"Champagne" is renowned the world over as the most evergreen partner of choice for any event where celebration, luxury and romance are the themes.
What's more, Champagne tastes fabulous, is a proven anti-depressant and its even good for your waistline (Champagne is in fact a mild diuretic!).
There are very scientific reasons behind its expense and unique position in the wine world - so "Champagne" also makes for a fabulous topic of discussion and appreciation for all sorts of different audiences and occasions.
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Champagne is a sparkling wine style unique to the champagne region and produced from the classic varieties of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The final product – precious world-renowned wines are a result of the combined effects of soil, orientation, climate and cultivation practises as well as history and commerce. This is the definition of "terroir".
The term 'sparkling wine' covers all other carbonated wine. Inexpensive wines are often made from high yield, lower flavoured varieties such as chenin blanc, colombard, trebbiano and muscadelle. Medium-quality wines tend to be made from Semillon and high yield chardonnay grown in warmer climates. Premium Australian wines are best when made from a blend of cooler climate, low volume chardonnay and pinot noir.
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A strictly controlled 34,000 hectares under vine in a very marginal wine producing area (50'N), where the average daily temperature during the growing season is 10.2'. Champagne grapes are sourced from more than a hundred different villages and cultivated by some 18,000 owner growers.
However 54% of total plantings are in holdings of less than one hectare, so it's no wonder the harvest logistics in Champagne are daunting and differentiate the area from other sparkling wine production regions. Interestingly the major Champagne houses own just 10% of the land but account for more than 80% of annual Champagne sales - 150.9 million bottles worldwide (source 2007 CIVC)
Soil and Climate
The climate of the Champagne region is a mix of northern continental and Atlantic influences. As these conditions are not ideal for the cultivation of grapes, the length of the vineyards' growth cycle is pushed to the limit, to achieve a longer ripening period. Therefore, the wines have higher sugar-acid ratio, subtler aromas, elegance and finesse. The region also benefits from the many variations in altitude, humidity, angle of slope, and sunshine that create numerous microclimates.
The Champagne region soil is limestone-based, and the best vineyards have the highest chalk content. The Marne River which flows through the region is roughly the epicenter of the region, and the champagne appellation is mostly found on the middle section of the eroded hills of its valley.
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