Champagne – A sparkling wine named by origin, which is produced in France, namely in the Champagne region from certain grape varieties, by the method of secondary fermentation of wine in bottles.
The wines of the Champagne region were known even before the Middle Ages, there were church vineyards from which the finished wine was used for ritual ceremonies, mainly during the sacrament of communion. The coronation ceremony of French monarchs traditionally took place in Reims, where wines from champagne was an integral part of such royal ceremonies. Kings valued light refreshing table wines (not sparkling), which were sent as a token of respect to other European monarchs. In the 17th century in European countries, champagne table wines were preferred for celebrations. Among them, the British were the biggest consumers of table wines from the Champagne region, but they also consumed sparkling wines in no less quantity. The first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the region of Limoux (a municipality in the Languedoc region of France) around 1535, but it was not invented there.
Unfortunately, it is not known who first created sparkling wine. Many people have contributed to the history of Champagne, all this contradicts the legend folk history, according to which sparkling wine was invented in France, namely by the Benedictine monk from the abbey of Ovillers, Pierre Pérignon (who lived in the 17th century). Although he did not invent a method for making sparkling wines, it is known that he made a great contribution to the improvement of the drink during the wine production process. In particular, he discovered the method of “blending” (mixing the juice of different grape varieties together) began bottling wine, which he corked with cork oak corks, which allowed him to retain carbon dioxide in the bottle, which previously caused wine barrels to explode. In the neighborhood of Ovillers Abbey, it was noticed that black glass bottles were less likely to break, but it was not until 1800 that the apothecary François of Châlons invented the modern bottle, which took into account not only the color of the glass, but also the wall thickness shape of the bottle.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the winemaker’s widow, later known as “Madame Clicquot”, was able to correct another significant touch in the “legacy” of Pierre Pérignon. His winemaker Antoine Miller developed the “remuage” technology, thanks to which champagne became crystal clear.
The decisive discovery was made in 1874 by winemaker Victor Lambert, who developed a fermentation technology that converts malic acid into lactic acid. Thanks to this, Brut was born – a very dry champagne, which soon became the most popular wine in the world.
By the end of the 17th century, a method of producing sparkling wines became known in Champagne, which coincided with the introduction of special production processes (light pressing, dosing) the invention of relatively dense bottles in Engl that could withst additional pressure.
Based on the foregoing, it can be assumed that sparkling champagne originated around 1700.
Within the jurisdiction of the European Union, “champagne” can be called wine that is produced only in the Champagne region. But, despite this limitation, different producers – in America, Canada or Russia – call their sparkling wine “champagne”. The “Interprofessional Committee of Champagne” (Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne) created a code of rules defined criteria for all wines of the Champagne region. These rules are adopted to ensure the production of high quality products.
The collection mentions places where it is recommended to grow grapes. Also given are the grape varieties suitable for the region. According to the mentioned code, only 7 grape varieties are allowed for production, but the vast majority of champagne wines are made both from one variety “assembly”, from the three most famous varieties: Chardonnay (chardonnay); Pinot Noir (pinot noir) Pinot Meunier (pinot meunier). The remaining four varieties: Pinot Blanc (pinot blanc); Pinot – Gris (pinot gris); Petit Meslier Arbane. A fairly extensive list of requirements that determine the main aspects of vine care is also indicated. Among them are pruning – vine formation, yield from the vineyard, the degree of pressing of the grapes, the minimum aging period, if the wine meets all these requirements, only in this case the name “champagne” can be used on the label. The rules developed by the Committee for Champagne Wines are approved by the French National Institute of Origin Quality (INAO).
Davit Shalamberidze