History:
Trapped CO2 was originally a fault. Champagne was a still wine region until the 18th century. In 1941, the “Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne” was founded. The CIVC is a decision structure that defines the policies applicable to both growers and Houses alike, notably: Organization and transparency of relations, quality control and protection and promotion of the Champagne appellation.

-Dom Pérignon (1638-1715)
 He was a Benedictine monk who improved both viticultural and vinification techniques in the area. He produced clear white wine from black grapes and conceived the concept of cool harvesting, picking in tries and assemblage.

-Veuve Clicquot (1777-1866)
 Widowed in 1805 at the age of 27, she was left in control of a major Champagne house. She personally insured the control of the cellars and experimented with “remuage” on her kitchen table. The Chef de caves, Antoine Müller perfected the method.

Climate:
The region lies between 49 to 50 degrees N.. It is a cold, continental climate with an average temperature of 10° C (50° F). Spring frost, winter freeze, uneven weather at flowering and hail in summer are all common problems.

Soil:
The region benefits from deep chalk sub soils. Belemnita quadrata on hillsides and Micraster in the valleys. The soils provide very good drainage and retain the daytime heat.
Thin top soil layer of clay and sand.

Grape varieties:
-Chardonnay
Adds freshness and elegance to the blend.
-Pinot Noir
Fills out the mid-palate.
-Pinot Meunier
Adds soft fruitiness. It buds later than Pinot Noir and ripens early.

Viticulture:
Large companies, or Champagne Houses, buy from small growers. High yields are common and the growers are slowly moving toward sustainable farming (ISO). Taille Chablis and Cordon de Royat are the training system of choice.

Yields
Official 2004 maximum yield was 14,000 kg/ha. The actual average 2004 yield ended up at 23,000 kg/ha (146.5 hl/ha)

Vineyard classification

-Échelle des Crus
All sites are classified on a percentage basis between 80% and 100%. Traditionally, price for grapes depended on vineyard rating. There are 17 villages that have Grand Cru status.

Vineyard areas:
-Montagne de Reims
Mainly planted with Pinot Noir.
-Vallée de la Marne
Some Pinot Noir but mostly Pinot Meunier.
-Côtes des Blancs
Chardonnay country.

Also the Aube (La Côte des Bar) and Sézanne areas.

Champagne production:
Harvest usually starts in September (sometimes mid-October) and the grapes are harvested manually in small harvesting crates called “osiers”. Sorting is practiced by the best houses.
The grapes are usually pressed with stems.

-Pressing
Both basket and pneumatic presses are used throughout the region. Juice yield is controlled to 160 kg of grapes for 100 litres of juice.
-Cuvée is the first 75 litres
-Taille is the next 25 litres
-Vin de rebèche: cannot be used for Champagne

-First fermentation
Different varieties and vineyards are vinified separately. The selection of yeast strain, stainless steel or oak barrels, MLF and length and temperature of fermentation are other options that help determine house style.

-Assemblage
Defines house style. It is done during the first months of the year following the harvest. Consistency and quality above the sum of its parts. The blender must envision wine after 2nd fermentation, autolysis and dosage. The end result may contain up to 70 base wines.

Factors to consider during Assemblage:
-Grape varieties.
-Communes and vineyards: Major houses use between 50 and 200 communes.
-Back vintages add complexity and roundness.
-The final blend may contain between 10 and 50% of “vin de réserve”. The reserve wine may be kept under inert conditions, in barrel or bottle.

-Second fermentation
After racking, the “liqueur de tirage” is added to bulk wine. It is a blend of yeast, nutrients, sugar, still wine and clarifying agent. The yeast strain is important and must be alcohol tolerant. The CIVC dictates strains. Then, the wine is bottled, sealed with a crown cap with a small plastic pot. The bottles are stacked on their sides from 14 days to 3 months. Slower fermentation allows for more complex flavour development.

“Sur lattes” and “Poignetage”
After the fermentation bottles must remain sur lattes:
-15 months for non-vintage
-3 years for vintage
But most houses exceed the minimum.

Poignetage
Bottles are shaken during sur latte to disturb sediment.

Yeast Autolysis
Enzymatic breakdown of yeasts. It releases reducing enzymes which inhibit oxidation. It absorbs essential yeast nutrients and produces acetal compounds that may increase ‘biscuity’ and ‘brandy’ like flavours.

-Remuage
Also known as “riddling” is the placement of bottles in either a “pupîtres” for 8 weeks or on Gyropalettes for 1 to 8 days. This process moves the sediment to the neck of the bottle. The wines are then stacked “sur pointe” for maturation prior to “dégorgement”.

Billes: Porous yeast capules

-Dégorgement
It is the removal of sediment. The neck of the bottle is frozen in a solution, the bottle is then turned upright and the crown cap is removed. The frozen yeast flies out and some wine is lost until…

-Dosage
The bottles are topped up to previous fill level with the “liqueur d’expédition”. The “liqueur d’expédition” is usually a blend of wine and sugar (rumour has it that some houses would add brandy!). It dictates the final sweetness of the blend. Bottles are then agitated to mix dosage with wine.

Sweetness chart
-Brut Nature: 0-2 g/l – very austere
-Extra Brut: 0-6 g/l – bone dry
-Brut: 0-15 g/l – very dry
-Extra Sec: 12-20 g/l – dry to medium dry
-Sec: 17-35 g/l – medium to medium sweet
-Demi-sec: 35-50 g/l – sweet
-Doux: 50+ g/l – very sweet

-Corking
Cork inserted ½ way, then a metal cap is placed over the cork with a force that creates the mushroom shape. A wire muzzle secures cork.

-Post-bottle aging
Best wines are kept minimum 3 months before shipping.

‘Reaction Maillard’ is the marrying of the dosage and development of complex flavours.

“Commonly associated with part of the raisining effect that darkens dried fruit, the importance of Maillard Reaction (MR) in the development of wine aromas is only just in the process of being discovered. It is, for example, an integral part of the toasting process in barrel-making and thereby contributes to many of the aromas closely associated with oak and lees-ageing. However, the most interesting aspect of MR under study at the moment is its importance in the marrying of the dosage of a sparkling wine. MR is now recognized as being responsible for many of the most complex aromas that develop after disgorgement. It involves a reaction between the sugar from the dosage and the amino acids created (and modified) during autolysis. We already know that some of the by-products of MR are responsible for toasted-roasted-vanilla post-disgorgement aromas, but precisely which amino acids are the precursors to specific aromas has yet to be established. Most of the results so far point to cysteine as a major precursor, but much work has still to be done.”

Styles:
-Non-Vintage Brut
With most Champagnes, the skills of the blender preserves house style. House style is defined by the non-vintage brut. Usually, most of the base wine is from the current harvest
but reserve wine is added varying from 5% to 50% and may go back 15 years or more.
-Vintage
Must be 100% from that vintage and no more than 85% of any year’s harvest is sold as vintage Champagne and the rest is kept as reserve wine for non-vintage wines. Best houses declare only in great years.
-Blanc de Blancs
White grapes only. It has the greatest ageing potential. Although, lean and austere in youth, it gets toasty and lemony with age. The classic wines are from Côte des Blancs, and are austere and restrained in youth.
-Rosé
Veuve Clicquot produced the first commercial rosé. It is achieved by maceration on skins or by blending red and white wine together. It tends to have lower acidity.
-Blanc de Noirs
Made from black grapes only. More full-bodied. Hue is rich golden, not pink.
-RD (Recently Disgorged)
Wine spends several years on the lees and can be disgorged to order.
-Cuvée de Prestige (a.k.a. Tête de Cuvée)
Top wine of the house. The blends include high % of Grand Cru or estate grown vines:
-Dom Perignon
-Cristal
-La Grande Dame
-Winston Churchill
-Grande Année

Other:
-Côteaux Champenoise
Red, white and rosé, all still wines. Ration of 20:1 red to white. The reds are the most interesting and the good villages are Bouzy and Aÿ. Must be from a ripe vintage to be palatable. It is usually thin with high acidity.
-Rosé des Riceys
Separate AC. Still rosé wine made from Pinot Noir and made in the commune of Ricey in the Aube.

Champagne Trade:
110 houses selling 70% of all Champagne

-NM:   Négociants-manipulants
-RM:   Growers who sell part or all of their harvest under their own label are called récoltants-manipulants
-CM:   Cooperatives perform different functions for RM or NM. Also label under own labels.

Other Traditional Method Sparkling Wines:
-Crémant d’Alsace AC
-Crémant de Bourgogne AC
-Crémant de Limoux AC (Limoux AC)
-Crémant de Loire AC
-Saumur Mousseux AC
-Vouvray Mousseux AC
-Crémant de Die AC
-St. Peray AC

-Limoux AC
In the Languedoc-Roussillon. Traditional method sparkling wine made from Mauzac with Chardonnay and Chenin and it must be oak aged a.k.a Crémant de Limoux

-Blanquette de Limoux AC
Made from 90% Mauzac

-Crémant de Die AC
Traditional method sparkling wine made from 100% Clairette

-Cava (Spain)
Traditional method sparkling from Spain. Cava DO refers to the style of wine, it is not restricted to a specific area although most Cava (90%) is produced in Penedés. Cava means cellar and is Spain’s answer to the use of the term Méthode Champenoise. Most Cava is made with native varieties: Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. We now see some Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Chardonnay is being used most notably by Codorniu. Cava has a distinctive nose.
-Pressing: 150 kg for 100 litres of juice
-Minimum 9 months aging after 2nd fermentation
-Wide use of gyropalettes (which were actually invented in Spain)
-Freixenet and Codorníu dominate the industry

-Franciacorta DOCG (Italy)
Top quality sparkling from Lombardy made from Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

-California
Carneros, Anderson Valley. California sees a lot of French and Spanish investment.

-Australia:
Aussie Sparkling wine seems to only hold popularity with local markets.  Lots of  Sparkling Shiraz made as cheap and cheerful up to top end . ie E&E Black Pepper Sparkling Shiraz.  The best Sparkling is coming from the up and coming region of Tasmania, perfectly suited with the cool climate growing conditions, they specialize in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.

-New Zealand:
Lots of Examples made with their native favorite varietal of Sauvignon blanc.  A good example would be Pegasus Bay

-German Sekt:
Strangely the top volume wine produced in Germany is Henkel Troken and it’s thier biggest export. Many top quality German Sekt’s exist such as Lingenfelder’s Satyr

Other Sparkling Wine Methods:

Transfer Method:
2nd fermentation is induced and takes place in a sealed bottle. There are no riddling or disgorgement. The bottles are chilled, the wine transferred to large tanks where the sediments are removed by clarification (settling or filtering) and then transferred back to the bottles. The wines have some characteristics of méthode traditionelle.

Tank Method:
Bulk sparkling wine process also known as Charmat or Cuve Close. It is less labour intensive and yeast and sugar are added to a pressurized tank where the 2nd fermentation takes place. It is then filtered under pressure and the dosage is added to wine in bulk.

-Asti DOCG
1st fermentation in tank is interrupted, formerly called Asti Spumante, it has a light alcohol content, it is sweet and easy drinking.

-Sekt from Germany

-Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOC
Prosecco is a grape variety from Veneto used to make the sprakling wine.
It can be mad in many styles: Still, Frizzante, and Spumante. All three ranging from Dry to Sweet.
Frizzante and Spumante are by far the most popular and with the highest production.
This wine is a main Bellini ingredient. (cocktail)

Carbonation by injection: (a.k.a. Pompe bicyclette)
Wine is made, filtered, etc… CO2 is pumped from cylinders into a pressurized tank and wine is bottled. The bubbles are larger and less persistent. just like soda pop.

Unique Sparkling Wine Methods:

-Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale AC
From the Languedoc. The wine is bottled before fermentation is complete. The fermentation continues in the bottle where CO2 is created. It is sweeter and less fizzy than Champagne and may also have a deposit. Made from 100% Mauzac

-Clairette de Die Méthode Diose Ancestrale AC
From the Rhône Valley. 1st fermentation in a tank at cool temperature. Wine is bottled before the end of the 1st fermentation. It is then disgorged, filtered and rebottled. Made from Muscat and Clairette.