Champagne

Shop for Wines from Champagne

In the cool climate of northeastern France, winemakers in the Champagne region produce a tasty, bubbly wine we also know as Champagne.

Some of the terms used to describe the sweetness of French Champagne (or other sparkling wines) can be confusing. The most commonly terms are Brut, Extra Dry, and Demi-Sec. Champagne labeled Brut is actually the driest classification and many include even drier examples such as Extra Brut or Brut Nature. Extra Dry despite what many people think, is actually a tad sweeter than Brut. Demi-Sec, rather uncommon in the Champagne region, is a semi-sweet style of French wine.

Champagne can be made with varying percentages of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes, and the production method is called Méthode Champenoise. After the primary fermentation of the grape juice is finished the result is bottled and yeast and some type of sugar are added to create a secondary fermentation in the bottle. It is during the secondary fermentation that these magical bubbles in Champagne occur.

Notable French Champagne houses such as Krug, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Bollinger, Louis Roederer, Tattinger, and Moet & Chandon, that produces the iconic Dom Perignon champagne, have been refining their craft for over 200 years in some cases.