Champagne

The legend stubbornly persists: it is said that Dom Pérignon invented Champagne. In fact, it was nature. Vines have been cultivated in the Champagne region around Reims, 150 kilometres east of Paris, since at least the fifth century. But the winemakers had to contend with a major obstacle. The winters in this wine region in the north of France are so cold that the wines often did not finish fermenting. Bottling such unfinished wine, as was done here in the 17th century, led to a problem: In spring, the remaining yeasts reactivate and the wine continues to ferment. This produces carbon dioxide, which has no place to escape to. In the worst case, the bottle bursts – not uncommon in those days.

And that’s where Dom Pérignon comes in. As cellar master of the Benedictine abbey of Hautvilliers, near Epernay, he was the first to use the Champagne method. He used particularly thick bottles and secured the cork to the neck of the bottle with a cord. As early as the second half of the 17th century, Champagne was in demand at the court of Versailles and as far away as London.

Today, the winemakers and cellars of Champagne produce over 300 million bottles each year on 34,000 hectares of vineyards. The classic mix consists of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier red wine grapes, supplemented by the white wine variety Chardonnay. In fact, significantly more red than white grapes grow in the region! They are pressed into wine during the first fermentation and then fermented a second time in the tightly sealed bottle with the help of an extra portion of sugar. Champagne is usually an assemblage of different vintages. In this way, the producers preserve the style of the house and guarantee a recognisable brand for the consumer. In particularly favourable years, many producers also bottle a vintage Champagne.