Champagne
wine making
Champagne wine,
as we know it today, was created by a monk called Dom
Perignon during the 17th century. He managed to understand
the typical fermentation, mix the grape varieties, invent
the cork and add sugar which dissolve the carbonic gas
in the wine.
Summer
and fall are quite sunny. The grapes in Champagne benefit
from a lot of light. The soil made of chalk reflects
the sunlight into the the grapes.
The
chalky soil is ideal for Champagne wine. It absorbs
water during winter and gives it back to the vine's
roots during summer. The other way around, it absorbs
heat during summer to give it back during winter.
The
soil of Champagne is very famous for the cellars winemakers
have built. They are about 200 kilometers of cellars
dig in the chalk soil. They use these cellars to store
the bottles at the perfect temperature and humidity
level.
Winemakers
use 3 types of grape to produce Champagne. Chardonnay
is a white grape. Chardonnay
is the typical grape used in great Burgundy white wines.
Pinot Noir is a red grape traditionally used in Burgundy
to make their famous red wines. Pinot Meunier is a
red grape mostly used in Champagne. Pinot Meunier gives
a less delicate wine and is mostly used to make second
grade Champagne.
- Chardonnay provides
freshness and elegance
- Pinot
Meunier brings fruitiness and aromas
- Pinot
Noir gives body and structure
The
three main areas in Champagne are :
- Montagne
de Reims : south of Reims city, where
the best Pinot Noir grow
- Cote
des Blancs : south of Epernay city, where
the best Chardonnay grow
- Vallée
de la Marne : west of Epernay city, where
the best Pinot Meunier grow
It
is one of the main reason why winemakers blend grapes
from these 3 different terroirs to come up with the
best grape juices.
More
:
Champagne
wine making process
Other
types of Champagne: Blanc
de blancs, Blanc de noir and rosé Champagne
Some
winemakers keep the tradition of making traditional wines
in Champagne.
Champagne
wine making information :
| Size
of the vineyards: |
35,000
hectares (85,000 acres) |
| Vineyards: |
15,000
wine growers, 300 wineries |
| Soil: |
Chalk |
| Weather: |
Continental,
cool winter, sunny summer and fall |
Grapes
in Champagne: |
Chardonnay
(26%), Pinot Meunier (36%), Pinot Noir (38%)
|
| Production: |
250
million bottles |
| Type
of Wine: |
Sparkling
wine |
Read
more about Champagne with Amazon.com :
-
World Encyclopedia of Champagne by
Tom Stevenson
About
Champagne :
Champagne
Wine Map - Champagne
information - Champagne
region - Champagne
wine history - Wine
making in Champagne - Wine
classification - Champagne
and food - Tasting
Champagne - Buy Champagne - Champagne
main page
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Wine Regions :
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du Rhône - Languedoc-Roussillon - Loire
Valley - Provence - South
West
|
