Champagne

Traditionally champagne undergoes secondary fermentation in a 13 to 14ºC (55 – 57ºF) cellar in thick, sealed, individual glass bottles so carbon dioxide is trapped and cannot be released for upwards of one and a half years.

Some winemakers add more sugar and yeast to produce more alcohol. 

Only wines from the Champagne region in France can advertise using the methode Champenoise. Within the European Union, wines that used this same method for their sparkling wine can only advertise that the wine underwent the traditional method, not the methode Champenoise.

As well, any sparkling wine cannot say that it is “champagne” unless it was grown in Champagne, France according to the Appellation d'origine controlee (“Controlled Designation of Origin,” see Wine 101 section) law throughout the European Union. 

The United States, Australia, and Canada are also beginning to implement stricter laws to censor the use of the term “champagne” on any sparkling wine bottle.

tags: champagne · sparkling wine ·