7 Things That Every Gentleman Should Know About Champagne.

Enerel Opanasenko
Aug 6, 2015
3 min read

Image from Dom Perignon.

What is champagne?

Champagne is defined as sparkling white wine, but there are bunch of sparkling wines. Champagne is different. Real Champagne comes from Champagne region in France. Which is only 34000 hectares. There's a set of rules and regulations that are fairly unique to that particular region, including what grapes you can grow-only Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. The rules also tell you how you must harvest-they have to be harvested by hand-they tell you how you must press the grapes, how much you can press out of the grapes, how to ferment, and how long to age.

How do you read Champagne Label.

The first thing you should read is producer. You need to make sure that it

made in only Champagne region of France. Some bottles are very tricky,

because there are some other sparkling wine producers from another

region. Then, and this is one of the most important pieces, you want to look at where it says 'Brut' on the label. Brut means that the champagne is very dry. ‘Brut’ is one of the most popular type of champagne. There are other types such as ‘Rose’ etc.

What is the difference between ‘vintage’ and ‘non-vintage”.

The main difference between vintage and non-vintage Champagne is not that the vintage is old but that it is made from the grapes of only one year’s harvest, whereas non-vintage Champagne is a blend of different years’ harvest. Whereas a good quality year, will produce a typically fuller, deeper Champagne, making it a vintage year. Vintage Champagne must be made 100% from the year indicated on the label. Vintages are generally produced three or four times a decade. This represents less than 5% of total Champagne production. Non-vintage Champagnes will be left to mature for at least 1.5 years, a vintage Champagne must be left for at least three years, although will often be left for longer.

How Do You Serve Champagne?

Glassware is important, but it shouldn't ruin your evening. Put it in what you have. That said, Champagne flutes are great at showcasing the bubbles; they're sexy; they're great for toasting. But a white wine glass will do. You want a stemmed glass so that you don't warm the Champagne with your hand. It should be served at 7 degrees by celsious. Also champagne should be served at exact temperature to taste and feel richness of the harm and blend.

“Never drink non-chilled champagne!”

Its one of the most important rule. ‘Nothing is awful, than non chilled champagne’ – James Bond. Remember this rule, otherwise you will not taste the richness on champagne.

How to open champagne bottle properly.

Remove foil

Discard.

Tip: The foil on most bottles has a little tab that you can pull to make this process easier.

Loosen the wire cage

Flip down the small wire “key” that’s pressed up against the neck of the bottle at the bottom of the wire cage that encloses the cork. Turn the key to loosen the cage. Remove and discard the cage.

Drape a towel over bottle

Now that the cork is exposed, drape a dishtowel over the top of the bottle, in case built-up pressure causes the cork to pop on its own. (The towel will also be at the ready in case any of the wine spills.)

Twist the bottom hand until the cork eases out

Keeping the bottle pointed in a safe direction (i.e. away from you and other people), grasp the cork with one hand and the base of the bottle with the other. Don’t try to twist the cork. Instead, hold the cork firmly while turning the bottle slowly, toward you, with the hand holding the base. As you turn the bottle from the base, you should feel the cork start to loosen and then ease into your hand. Continue until you hear the soft pop of the cork leaving the bottle.

Tip: To avoid foamy overflow you should hold it in the angle. Pour only about an inch of wine into each glass at first, wait a few seconds for bubbles to subside, and then continue filling to just below the rim.