Champagne Terms & Styles

t's New Year's Eve, and you are obsessing on what kind of Champagne to buy. No need to worry, as Champagne is one of the most famous wines types in the world; it is one of the simplest to buy. We will get you started here with some Champagne basics.

Champagne Basics

Champagne is a sparkling white wine that is produced in the Champagne region of Northeast France. These wines have a legendary history, as over many hundreds of years Champagne has been part of so many cultural events and historical traditions.

Champagne Grapes & Flavor

Champagnes are typically made with a blend of 3 grapes; the Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. You may be surprised to learn that two of the grapes of Champagne are black (Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier). Interestingly, the production process quickly strips out the color which is mainly held in the outer skins. Thereby, the end result is the light and clear sparkling color. Rosé or pink champagne is made by allowing the skins of the black grapes to impart a small amount of color and then removing them, or by adding still red wine to the finished product.

The key to the flavor of good Champagne is that it does not taste obviously fruity. Instead it should mingle with the flavor of fruit, biscuits, fresh bread, nuts, or even chocolate. To get this flavor Champagne grapes are generally picked earlier in the season, when the acidic levels are higher and sugar levels are lower.

Non-vintage

A non-vintage bottle includes a blend of grapes from several vintages. Most Champagnes are non-vintage, which are classified as "house style". A key fact is that this style has a very consistent taste. This means that once you find a non-vintage to your liking, you should be able to buy it anytime, anywhere, and it will always be as you expect. These wines are made for immediate consumption and few will benefit from further ageing.

Vintage

You will pay extra for good vintage Champagne, which is derived from a single year´s crop. The producers will reserve the finest fruit for this style of Champagne, adding to its desirability. Not every year is declared as a vintage year, as vintage Champagne is only made if conditions are good enough. A vintage will reflect as much of the character as it does the producer, so it may taste quite different from one year to the next. For example, a Champagne made during a very hot year will taste much richer, rounder and less acidic than one made from a cooler year. Most good champagne houses will age their vintage champagne for five to seven years for further development before release.

De-luxe Cuvées

This is a special highly prized and priced blend, suitable for cellaring. The general trend is that the wines come delivered in very expressive, distinctively shaped, and labeled bottles. De-luxe Cuvées are usually made with grapes from Grand Cru vineyards. The most famous example is Dom Perignon.

Blanc de Blancs

Literally translated, this means white of white which means that the Champagne is made using only the Chardonnay grape. When young, these wines are relatively light, delicate and creamy. However, with a little aging these Champagnes often develop a fabulously toasted, biscuity, rich flavor.

Blanc de Noirs

Although the "white of black" may sound like a contradiction, it is not. What it tells you is that the Champagne has been made only using black grapes. Champagne made from black grapes are typically full bodied and rich.

Rosé

This is more commonly known as pink champagne. Most of this style wine is made by adding a little still red wine to the white Champagne. However, a very small amount it is made by staining the white juice by allowing the red grape skins to soak in it for a short while.

Champagne Sweetness

In addition to classifying champagne styles, classifications are also used to refer to sweetness (or its absence, called dry). Producers can regulate the sweetness by controlling fermentation. For example, stopping fermentation early leaves some natural grape sugar in the finished wine. Below is a listing for your reference:

Brut: dry, less than 1.5% sugar
Extra Sec: extra dry, 1.2 to 2% sugar
Sec: medium sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% sugar
Demi-Sec: sweet, 3.3 to 5% sugar (dessert champagne)
Doux: very sweet, over 5% sugar (dessert champagne)

Contributor: Debbie Sheldon (Boston, MA)

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