A.O.C. Champagne

Champagne is possibly the most prestigious and famous French region in the world. The traditional method of making the acclaimed French sparkling wines is called “champenoise”, which consists of two fermentation phases: a first, in a vat (like all wines) and a second in the bottle, during which sugar and yeast are added. to cause a fermentation reaction that produces carbon dioxide and the characteristic carbon dioxide gas (which is why the glass of champagne bottles are especially thick, to prevent the glass from breaking due to gas pressure). At this stage, the bottles are placed in the so-called desks, where they remain inclined at about 45º with the neck down, thus favoring the lees (sediments) to settle on the neck of the bottle. For several weeks the bottles are turned slightly (a quarter of a turn) a couple of times a day. The sediment accumulated in the neck of the bottle is removed by freezing the neck of the bottle, uncorking it and allowing the carbon dioxide inside to push out the frozen sediment (like a block). Subsequently, the bottle is filled with the expedition liquor, which gives it the desired sweetness (Brut, Sec, etc.) and is closed again with a special stopper (the famous champagne stopper, capable of withstanding the pressure exerted by the carbon dioxide from the interior). The origin of champagne is attributed to the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon, who in 1670, in the Abbey of Hautvillers, laid the foundations for the production of this famous sparkling wine (he made a selection of the grapes, fastened the conical cork with a metal staple and made more thick the glass of the bottles). Although the mystery of the bubbles was not unraveled until the 19th century, thanks to Louis Pasteur, who found the key to fermentation. During the 17th century, the consumption of these sophisticated and peculiar wines became popular in the French and English courts, which were surprising due to their indomitable character (due to carbon dioxide). Throughout the 18th century, champagne began its international expansion and gained popularity thanks to the promotion of producers such as Claude Moët or Florenz-Louis Heidsieck. It seems that in 1729 the first champagne firm appeared (Maison Ruinart), founded by Nicolas Ruinart in the city of Épernay. During the 19th century, many of the great production houses of this region were created, such as Bollinger or Perriet-Jouët. Although the manufacturing custom placed men at the head of the champagne business, the stories of some ladies who, after the death of their husbands, continued with the family business (such as Mrs. Pommery, Mrs. Terrier or Mrs. Clicquot, known the latter as the "Grande Dame de Champagne"), becoming great promoters and promoters of the spirit of champagne. The champagne industry in France is mainly concentrated around the cities of Reims and Épernay, where the big brands such as Veuve Clicquot, Krug or Bollinger are based. Among the peculiarities of Champagne wines, it is worth mentioning that the harvest is always manual (mechanized harvesting is prohibited). It is also common to combine different types of grapes, different wines (within the region itself) and different vintages, seeking organoleptic homogeneity. Only the highest quality champagnes come from wines of the same year and in this case the vintage can be indicated (although it is not mandatory).