No party is complete without champagne. Light wine creates a mood and sets you up for fun. In order for the celebration to go according to plan and not be spoiled by low-quality alcohol, you should choose good champagne. Everyone has different tastes: someone trusts the time-tested “Soviet”, and for someone the famous “Veuve Clicquot” or “Don Perignon” fall into this category. But you should not limit yourself to these varieties.

Classification of sparkling wines

Champagne is the correct name for drinks produced in the French province of Champagne, from which the wine got its name. At the same time, many varieties of it are produced in other countries using a similar technology.

Italian winemakers are famous for their varieties of good champagne, French winemakers from other regions. Russia does not lag behind European manufacturers. Delicious wine is made in Moldova. Also produced in Germany, Portugal, China, Spain.

It is not necessary that the price for a bottle of sparkling wine "bite". Among the variety offered by manufacturers, there is also an inexpensive good champagne. You should choose not by cost, although this is a significant criterion, but based on your own preferences. Not to get confused and understand which wine is better, will allow minimal knowledge about the producers, what happens in color, sugar content and other characteristics.

By country and region of origin

If we talk about the ranking of the best champagne by the location of the producer, then the wine from Champagne should be at the top. This will be the most expensive dish on your holiday table. But there is confidence in the quality of champagne, because its production is controlled at the state level.

Other regions of France also have champagne houses. On the labels of bottles of sparkling wine, the inscription “Cremant” flaunts and the name of the region is added, for example, Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy, etc. They are inferior to the best French champagne in terms of sparkling, but the quality remains at its best, as it is also controlled at the state level.

Italian sparkling wines should be chosen with the label "DOC S" - this guarantees the high quality of alcohol. The drink gets its name from the region of production and / or grape variety. Prosecco, Asti, Fragolino, etc. - this is all champagne from the Apennine Peninsula.

There are also quite a lot of manufacturers in Russia. The quality cannot be compared with the French, but if you take the ratio with the price, they are quite good varieties. "Lev Golitsyn", "Pinot Noir", "Moscow", "Imperial" and some others can be safely called sparkling wine, not a wine drink.

By grape varieties used

Champagne is most often made from a mixture of several wines. There are single-varietal best sparkling wines. If we talk about elite champagne wines, then there may even be material from seven varieties of grapes. To determine how many varieties were used in production, the inscriptions on the bottles will help:

• blanc de blanc - white of whites, or sparkling wine made from white Chardonnay grapes;
• blanc de noir - white from black, or in the composition of good champagne there are two black (red) varieties of Pinot Mignet and Pinot Noir;
• cuvee - cuvee, or the use of several varieties of grapes in the production (Italian Lambrusco, for example, is just that).

The exact answer, which is better - single-varietal or assemblage champagne - to choose, no one will give. You should be guided by your own taste.

by color

Sparkling wine is:

• white. Occurs most often. Despite the name, it can be made from red grape varieties. Lightness is achieved due to the fact that in the manufacture of the pulp and skin of the berries, when squeezing, they contact each other for a minimum amount of time;
• red - champagne from berries that do not differ in color with a hint of the finished drink;
• pink. It is obtained in two ways: by adding red wine or by increasing the contact time of the skin and pulp.

The classification is as follows:

• sweet (indicator: > 65g / l, the label contains doux (fr) or dolce (it));
• semi-sweet (50-65, demi-doux, semi-dolci);
• semi-dry (35-50, demi-sec, semisecco);
• dry (20-35, sec, secco);
• brut (6-15, brut);
• extra brut (no more than 6 g/l, extra brut/brut nature/brut zero).

Since it is believed that sugar negatively affects the aroma and taste of sparkling wine, when choosing which champagne is better to take: brut or semi-sweet, the world will give preference to the first option. The drink is sour and astringent, so not everyone will like it.

Semi-dry and semi-sweet champagnes are classified side by side, so which one is better to buy depends on your own preferences. The taste will not vary as much as with brut.

By quality level

Out of competition in this classification - products from the best houses of champagne wines in France. The famous "Veuve Clicquot", "Dom Perignon", "Moet" - alcohol of the highest quality, which will empty the wallet for a tidy sum.

Elite champagne, made from the best grape varieties, is classified as prestigious or special. If only a vintage of one year is used, such sparkling wine is called vintage or mellizyme. Considering that successful years for winemaking happen 2-3 times in 10 years, the year will certainly be indicated on the bottle.

Good, but unremarkable among other types, champagne without a year with a price of up to 2000 rubles per bottle is the most common category of sparkling wines.

Important! Not always cork, bottle shape, bubbles are indicators of quality sparkling wine. At a price of up to 200 rubles, it will be a carbonated wine drink of the economy segment.

The best brands of champagne

The leaders among the producers of sparkling wines are France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Moldova. It is also possible to single out products from the New World in a separate category - the production of Chile, Argentina, Australia, South Africa. And in each of these countries there are brands that fall under the designation "the best champagne" of domestic production.

Any French brand is good, so the choice between Moet and Veuve Clicquot will be made based on cost and availability at the outlet. To say which of these champagnes is better is just to tell your opinion. The quality of both drinks is impeccable, it is not for nothing that they are included in the TOP-5 brands of champagne in the world. Other houses worthy of attention: Krug, Ayala, etc. Do not forget the wines from France under the general name "Cremant", which will also please with taste and aroma.

The leaders from Italy are Asti Mondoro, Asti Martini, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Cavicchioli Lambrusco Bianco and others. When buying wine with such sonorous names in our open spaces, you need to be careful. Good Italian-made champagne is unlikely to cost up to 1000 rubles, so there is a chance to run into a fake or a wine drink.

Russian brands that represent wine with good taste: "Abrau-Durso" and "Heritage of the master" Lev Golitsyn ". Individual varieties deserve to be compared which champagne is better. And "Lev Golitsyn" surpasses the carbonated wine drink Bosca.

At the same time, we pay tribute to the manufacturers of the latter, who position their product in this way, without pretending to have a more sonorous name. Bosco is comparable in taste to Santo Stefano champagne, also presented by Russian producers. Which wine is better? Under each brand, varieties are produced from sweet to brut. Both brands are inexpensive drinks, which makes them popular. Bosca will be tastier and better, which is more expensive, but which one to buy, you still need to choose based on your own preferences.

In Moldova, the best sparkling wine is Cricova, in Spain you should look for Cava on the label, which refers to sparkling wine.

There are just a couple of days left before the New Year, so many of our compatriots are actively engaged in solving the issue of purchasing food for the festive table. At the same time, not the last place is given to the choice of a sparkling drink, which will make the holiday truly memorable and fun. And, in order to make this task as easy as possible, experts have compiled , having familiarized yourself with which you can easily purchase a quality drink at an affordable price. The relevance of the issue of choice lies in the fact that the modern market is simply replete with offers, significantly increasing the chances of the consumer to purchase surrogates.

Champagne is synonymous with fun, joy and victory, so you can always see it as a decoration for a romantic meeting and other other festive events. And if it the best Russian champagne, rating which occupies high horizons among similar products, the holiday can definitely be called a success. At the same time, it is important to understand that the best sparkling wines are produced in regions that are engaged in the cultivation of grapes of special varieties. If we talk about Russian manufacturers, then best Russian champagne rating 2017 suggests that these are products from CJSC Abrau-Dyurso (Krasnodar Territory), whose main brands are the wines Victor Dravigny, Udelnoe department and Imperial.

Rating of Russian champagne 2017

According to experts, Abrau-Dyurso CJSC is the largest domestic producer of sparkling wines, which makes its specialists zealously monitor the quality of drinks supplied to the market. It is for this reason that its products lead , especially since the pricing policy of the enterprise allows us to talk about the availability of low-alcohol drinks for most segments of the population. On the whole distributed as follows:

In this context, the correspondents of our news agency put emphasis on the fact that this rating of Russian champagne producers was compiled not on the basis of the quality and taste characteristics of drinks, but on their popularity and demand among the population. Well, since people tend to buy products only from trusted manufacturers and at affordable prices, the rating compiled by experts can be considered as the main criterion for choosing champagne, including for the purpose of decorating the New Year's table with it.

Some nuances of buying drinks

Despite the fact that experts have Russian champagne rating, allowing you to make an accented choice, it is important to understand that you need to buy it only in specialized stores or in large supermarkets. As a rule, employees of retail chains of this level very scrupulously check the supplied goods for quality and timing of implementation, and their pricing policy is based on a more flexible schedule. And of course, their marketers track positions such as rating of champagne wines of Russian producers, trying to buy only the drinks that are in demand. And this means that here you can always buy a bottle of high-quality sparkling wine and celebrate the New Year fully armed.

Special attention should be paid to the cost of the drinks offered. So, if we are talking about products that are rating of Russian-made champagne 2017 occupies the highest positions, then its price cannot start with an amount below 300 rubles. Of course, if we talk about global manufacturers, then their drinks can cost up to 5,000 per bottle, but not everyone can afford these products. Well, for an average Russian, a bottle of sparkling wine at a price of 300-500 rubles is quite acceptable. Incidentally, for comparison, consider rating of Russian champagne 2016, which practically does not differ from the current situation on the market of low-alcohol products. For our part, it only remains for us to add that the question how to choose the right champagne for the new year actually presents no difficulty. You just need to follow your priorities and take into account information regarding the rating of the manufacturer.

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On the eve of the New Year, it's time to talk about a wonderful sparkling drink, without which most Russians simply cannot imagine the chiming clock. Of course, we will not in any way detract from the merits of Veuve Clicquot or Dom Perignon champagne, but we will take into consideration products that the average Russian can afford. Our champagne rating will help you choose the best and tell you what ingredients should be present in it.

New World

This is real champagne, made in the Crimea by the bottle method. The first place in our ranking of champagnes is deservedly given to this brand.

More than a century and a half ago, Prince Golitsin himself had a hand in ensuring that Russian champagne could compete with French. These traditions have survived to the present day.

Champagne is produced from Pinot Noir, Aligote, Chardonnay and Riesling grapes, according to the classical canons, with aging from 9 months to 3 years. All processes are done manually. Champagne "Novosvetskoye", "Pinot Franc" and "Crimean Sparkling" have long been loved by customers for their exquisite taste and rich aroma. And it's cheaper than French.

CJSC Sparkling wines, St. Petersburg

CJSC "Sparkling Wines" St. Petersburg

"Russian champagne" has been produced according to classical technologies for more than 80 years. Raw materials are delivered to them from all over the world, including from the Crimea.

All alcohol complies with GOSTs and is made by three common methods, and an innovative recipe for continuous fermentation in a stream was even sold to the French at one time.

The company produces only 3 types of white sparkling wines: brut, semi-dry and semi-sweet.

The brand "Lev Golitsin" was created in memory of an outstanding winemaker. The fame of the prince was so great that the St. Petersburg brand decided to use his name to create a new brand.

Cricova

Moldovan champagne with an optimal price-quality ratio (from 500 rubles). All products are created by the classical method, the drink is aged in oak barrels and stored in cellars.

In "Soviet champagne" there is little foam, bubbles play in the glass for a long time, the aftertaste is wonderful. And there is also “Muscat”, “Rose”, “De Luxe” - the choice of drinks is quite worthy.

Collection drinks are offered in rock crystal bottles.

Golden Beam

Sevastopol company, one of the oldest on the market, occupying a significant segment of the sparkling wine market. All products are created exclusively from our own grapes, harvested by hand.

To date, the tastes of consumers have changed - semi-sweet champagne occupies most of the produced, and the second half is divided among themselves by brut, semi-dry and dry.

The basic collection is made according to the Sharma method (from 350 rubles). They don’t really bother with the names here, so everything becomes immediately clear from the label - white or nutmeg.

The premium line is monovarietal, aged from 6 to 9 months.

Tsimlyansk wines

Tsimlyansk wines

The Don steppes gave birth to this champagne, which is produced mainly in the tank way. But there are also three brands produced according to the classic champagne recipe - Bouquet of Victory, Onegin and Tsimlyanskoye Sparkling.

Today, the vineyards occupy more than 1,000 hectares used specifically for sparkling wines. At one time it was another Russian response to the French.

The main range: a series of "Soviet champagne", aged for at least 6 months and "Tsimlyanskoye Gold" with a high content of nutmeg.

ABRAU-DURSO

Production is located in the Caucasus, at the same latitudes as the famous Champagne province. Sparkling drink is produced in several ways - bottled and in tanks.

The first involves the classics: aging and infusing the drink in glass containers - the Victor Dravigny and Imperial brands (from 600 rubles). But the tank method produces "Russian Champagne" and "Light", which is with a black label (from 500 rubles).

Phanagoria

These are Taman wines of the brand of the same name, including the "Number Reserve" and "Madame Pompadour" lines. Drinks are easy to drink, pleasant enough, and at a ridiculous price (from 200 rubles).

Brut "Madame Pompadour" for lovers of dry from the habit seems sweetish, but "Fanagoria", which has the best reviews, is produced by secondary fermentation in tanks and aged in bottles.

Asti

Asti is the territory of the same name in Piedmont (Italy), which served as the name for this fragrant champagne. “Asti Martini” is a light and pleasant drink made only from white nutmeg. It has no sugar at all, just the natural sweetness of grapes.

At its core, Asti is a sparkling wine with one stage of fermentation, since the secondary fermentation takes place in steel vats, and not in bottles. That is the only reason why it occupies the penultimate place in our ranking of champagnes.

Nevertheless, the floral-fruity fragrance is liked by all the fair sex without exception. “Cinzano Martini” and “Mondoro” are famous and popular lines.

The price of the product starts from 700 rubles. for a bottle.

Bosca

Inexpensive sparkling wines from an Italian manufacturer. The brand has more than 15 items, but in the vastness of Russia, white and sweet ones, on which “carbonated wine drink” is written, are especially popular. The alcohol content of the Anniversary brand is 7.5% - due to the fact that sugar is replaced by malt. Foaming is moderate, without carbonic acid hitting the nose. Price - from 300 rubles.

Stronger drinks - "Chardonnay", "Red label", "Asti". They are produced according to classical technology, and the price is correspondingly more expensive (from 400 rubles).

There is also a premium segment - Verdi spumante, Classic, Anniversary double and Moscato.

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by secondary fermentation in the Champagne region of France. As you may have guessed, this drink was named after the province where it comes from, but in the post-Soviet countries almost any carbonated drink can be called champagne, which of course is wrong.

Interesting fact. Real champagne glasses have inner walls with a microscopic relief layer for bubbles to stick to the walls.

Often, difficulties arise when choosing champagne for a wedding or other festive events, where the main task is to combine good quality and reasonable price. We will help you not to make a mistake when choosing a fizzy drink and reveal many nuances.

By following these tips, you will definitely choose a good champagne, but remember that the taste and color cannot please everyone, so you can only find your ideal option by trial and error.

Interesting infographics on the topic of champagne. Lots of interesting facts and useful tips.

Champagne variety

The amount of sugar added after fermentation and aging affects the production of any variety. Champagne is divided into:

• Sweet (Doux / Du) - very high sugar content. More than 50 g/l
• Semi-dry (Demi-sec / Demi sec) - contains about 33-50 g/l
• Dry (Sec / Sek) - sugar content in the range of 17-35 g / l
• Extra dry (Extra sec / Extra sec) - sugar content within 12-20 g/l
• The most dry or brut (Brut / Brut) - the sugar content is less than 15 g / l
• Extra brut (Extra brut / Extra brut) - sugar is not added to such champagne at all

The most common variety in the world (but not in Russia)- brut. In Russia, they prefer sweet or semi-dry sparkling wines, choose these varieties if you arrange events with a large number of guests. If you are on a diet, then it is better to choose brut, because. it contains almost no sugar

I really like champagne, namely French, real, and not "Soviet", Spanish, etc. But I agree, it takes a little getting used to brut, especially after many years of “Soviet sparkling”.

Feedback from the forum

Champagne quality

Producers divide champagne into:

• Champagne without year (champagne sans annee)- currently occupies a huge share of the wine market. This is a champagne that has not even been aged for a year. Only the type of champagne is written on such bottles. (white, pink, etc.) and be sure to indicate the sugar content.
• millezimnoe (millesime)- such wine is wholly or partly made from grapes of the harvest of the year indicated on the label.
• Prestigious (cuvee de prestige)- champagne made from the highest quality must, the year of production must be indicated and often the bottle can have an individual name.

It is also worth paying attention to the presence of an abbreviation, if there is one, then you are holding real, French champagne in your hands and you can be sure of its quality.

NM: negocian manipulant. These are companies (including most major brands) that buy grapes and produce wine;
CM: cooperative manipulation. Cooperatives that produce wine from grapes grown by members of the cooperative, with the entire crop pooled together;
RM: Recoltant manipulant. Producers who independently grow grapes and produce wine from them. They are allowed to purchase no more than 5% of the grapes from outside;
SR: Societe de recoltants. Association of winegrowers who produce common champagne but do not form a cooperative;
RC: Recoltant cooperateur. A member of a cooperative selling champagne produced by the cooperative under its own brand;
MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d'acheteur. A brand not associated with producers or growers; the name of the wine owned by someone else, such as a supermarket (such as Private Label);
ND: Negotiant distributeur. A merchant selling wine under his own brand.

Wikipedia

Grape sort

Traditionally, champagne is made from white chardonnay, red grape varieties are very rarely used, and these varieties are also rarely mixed.

Good to know. Champagne almost always comes out white (possibly yellowish) color, even if it was made from red grapes. This is because the juice has very little contact with the skin, which gives the grapes their color.

bottle size

Most often, champagne is bottled in standard bottles. (750 ml) and large bottles (1.5 l) they are called magnum. Champagne in large bottles, usually of better quality (because they have less oxygen), respectively, it costs much more than champagne in a standard bottle.

It is very difficult to find magnum bottles in Russia, because it is very difficult and expensive to produce them. (This can only be done by experienced glassblowers). If this bottle is not made correctly, it is likely that it will burst due to high pressure, so manufacturers use a more reliable option, a standard bottle for 0.75 l

Video about choosing champagne

The video will tell you how to choose the right champagne (a sparkling wine) in the store, they will also tell you which variety is better and which snack to use when serving it.

Conclusion

You have learned enough about champagne to pick it up for the festive table or just buy it for dinner. Now you can feel free to experiment and find your own taste without worrying about which champagne to choose.

Tests of household appliances are carried out in conditions as close as possible to the conditions of its use in everyday life.

The test program is formed by the Customer

WHAT A GOOD CHAMPAGNE

AiF conducted an examination of a fizzy drink in Rostest-Moscow

Which semi-sweet champagne is better.
We bought 5 bottles of semi-sweet champagne of Russian and Ukrainian production and sent it for examination to the Rostest-Moscow Testing Center for Food Products and Food Raw Materials.

Champagne can only be called white wine. And sparkling wines (which are often confused with champagne) can be white, rosé or red. At the same time, the foamy properties of these drinks are ensured by the fact that carbon dioxide naturally appears in them during fermentation. If it is added artificially, it is a cheap drink! “Sparkling, that is, the presence of small bubbles, fountains and a beautiful white cap (mousse) in a glass, shows that the drink is of high quality,” explained Rostest experts who conducted the study. The most long-playing was champagne "Novosvetskoe". And the bubbles from the Crimean sparkling wine evaporated the fastest.

The next indicator is the concentration of sugars. We checked it to understand whether our samples correspond to the declared “semi-sweet” category. “Among winemakers, it is believed that the added sugar corrects the shortcomings of the wine. That is why professionals especially appreciate brut varieties, where there is very little sugar and its level corresponds to the grape variety from which sparkling wine is made,” explains Roman Gaidashov, expert of the OZPP "Public Control". By the way, if the manufacturer adds more sugar than necessary (sugar and cognac alcohol are added to wine to make champagne), the drink may not have time to ferment - such champagne will turn out to be tasteless. In all samples, the concentration of sugar was normal. But we found the most sugar in the Novosvetskoye sparkling wine, and the least in Abrau-Dyurso.

An important indicator of the quality of champagne is the mass concentration of titratable acids. It depends on how the technological process was followed during production. If the concentration is below the norm, you have an unnatural low-grade wine in front of you. If it is higher, then the drink has gone bad. Among our subjects, all were within acceptable limits.

By the way, if you think that wine is a natural product without preservatives, then you are mistaken. In the production of any wine, including champagne, preservatives can be added to prevent bacteria from multiplying in the bottle. “Sulfur dioxide is the oldest and, one might say, the most harmless of them,” says Roman Gaidashov. - Domestic producers, as a rule, do not exceed the norm, but foreign wines often contain more sulfur dioxide. The point is in a stricter framework: in Russia the norm is no more than 200 mg / dm³, in the West - no more than 300. In our samples, the Silver Age champagne manufacturer turned out to be the most caring - he did not put a lot of preservative. But in the “Fires of Moscow” there was the most dioxide. True, the experts immediately rehabilitated it and noted that this sample pleased them with the price-quality-taste ratio.

The fullness of the wine, its taste, bouquet and saturation are determined, among other things, by the mass concentration of the given extract. This is exactly the “component” that depends on the raw material - grapes.

The higher the concentration, the fuller the taste of the drink. Usually in champagne from white grapes (white sparkling wines), this indicator is close to the lower limit of the norm. But in red, saturated wines, it is high. Among the tested bottles, Silver Age champagne has the most complete taste - the high price is justified. But the price of Novosvetskoye champagne is the same, but the saturation is much less.

WAITER, CHAMPAGNE!!

“Never ask for champagne... It's vulgar. Only wine! The waiter, by your appearance, should understand that you drink wine only champagne! - according to the memoirs of a contemporary, V. Mayakovsky taught good manners.
The poet knew what he was saying: champagne is not just good wine, but a kind of symbol. A sign of exclusivity, elitism. A sign of good taste and respectability.
“Not everyone likes it, not everyone can afford it ... But there is no strength to overcome the desire to bark at the whole hall: “Man, champagne!”. Know ours! - this is from the book by V. Gilyarovsky "Moscow and Muscovites".
Well, how not to remember “in the subject”: in the mornings, either aristocrats or degenerates drink champagne! Be that as it may, but there are days, there are events (and there are many of them) when we cannot do without champagne. Whether we love it or not so much. What, say, New Year without champagne?! Well, how not to raise a foaming glass for the happiness of the newlyweds? Or for the health of the esteemed hero of the day? And with the wishes of seven feet under the keel on the side of the ship they break not vodka, not French cognac or whiskey - only champagne! Champagne is the drink of the day. Such already this wine - champagne!

Buying champagne should be approached responsibly. After all, it can decorate a holiday, or maybe, if not spoil it, then seriously overshadow it ... Not champagne, of course, but a burda that you can easily buy in a champagne bottle. It will hiss for about five minutes in large bubbles and run out of steam, calm down forever and ever before the eyes of the astonished public. Soda!
Not all champagne that sizzles and foams! The first officially registered scam took a shameful place back in the reign of Nicholas I. Someone Krich, who arrived in Russia even “not for ranks and awards”, but with one goal - to get rich as quickly as possible, being in the position of director of the Crimean State School of Winemaking, without philosophizing for a long time over grape varieties and methods of making wine, launched the trade in Crimean wine under the label of the French "Rederer". For counterfeiting, as we would now qualify this act, the unscrupulous foreigner was expelled from Russia in disgrace by the emperor, who was quick to be punished.

Let's talk about what real champagne is and how not to be deceived when buying it, as well as about Russian traditions in the production of sparkling wines

Champagne, according to international law, can only be called wine produced in France, in the province of Champagne. This is a white or rosé sparkling wine, the saturation of which with carbon dioxide occurs during the secondary fermentation and subsequent aging.
In the manufacture of champagne, the strict rules stipulated by the country's legislation for this category of wines are strictly observed, regarding, in particular, the system of vine pruning and grape harvesting, yield per hectare. The whole process from picking berries to bottling is under the strict supervision of both the producers themselves and the French controlling organizations.
For the production of champagne wines, three grape varieties are used: Chardonnay - white, Pinot Noir - red, Pinot Meunier - red. Champagne made only from Chardonnay is called "white of whites". If champagne is made from red grapes, then it is called "white from black".
Grapes are harvested by hand, while unripe, damaged and rotten berries must be removed from the bunch with tongs. They are delivered for processing in special plastic baskets with holes in the bottom so that the grapes can “breathe”, and the juice from the damaged berries flows out and cannot be used for the production of champagne, since it inevitably oxidizes during transportation.
The premises where the presses are installed are built near the vineyards. Pressing is a very crucial moment. The main thing at this stage is to separate the skin and seeds from the must (grape juice) as soon as possible so that the dyes and tannins contained in the skin of red varieties do not get into it. Pressing takes place in several stages. The result is two wort fractions. The first is called cuvee. The best champagne wines are made from cuvée: they are distinguished by their special sophistication, freshness and the ability to have a longer life in the bottle.
The second fraction of the wort is called thai. Squeezed juice (wort) is kept for 12 hours at a low temperature. So it undergoes primary fermentation. It turns out the base wine for champagne. Part of it is left in reserve, sent to be stored in large tanks at a temperature of 10 ° C under an inert gas. This ensures maximum freshness of the wines until their use in subsequent years. The other part is assembled (mixed) with wines from different regions of Champagne, different grape varieties (and we already know that there are three of them) and, most often, different vintages. The most typical champagne is just such a mixture. It is based on the wine of the new vintage and plus reserve wines, that is, wines from previous vintages. The composition of such an assemblage can include up to 200 wines. This makes Champagne fundamentally different from other French wine regions, where the best wines almost always come from the same vineyard and are made from grapes from the same vintage.
Features of winemaking in Champagne are predetermined by climatic conditions. In this region, depending on the weather, the wines of one vineyard, but of different years, can vary beyond recognition. Grapes in Champagne rarely ripen completely, and assemblage allows you to compensate for the shortcomings of the grapes of a particular vineyard.
The purpose of the assemblage is not only to disguise, to level out shortcomings, but also to strive to ensure that the sum becomes better than any of its components. A master winemaker in Champagne is often compared to an artist, and the reserve wines he uses are compared to a palette. In especially good years, producers produce vintage champagnes or vintages from grapes of the same vintage.
To achieve the typical and recognizable style of his champagne, the master "winemaker conducts numerous tastings and mixing wines, after which he proceeds to assembling. After creating an assemblage mixture, the wine is bottled. Since the sugar content in it is usually less than 1 gram per liter, then to provoke the second fermentation (fermentation) in the bottle add tirage liquor, which consists of cane sugar dissolved in reserve wine, yeast and additives containing gelatin or bentonite.
Bottles are sealed with special “working” corks equipped with metal staples. After corking, the bottles are placed in a horizontal position in the cellars. Under the influence of the circulation liquor in the bottle, secondary fermentation begins, lasting from one to two months.
This time, the carbon dioxide formed during the fermentation process cannot escape and begins to dissolve in the wine. From time to time, the bottles are shaken slightly so that the resulting sediment (yeast decomposition products) does not stick to the walls.
After the completion of fermentation, a long exposure of champagne on the lees begins. During this period, the bottles are not touched at all. It is the long aging on the lees that gives champagne sophistication, richness and complexity. By law, non-vintage champagnes must age for at least 15 months, and vintage champagnes must age for at least three years.

At the end of the soak, the next process begins - remuage. The essence of this operation is to reduce the formed sediment to the cork. Traditionally, this operation is carried out on wooden music stands, resembling a sliding ladder with two boards, in which holes are made at a certain angle, allowing you to give the bottle any angle of inclination. The bottles are first placed in a horizontal position, then rotated around the axis by 1/8 every day, gradually tilting the neck down, gradually giving the bottle an almost vertical position.
It is believed that the idea of ​​​​remuage belongs to Madame Clicquot (whose name is one of the most famous champagnes), who for a long time was looking for a way to get rid of the sediment in the bottle until she found an original solution by sacrificing a dining table in which bottle holes were made at her order. Much later, tables were replaced by music stands, which took up much less space.
When the sediment reduced to the cork is sufficiently compacted, the stage of disgorgement begins, that is, the sediment is removed. The neck of the bottle is placed in a coolant at -20°C, the sediment turns into an ice floe and literally “shoots out” when the bottle is uncorked.
Before finally corking the bottle, dosing (or dosing) liquor is added to it - sugar dissolved in wine, the amount of which varies depending on the type (from completely dry to sweet).
The champagne is corked under strong pressure with a cork stopper, which is always provided with the marking of the champagne house. A metal cap is put on the cork, which protects it from rubbing with a muzzle - a wire structure that protects the cork from spontaneous flight.

The classic bottle method of champagne is complex and time-consuming, but guarantees high quality wine. Using this method, at the end of the 19th century they began to prepare champagne in Russia, in the Crimea, under the guidance of Prince Golitsyn, who is called the founder of the production of Russian champagne. Having deeply studied the winemaking of France, Golitsyn boldly set about organizing the production of champagne in his estate "New World" near Sudak, where he planted vineyards. According to his project, first-class cellars were built.
After ten years of experience in the production of sparkling wines using champagne, in 1890 Golitsyn began the industrial circulation of champagne. In 1896, Golitsyn champagne appears at a ceremonial dinner during the coronation celebrations of Nicholas II. In the same year, Golitsyn organizes the production of sparkling wines in AbrauDyurso. In the spring of 1900, at the Paris World Exhibition, Lev Golitsyn presented the 1899 edition of Novy Svet champagne from Russia. Russian champagne was unanimously recognized by experts and was awarded the highest award of the competition - the Grand Prix Silver Cup.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Academician Frolov Bagreev, the founder of the production of "Soviet Champagne", developed the acratophoric champagne method, in which secondary fermentation is carried out in special metal tanks - acratophores, which made it possible to reduce the duration of the technological process by 30 times.
A variation of this method is the continuous method of champagne, when the primary fermentation wine material is pumped through a system of 7-8 huge hermetically sealed tanks and turns into sparkling wine within 20 to 30 days. This is a cheaper, more democratic wine, but it meets the main, “generic” feature of sparkling wine: it is saturated with carbon dioxide in an absolutely natural way.
The bulk of the wine, which, calling champagne, we drink "for life", is produced using this simplified technology. Sparkling wines "in champagne" are made in many countries. In Italy they are called "spumante", in Spain - "cava", in Germany - "zekt" ... Sparkling wines produced according to the "champagne method" are obtained in all wine-growing provinces of France, but they are called "crema". got accustomed - "champagne". But we have to say goodbye to this name, so beloved by us. Alien Brand!
In 1997, Russia recognized the exclusive right of France to this trademark and assumed the obligation not to use the designation “champagne” (as well as “cognac”) for Russian exported drinks in the future. Within 20-25 years, the name “champagne” should be replaced by “sparkling” on the domestic market as well. Assuming champagne, we will drink sparkling!

Today, the market for sparkling wines is large and diverse. True connoisseurs can, if funds allow, treat themselves to a bottle of real French champagne "Veuve Clicquot"...
Or Moet and Chandon. There are many other famous brands as well. This class of drinks, frankly, is not available to everyone. But this is not a reason for frustration, if you are driven not by snobbery (“certainly French!”), but by a natural desire to give yourself gastronomic pleasure with wine of excellent quality. There are many worthy wines in the shops, made by us or our closest neighbors and sold, as they say, at our prices. Some of them still continue to be called champagne for the time being. Others establish themselves in the minds of consumers under the correct designation "sparkling".

Classic sparkling wine is produced by our Abrau Durso, Novy Svet in the Crimea, Artemovsky in Ukraine, Cricovo in Moldova. Red sweet sparkling wine with a fruity aroma is produced by the old Cossack method at the Tsimlyansky factory located in the Rostov region.
Wineries located far from the climatic zones of grape growth operate on wine materials purchased in the south of Russia, in Moldova, Spain, Italy, Argentina.
Champagne has a very subtle, unique bouquet and taste. Color - light straw or golden with a greenish sheen. The alcohol content is not more than 12.5%. The smaller the bubbles, the longer they play in the glass, resembling a rosary or a string of beads, the better, the better the quality of the wine.
Left in an uncorked bottle for the night, real sparkling wine will not run out of steam, will not calm down, and will play in the morning. When buying, carefully study the information on the label, which should indicate the manufacturer, its address and the trademark of the enterprise, as well as the designation of the taste characteristic: from absolutely dry to sweet.

Without reading the label, you run the risk of buying sparkling wine instead of champagne, at worst, a flavored sparkling drink made from alcohol, water, sugar, flavoring, which is artificially saturated with carbon dioxide. At the same time, the prices are such that it really is champagne, and not a liquid that promises heartburn.
It happens that on the label, cleverly made in the usual style of “Soviet champagne”, it is written in large size “Soviet semi-sweet”, and on the back label, which not everyone bothers to read, “Semi-sweet carbonated wine”. "Sparkling" is not "Sparkling". Probably, everyone understands that this is not the same thing, but in a hurry, and due to lack of experience, you can not get a grasp and instead of noble sparkling wine, buy artificially carbonated sparkling wine. Poppy!
If you bought real champagne, then you should know:
Champagne is usually served at a temperature of 8-10°C, which best contributes to the perception of the aroma and taste of the drink. To cool the wine, you can put it in the refrigerator (but not in the freezer) for about an hour or use a special ice bucket to cool it. Keeping champagne in the refrigerator for more than two days is not recommended - the cold kills the aroma and game of the drink. In general, champagne should not be stored for more than 2-3 years: the quality is lost. Champagne glasses should be washed with cold water without any detergents.

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