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Before we tell you how to choose a real champagne, we need to find out what is meant by the word “real”.
We used to call all drinks that have bubbles champagne. But this is far from the case, and everything that is produced outside of France is just sparkling wine. And some specimens are a pathetic parody of a noble drink.
Everything you need to know about real champagne
Champagne is produced only in the French province of Champagne and its four sub-regions: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bar.
French champagne is always expensive.
Champagne by the amount of sugar content is
Brut Nature / Zéro Dosage (brut nature / zero dose).
Brut (brut).
Extra-Sec (extra dry).
Sec (dry).
Demi-sec (semi-sweet).
Doux (sweet), which is almost never found and is very rare.
In the province of Champagne, only 7 grape varieties are grown, and the most popular of them are: Chardonnay (Chardonnay), Pinot Noir (Pinot noir), Pinot Meunier (Pinot Meunier).
Real champagne is produced using a unique patented technology – “Méthode Champenoise” – this is when champagne, i.e. filling the product with carbon dioxide, occurs naturally, by secondary fermentation in the bottle and subsequent aging in a horizontal position for at least 9 months.
Tips for choosing champagne
Now let’s move on to the most important thing, how to buy real champagne and not fall for a fake. We have collected recommendations from the best sommeliers who will help you when choosing a noble drink.
First of all, pay attention to the price, real champagne cannot be cheap. The minimum price can start from 1500-2000 rubles.
Try to buy champagne in small specialty shops or large supermarkets with a good reputation.
Be sure to check the country of manufacture on the label. Champagne is only France, the province of Champagne and its four regions (we talked about them at the beginning of the article).
Be sure to include the inscription “Méthode Champenoise” on the label. If you did not find this inscription, then this only indicates that you have sparkling wine in your hands, and not champagne.
Also pay attention to the presence of an excise stamp, with the exception of drinks purchased in the duty free zone.
Shake the bottle, if a uniform foam appears that fills the entire empty space of the bottle, then this is a good sign. The main thing is not to overdo it with shaking.
Cork is also an important element. It should be made only from natural materials so that the champagne can “breathe”. The cork material can be determined even through the foil with a simple push. Natural material will be softer than synthetic material.
The bottle should be made of thick and dark glass. If the glass is thin, then it can simply break, and thanks to dark glass, champagne does not deteriorate when exposed to sunlight.
Another important factor is bubbles. After filling the glass, those same bubbles should be the same size and rise up. In a quality drink, bubbles can come out of the glass for hours.
Be careful when choosing Demi-sec (semi-sweet) and Doux (sweet) champagnes, as well-known Champagne Houses produce only 7-10% of this type of drink and you can run into a fake. Since with the help of a sweetener, many technological errors can be hidden (applies only to counterfeit products).
Use the Vivino app. It is enough to take a photo of the bottle, and immediately you will receive comments and an overall rating based on the rating from people who have already tried this drink. You can download from Google Play and iTunes.
What brands of champagne are worth paying attention to
Finally, I would like to share a list of the most famous brands of champagne. Perhaps one of them will top your list of favorite drinks:
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
Moët & Chandon
Dom Pérignon
Louis Roederer
Piper-Heidsieck
H. Mumm
Krug
Pol roger
Bollinger
Living Room
And remember: “Not all champagne has bubbles.”
Relevance: 29.12.2017
Tags: wine and vermouth