Alexandre Helaine - Moet Hennessy Market Manager, Eastern Africa, talks about what champagne is and how it is made.
First, the name “champagne” has to be on the bottle of champagne, otherwise it is a sparkling wine. Which guarantees the quality process of making champagne.
It can only be from the Champagne region in France, it’s a protected named area as the process, the quality of grapes, and the knowhow is the best quality.
Champagne is made out of three types of grapes produce; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
The time sparkling wine and champagne takes in production differs. While sparkling wine may take just a few weeks to produce, champagne has to take a minimum of two years, legally for it, quality as champagne.
The difference in how you compose the assemblage of those three types of grapes makes champagne different from each other.
The process of making champagne starts with the pressing of grapes, softly and delicately.
The minimum champagne ageing is two years in order to call it Champagne. However, while the champagne is still at the cellar, it may be allowed to age longer; this way it develops more favours and ends up being expensively priced.
Then there is vintage Champagne. This is made from the grapes harvested from only one particular year.
For instance, Dom Perignon is made using two kinds of grapes only, Chardonnay and Pinot noir and it is made from one harvest year only and aged a minimum of eight years in the cellars.
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