champagne RSS

austria, champagne, crémant, england, germany, oregon, prosecco -

sparkling wine — never been better!

I’ve been travelling quite a bit recently, taking in England, Germany, Australia, and the Pacific North-West. As I tasted my way through these different regions, I realised just how much good sparkling wine I had been enjoying, and that many of these wines weren’t simply carbon copies of champagne but entirely their own thing. I was reflecting on all this as I drove to Syncline, a producer in Columbia Gorge, Washington. I had no idea they even made sparkling wine (I was there for their superb Gamay), but as I was enjoying the 2014 Blanc de Noirs owner and winemaker...

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champagne, crémant, crémant d'alsace, crémant de bourgogne, crémant de loire -

crémant

Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is champagne. There are plenty of alternatives to champagne, even if they vary in style and quality—and not everything should be the same. Champagne itself is a small region, producing around 300m bottles a year—if we had to rely solely on champagne for our bubbles, we’d quickly run out, not just of wine but money. The closest international alternatives to champagne are cooler regions like England and Tasmania, though even these high-quality wines vary: the high acidity of England requires some dosage, while Tasmania will be a little fruitier. Franciacorta in...

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cava, champagne, england, sekt, sparkling wine -

when it’s not champagne

Unfortunately, sparkling wine no matter where it’s from is often referred to as “Champagne.” This of course is inaccurate: champagne must come from the Champagne region in north-east France. But what about sparkling wine that isn’t from Champagne? Although they don't always have the defined identity of champagne, these wines can represent great value if you know where to look. the other French stuff Crémant is an overall term for several appellations for French sparkling wine not from Champagne. The standardized term, formally introduced in 1985, was supposed to create a category recognizable to the consumer. However, there are two...

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champagne, meunier -

meunier: the unsung champagne grape

Champagne has had many grape varieties planted in the region over its long history. Although obscure, some of them are still authorised: check out Aubry's Premier Cru which includes Arbane, Petit Meslier, and Fromonteau (Pinot Gris) in the blend. But after phylloxera and the First World War, plantings in Champagne were consolidated to focus on three varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier. Even so, a lot has changed since the 1920s. Chardonnay has been far more widely planted since the 60s, especially as the Blanc de Blancs style has become more popular. Champagne is generally much drier, with the Extra...

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