Champagne

The Champagne Region is located in northeastern France (about 1 1/2 hours from Paris by train or car) and is the home of sparkling wine.  The soil in the best vineyards of the Champagne Region is mostly of the same white, chalky clay that forms the white cliffs of Dover on the English Channel.  The only three legal grape varieties for Champagne are Chardonnay (for delicacy), Pinot Noir (for power) and Pinot Meunier.  Champagnes go through an initial fermentation in tanks that form a very acidic still wine.  Next the wine is put through a second fermentation in an individual bottle.  The CO2 that is formed during this second fermentation is trapped in the bottle and over a period of time is forced into solution with the wine.  The longer that Champagne ages in the cellars, the tinier the bubbles. 

Champagne comes in a variety of sweetness levels.  By far the most popular is a style know as 'Brut' which is fermented to dryness.  In North America , a slightly sweeter type know as Extra Dry has a substantial market share.  There are dryer (Natural, Savage) and sweeter versions (demi-sec, doux) of Champagne that are produced, but they represent very tiny segments.

Wine Regions of France Click on a region to view a description. Alsace Bordeaux Bourgogne (Burgundy) Champagne Loire Rhône