And then there was Champagne!

There is a stereotype about the French that they are incredibly sophisticated and sometimes look down at other nationalities as inferior. I have heard many people say that the French are a little rude and when we travel in their country that they aren't friendly and refuse to speak anything other than french.

Whether this stereotype is true or false is irrelevant to the topic. I was recently having this very conversation with a friend who said to me "throughout history the French have brought the most refined, exquisite and sophisticated luxuries to the world including the invention of Photography and Film, created movements of art that changed the world, Haute Couture, Michelin stars, mouth watering pastries and wine. If you had created all these things, would you not turn your nose up a little too?"

Quite clearly I am a Francophile through and through. The word luxury rings like bells in a church tower and there is nothing that says luxury like Champagne! It is the drink of kings and has been hailed as the ultimate in sophistication since the 1600's. Unlike many other wines Champagne is as a symbol of upward mobility in society. This time for wine club we decided to splurge and have Champagne club instead. In preparation for our phenomenal little event I did a little research on my favourite drink on the planet and found out a few little gems that might come in handy at your next dinner party.

The reason Champagne is perceived to be so exclusive is simply a supply and demand equation. True Champagne only comes from the Champagne region in Northern France. This area is made up of a few towns including Epernay and Reims that reside on the most fertile and exquisite land that produces the highest quality grapes. As there is such a small area in the world that can legally produce this style of wine and call it Champagne, a premium price can be charged for the product. However there are other parts of the world that make wine in the same style with the same grapes and effervescence, they simply cannot be called by the same name therefore reducing the prestige. 

There are three types of grapes that are used to make Champagne Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Out of the three grapes Chardonnay is the only white grape, and in fact it is the only white grape grown in the Champagne region. The three grapes are generally blended together over a number of years to maintain consistency in the flavour of the Champagne house. When the vintage is particularly good the winemaker might create a wine made from only that year. A wine like this will have a different characteristic to it depending on the growing conditions of the year it was produced. Vintage wines will generally be more expensive as they are the best grapes.

Types of Champagne include

Prestige Cuvee

This is the wine that is generally considered to be at the top of the producers range. The most famous of this would be Cristal, which is produced by Louis Roderer or Dom Perignon, which is produced by Moet & Chandon.

Blanc de Noirs

Quite literally means 'white of blacks' - white wine produced of black grapes. The grapes in this Champagne would be Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. This is a rare type of wine.

Blanc de Blanc

This is Champagne produced with only Chardonnay grapes. This is also an expensive variety of Champagne that is great for celebrations.

Brut

This is the most common of the Champagne varieties and is produced by mixing the three grapes together. It can be non vintage or vintage.

Next wine club we will try a Bollinger Vintage Brut, Veuve Clicquot Non-Vintage Brut and an Australian version of the wine. It is going to be a good night! 

Until then, have a glass for me. Alex Mac