Louise Truswell works in and writes about the wine industry. To find out more and to choose from a range of Champagne, visit - www.virginwines.com
With almost 300 Champagne houses producing Champagne in the Champagne region, there’s potential for a lot of bottles to be produced each year. Around 320 million to be precise! With this in mind, choosing a bottle of Champagne may sound a daunting task. But there’s no need to fear. Once you know what to look for, deciding what to buy is simple. In this article, we cover everything you could need to know about Champagne, from types and styles through to bottle sizes. So once you’ve mastered your “Brut” from your “Balthazar”, you’ll be picking out bottles of Champagne in no time.
Grapes TypesThree grapes are used to make Champagne - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are black grapes, while Chardonnay is a white grape. The quantity that each grape is used varies according to the Champagne. If you come across a “Blanc de Blancs”, this is Champagne which is made exclusively from the Chardonnay grape. “Blanc de Noirs”, on the other hand, is Champagne made from the red grapes – Pinot Noir and/ or Pinot Meunier.
Champagne StylesChampagne comes in a range of styles from very dry through to very sweet. The normal dry style is known as “Brut”. If you prefer a slightly drier than normal style, look for “Extra” or “Ultra Brut”. “Sec” is slightly sweeter than normal, “Demi Sec” is sweeter, while “Doux” is an intensely sweet and very rare style of Champagne.
Champagne TypesThe cheapest Champagne type that you’ll come across is “Non Vintage”. This refers to Champagne that is blended from wines of several years and, in doing so, this ensures that a constant style is achieved. Non-vintage Champagne is stored for at least a year before it is sold, and is considered the entry level or house style Champagne. The next level of Champagne is known as a “Vintage”. This is made from a blend wines from a particular year, when the quality of the wine is good enough to declare a vintage. In this case, the Champagne will have been stored for at least three years. A very, very special bottle produced in a vintage year, is known as a “Prestige” or “Deluxe Cuvée”. This is the producer’s top notch Champagne and usually costs more than three times more than a non-vintage and possibly double the price of a vintage Champagne. The grapes will have been hand selected and the Champagne will have been left to mature for five to seven years. Finally, if you like your Champagne with a pink tinge, go for a Rosé based Champagne.
Champagne Bottle SizesThe most common Champagne bottles that you will come across are 75 cl bottles and Magnums (1.5 litres). However, it is also possible to find Quarter (18.75 cl) and Half bottles (37.5cl), along with Jeroboam (3 litres), Rehoboam (4.5 litres), Methuselah (6 litres), Salmanazar (9 litres), Balthazar (12 litres), and Nebuchadnezzar bottles (15 litres)!
The Champagne RegionChampagne refers to the region from where it was produced. The region of Champagne is the most northerly wine region in France and the “Champenois” (the collection of Champagne producers) are fiercely protective of its heritage. A bottle of Champagne has to be produced in the Champagne region for it to bear the Champagne label. So while all Champagne is classed as sparkling wine, you will come across sparkling wine which isn’t Champagne. Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco are good examples.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Flower and Champagne Delivery – Create the Mood for Jubilation
- Understanding the World of Champagne
- Know the Type Before Champagne Delivery
- Matching Champagne and Food
- Buying Champagne From Virgin Wines
- Champagne Cocktails
- Online Flower Delivery – When Words Fail Too
- Flower Delivery on Birthdays – Make Them More Memorable




Wine Storage Racks - How To Choose The Best Wine Bottle Storage Racks
By: Bob Cummins | 28/11/2009How to choose a wine storage rack for your home.
Home Wine Storage - 5 Tips For Storing Wine at Home
By: Bob Cummins | 28/11/2009Information about wine storage and wine storage furniture and solutions.
Making Wine That's Truly Special
By: Simon Dee Thomas | 27/11/2009I presume that most of you will think of grapes when you think of wine. After all, it is the most widely used fruit in making wine. In fact, from grapes come the three most popular kinds of wine --- Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. But are you aware that aside from these three kinds, there are still numerous types out there that you can readily have for your own use? And I’m not just talking about the various kinds of grape wines but there are other sources as well … not just grapes.
How to Make Grape Wine - Carignan
By: Simon Thomas | 26/11/2009If you are to ask about how to make grape wine, let us discuss first this particular kind that is one of the most famous among all kinds of grape wines --- Carignan. Carignan is the most widely-planted grape that is used in making red wine in the region of France. In the 1960’s, when Algeria gained its independence, it became an affordable source of ripe grapes from where France takes its opportunity and gets its huge supply.
Why Cheap Wines Glasses Are the Best
By: Markus Sanarko | 26/11/2009Purchasing cheap wines glasses is an idea that attracts a great number of people that would like to enjoy a luxury item like this that will not end up costing them a lot of money. One of the biggest reasons that people like to purchase cheap wine glasses for use in their home is that they will reduce a lot of stress.
Choosing the Best Cheap Wine Glasses
By: Markus Sanarko | 26/11/2009No matter if you are holding a holiday party, your wedding reception or another special event, the wine you serve as well as the glasses you serve the wine will be something you need to consider which leads to thoughts of cheap wine glasses.
Cheap Wine Glasses - What To Look For
By: Markus Sanarko | 26/11/2009Words There are more and more people that are looking for a great set of wine glasses that they can serve wine in on special occasions. Since wine glasses can be extremely expensive, this causes many people to want to buy cheap wine glasses as an alternative to their more expensive counterparts.
Cheap Wine Glasses - How to Buy Them
By: Markus Sanarko | 26/11/2009If you find yourself constantly worrying over your guests breaking your expensive wine glass whenever you throw a party, then you might want to give cheap wine glasses a try. But just because they’re cheap, doesn’t mean that you have to settle for plastic ones.
Sauvignon Blanc – Getting To Know This Zingy Little Grape
By: Louise Truswell | 22/08/2009 | Wines & SpiritsThe spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc is The Loire in France, however since the 1980’s New Zealand has been doing big things with this grape. If you like your white wines refreshing, fruity and a little zingy, then Sauvignon Blanc is for you. It also makes a great food wine.
Malbec – All You Need To Know
By: Louise Truswell | 22/08/2009 | Wines & SpiritsMalbec makes big, meaty red wines, which are full of lots of dark, spicy damson and bramble fruits. Perhaps slightly less well known than its Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon cousins, but by no means lacking in taste, Malbec displays clear characteristics of each. Here we get to know it a little more.
Getting To Know Pinot Noir
By: Louise Truswell | 22/08/2009 | RecipesPinot Noir is a fiddly little grape to grow but when it’s at it best it produces some of the most esteemed and expensive wines in the world. Read on learn more about this exciting little grape.
Everything You Need To Know About Riesling
By: Louise Truswell | 22/08/2009 | Cooking TipsRiesling is an aromatic little white grape, which is full of flavour, sugar and acid. It really takes on the conditions of its surroundings meaning that the wines reflect the environment in which they are grown, be it the soil type, the climate or how the grapes are treated. Riesling wines come in a variety of styles from very dry through to lusciously sweet.
Understanding French Wine Regions
By: Louise Truswell | 05/06/2009 | Wines & SpiritsUnderstanding French wine can be daunting, especially when you start to delve deeper into the mix of regions, grape varieties, complex laws and labels that make up the country’s wine industry. To help you on your way, we’ve put together a short guide to French wine so you can get an idea for the types of wine that you can expect from each region.
Italian Wine Regions
By: Louise Truswell | 05/06/2009 | Wines & SpiritsItaly is said to be the second largest wine producer in the world and boasts a myriad of winemaking regions, each producing a diverse array of wines. With reports of 900,000 registered vineyards (enough for one vineyard for every seven people) and more native grapes than any other wine country.
New Zealand Wine – Getting To Know The Regions From Where It Is Made
By: Louise Truswell | 04/06/2009 | Wines & SpiritsNew Zealand is somewhat of a newcomer to the world of wine, especially when you compare it to the likes of France and Spain. But that’s not to say that New Zealand wine can’t stand up to its old world rivals. The country exports a vast amount of its wine production, makes arguably the best Sauvignon Blanc on the planet and its Pinot Noir is beginning to create a stir. But with over 10 New Zealand wine making regions to choose from and each producing some very diverse styles of wine.
Is There More To Spanish Wines Than Just Rioja?
By: Louise Truswell | 04/06/2009 | Wines & SpiritsAny Spanish wine tour wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Rioja. It has been the epitome of Spanish wine for generations after all. However, Rioja is not the only wine coming out of this country. Here we take a look at how other Spanish wine regions stand up to their famous rival.