Champagne
Acidity, fine bubbles and time on lees give Champagne its distinctive depth.
Terroirs, appellations and label clues
Blanc de blancs uses white grapes; blanc de noirs is white Champagne from black grapes. Vintage and non-vintage describe harvest years, while brut and demi-sec describe sugar. These are separate axes: vintage does not mean sweeter.
To get started
Compare a Chardonnay-focused wine with a blend: acidity, texture and fruit expression need not feel the same.
Key grapes
Chardonnay — From crisp and mineral to broad and buttery. Compare an unoaked version with a barrel-aged one: the grape stays the same, while fermentation and ageing change texture.
Pinot Noir — Finesse, red fruit and a clear sense of place. Serve it slightly cool and watch its perfume open in the glass; too much warmth accentuates alcohol.
Meunier — Supple fruit and roundness in Champagne blends. In a Champagne blend, look for its fruit and suppleness beside Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Compare regions
Compare regions in the same country too: the same grape can produce different wines as climate, site and producer choices change.
Style descriptions are guides, not rules: vintage, vineyard, blending and maturation change the result.
