A Beginner’s Guide to Champagne

There’s a reason that life’s biggest moments are marked with the pop of a Champagne cork. The French sparkling wine is ebullient and joyous, and the best examples are unparalleled in quality. 

“There’s just something intangible when Champagne hits your lips,” says Rachael Liggett-Draper, a sommelier at The Little Nell in Aspen, Colorado.

Champagne is also complicated. Understanding Champagne requires fluency in French terminology and a grasp of sub-regions, soil types and strict appellation rules. So, let’s break things down.

Before we get into the nitty gritty, here’s a helpful cheat sheet of Champagne’s most important facts.

Top 5 Things to Know About Champagne

1. Champagne must be made in Champagne: Similar sparkling wines are made around the world, but to be called Champagne, the wine must be made in the Champagne region of France.
2. It’s highly historic: Grape vines have been grown in Champagne since the 1st century AD.
3. There’s no correct flavor profile: Champagnes can be light and airy, rosy and fruity or rich, amber and opulent.
4. There are strict rules to making Champagne: The Champagne Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) has firm rules surrounding Champagne production, including alcohol content, aging, geographical boundaries, what grapes can be used and how vines are planted.
5. It’s laborious to make: Champagne requires hundreds of hours of manual labour (machines are forbidden, so grapes must be picked by hand) and years of aging. 

What Is Champagne? 

To be labeled Champagne, a sparkling wine must be made following the méthode Champenoise. That starts with still wines, made from grapes grown within the region. 

“We harvest grapes from hundreds of small plots, vinify them separately, then begin an intense blending process,” says Dubois. In a process called assemblage, “winemakers taste the wines when they are very young and highly acidic, forecasting how each individual wine will develop.”

Once they nail the still wine, sugar is added, triggering a second fermentation. 

The bottle is then topped with a metal cap and laid to rest for a minimum of 15 months. 

During that time, the bottle is slowly turned (by hand or machine) to let the dying yeast cells, called lees, collect in the neck of the bottle. 

When the wine is ready, the bottle is frozen, opened and the lees removed. It’s then topped up with a dosage, a mixture of wine and sugar, closed with a cork, and voila—the bottle of bubbly is complete.

How Is Champagne Different from Other Sparkling Wines?

For starters, as previously mentioned, Champagne must be made in the Champagne region of France. Champagne’s geographical rules are strict because the region is incredibly unique. 

“Winemaking has been recorded in Champagne since Roman times: the cool climate and chalky, limestone, mineral-rich soils make it perfect for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the two principal grapes in Champagne,” says Nicolas Dubois, owner-winemaker of Champagne Jeeper. 

In the 19th century, monks and other Champagne makers perfected the méthode Champenoise process, bringing to life the bubbles we know today. 

“This history alone of the region is what separates [it] from the rest of the world,” explains Matthew Brodbine, beverage director of Santa Monica’s Pasjoli and Seline. “Every sparkling wine owes its existence to Champagne.”

The Grapes in Champagne

The main three grapes used in Champagne production are red-wine grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay, a white-wine grape. They can be blended together or shine solo. 

Blanc de blancs refers to a sparkling wine made entirely from white grapes (primarily Chardonnay, though Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbane and Petit Meslier are also permitted). They tend to be brighter and fresher, though this will change from producer to producer. 

Blanc de noirs are made with ‘’black” grapes, like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. These wines tend to offer more body and complexity, and are excellent food wines. 

The Difference Between Vintage and Non-Vintage

Two of the common terms used in Champagne are “vintage” and “non-vintage.”

“Vintage Champagnes means the wine comes from a single harvest,” explains Mathieu Roland-Billecart, CEO of Champagne Billecart-Salmon. By law, vintage Champagnes must be aged for at least three years, though many producers will age their wines for longer. (Roland-Billecart ages his vintage cuvées for 10-plus years to add richness and more depth of flavor.) 

“A vintage wine captures a snapshot into a moment of time, a singular growing season and just one harvest,” says Liggett-Draper. “These are wonderful to drink to compare years and get a feel of a winemaker’s terroir.”

But vintage wines aren’t made every year. “Unlike other regions, Champagne houses only declare a vintage during exceptional growing seasons, which are usually warmer and not as wet,” says Roland-Billecart. If bad weather blows through, many producers will skip that vintage. Which is where non-vintage Champagnes come in. 

Non-vintage Champagne, labeled “NV,” is Champagne made from a blend of harvests and years. This doesn’t mean non-vintage Champagnes are lesser-than. “The Champenois have mastered the art of blending to create a beautifully balanced and consistent product despite the variability the region experiences,” says Liggett-Draper. 

Understanding Sweetness

Piling onto all of Champagne’s language and lingo, there’s also the varying levels of sugar (dosage) in a finished bottle of Champagne. The most dry wines are called brut nature, followed by extra brut, brut, extra-sec, sec, demi-sec and doux.

Don’t think of sweetness in Champagne as sugar; it just adds balance. “I often urge people to ignore the stigma associated with sugar,” says Liggett-Draper. “Even the sweetest Champagnes still have half the sugar of a soda.”

Which Champagne Should You Pick? 

Roland-Billecart recommends beginners start with a traditional multi-vintage blend. ”These cuvées are affordable, yet give a strong sense of a producer’s identity.”

Or, start with a brut Champagne, which has between zero and 12 grams per liter of residual sugar. 

“They’re the most versatile and food-friendly,” says Dubois. “Enjoy them with any appetizer, especially ones that are salty or crunchy.” 

“Brut Champagne is a good introduction to sparkling wines,” Brodbine agrees. “It’s still dry, but has softer edges and a fuller texture.” 

Dubois’s approach is to camp out at a wine bar with a big list of by-the-glass Champagne. “Keep notes on what you’re tasting, how it tastes, and your thoughts,” he says. “Do you prefer a fresher or a more aged profile? Do you prefer Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or a blend? You will be astonished how quickly your palate will develop.”

How to Open Champagne 

While a loud pop is certainly celebratory, it’s a sign you’re not opening the bottle correctly. 

Here’s what to do: 

• Stick the bottle in the fridge for 30 minutes before opening. 
• Remove the foil and loosen the cage around the top of the bottle. With your thumb on the top of the cork, slowly twist the bottom of the bottle—and be sure to point it away from friends and family. (Or, follow Wine Enthusiast’s Marshall Tilden III’s lead!)
• When the cork starts to feel loose, slowly let the pressure escape from the bottle. If you’re doing it right, you should hear a soft pfft. 

Worried about an explosion? Cheer Moda’s Electric Sparkling Wine Opener offers a safer way to celebrate with Champagne. Or, opt for the opposite—saber your bottle of Champagne. 

How Do You Store Champagne?

If you’re planning to sip Champagne that day, put the bottle in your fridge before serving to chill it down. “And try not to disrupt the bottle every time you open the door,” says Brodbine.

If you’re not planning to pop the top that day, Roland-Billecart recommends storing the wine horizontally, in a dark, cool place that isn’t too dry—that will cause the cork to crumble.

Should You Decant Champagne?

The answer will depend on who you ask. Brodbine decants some Champagnes for half an hour before he serves them. “You’re allowing the wine to open and breathe, enabling the aromas to come into full bloom,” he says. “The bubbles get softer and finer as the wine opens, and we’re able to move past the mousse and top notes.”

Roland-Billecart decants Champagnes when they’re too youthful, or when he wants to extract the fullness of flavor, though he admits, it’s not for everyone. “You may lose a few bubbles, so it comes down to personal taste.”

More Champagne Coverage

• What’s better for drinking Champagne, coupes or flutes? We debate each of their merits.
• Here’s when to use every style of Champagne glass. 
• A warming climate is changing the face of Champagne.
• Meet the Champagne producers redefining France’s bubbly. 
• Can Champagne give up farming with chemicals?
• Get to know the under-the-radar world of grower Champagne.

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