drinking. By that I don't mean that my parents monitored my actions so much, but that my mother made it very clear that ours was a home of dry red wine and brut champagne, and sometimes brut rose. I've come to share my mother's favorite, Veuve Clicquot, and sweet champagne now just reminds me of sparkling grape juice. I've also had a few interesting debates on the pros and cons of the various kinds of champagne classes. I do miss the reliability of wine and champagne in France, but my time there did make me wonder if I should broaden my champagne horizons. Thanks for the information, Gin!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your personally experience! I guess it's might be a culture thing, my family never worried about me drinking even though technically you can drink at any age in China. I am glad that you found this is useful!
DeleteThanks for sharing your personally experience! I guess it's might be a culture thing, my family never worried about me drinking even though technically you can drink at any age in China. I am glad that you found this is useful!
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