View source for Champagne

{{short description|French sparkling wine}}
{{Hatnote group|
{{About|the type of wine|the historic French province after which it is named|Champagne (province)|other uses}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=June 2022}}
[[File:Glass of champagne.jpg|thumb|A glass of Champagne exhibiting the characteristic [[liquid bubble|bubbles]] associated with the wine]]
'''Champagne''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|æ|m|ˈ|p|eɪ|n}}; {{IPA|fr|ʃɑ̃paɲ|lang|LL-Q150 (fra)-Mathieu Kappler-Champagne.wav}}) is a [[sparkling wine]] originated and produced in the [[Champagne wine region]] of [[France]] under the rules of the [[appellation]],<ref name="Oxford pp. 150–153">{{cite book |editor=J. Robinson |title=The Oxford Companion to Wine |edition=Third |pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/150 150–153] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2006 |isbn=0-19-860990-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont00janc/page/150 }}</ref> which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, specific grape-pressing methods and [[secondary fermentation (wine)|secondary fermentation]] of the wine in the bottle to cause [[carbonation]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[Kentucky Courier-Journal]] |date=13 December 2011 |title=Not all wines with bubbles are Champagne }}</ref> 
[[File:A village with vineyards in Champagne, France 1987.jpg|thumb|right|Vineyards in the [[Champagne (wine region)|Champagne region]] of France]]

The grapes [[Pinot noir]], [[Pinot meunier]], and [[Chardonnay]] are used to produce almost all Champagne, but small amounts of [[Pinot blanc]], [[Pinot gris]] (called Fromenteau in Champagne), [[Arbane]], and [[Petit Meslier]] are vinified as well.

Champagne became associated with royalty in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The leading manufacturers made efforts to associate their Champagnes with [[nobility]] and [[royal family|royalty]] through [[advertising]] and packaging, which led to its popularity among the emerging [[middle class]].<ref name="Oxford pp. 150–153"/>

==Origins==
{{Main|History of Champagne}}
[[File:De Troy Oyster Lunch.PNG|right|thumb|[[Jean François de Troy]]'s 1735 painting ''{{lang|fr|Le Déjeuner d'Huîtres}}'' (The Oyster Luncheon) is the first known depiction of Champagne in painting.]]
Still wines from the Champagne region were known before [[Middle Ages|medieval]] times. The [[Ancient Rome and wine|Romans]] were the first to plant vineyards in this area of northeast France, with the region being tentatively cultivated by the 5th century. Cultivation was initially slow due to the unpopular edict by [[Domitian|Emperor Domitian]] that all colonial vines must be uprooted. When [[Probus (emperor)|Emperor Probus]], the son of a gardener, rescinded the edict, a temple to [[Dionysus|Bacchus]] was erected, and the region started to produce a light, fruity, red wine that contrasted with heavier Italian brews often fortified with resin and herbs.<ref>Coates, Clive. ''An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France''. University of California Press, 2000. pp. 539–40.</ref> Later, the Catholic [[Roman Catholicism|church]] owned [[vineyard]]s, and monks produced wine for use in the sacrament of the [[Eucharist]]. [[List of French monarchs|French kings]] were traditionally anointed in [[Reims]], and champagne was served as part of [[coronation]] festivities. The Champenois were envious of the reputation of the wines made by their [[Burgundian (wine)|Burgundian]] neighbours to the south and sought to produce wines of equal acclaim. However, the northern [[climate]] of the region gave the Champenois a unique set of challenges in making [[red wine]]. At the far extremes of sustainable [[viticulture]], the grapes would struggle to ripen fully and often would have bracing levels of [[acids in wine|acidity]] and low [[sugars in wine|sugar levels]]. The wines would be [[wine tasting descriptions|lighter bodied]] and thinner than the Burgundy wines they sought to outdo.<ref name="Johnson pp 210-219">{{cite book |author=H. Johnson |title=Vintage: The Story of Wine |pages=[https://archive.org/details/vintagestoryofwi00john/page/210 210–219] |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=1989 |isbn=0-671-68702-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/vintagestoryofwi00john/page/210 }}</ref>

Contrary to legend and popular assumption, [[Dom Pérignon (monk)|Dom Pérignon]] did not invent sparkling wine, though he did make important contributions to the production and quality of both still and sparkling Champagne wines.<ref>Christopher Merret Biographical Information. [[Royal Society]] website</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Gérard Liger-Belair |year=2004 |title=Uncorked: The Science of Champagne |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |pages=12–13 |isbn=978-0-691-11919-9 }}</ref> The oldest recorded sparkling wine is [[Blanquette de Limoux]], which was invented by Benedictine monks in the [[Abbey of Saint-Hilaire]], near [[Carcassonne]], in 1531.<ref>{{cite book |author=Tom Stevenson |year=2005 |title=Sotheby's Wine Encyclopaedia |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |isbn=0-7513-3740-4 |page=237 }}</ref> They achieved this by bottling the wine before the initial fermentation had ended. Over a century later, the [[English people|English]] scientist and physician [[Christopher Merret]] documented the addition of sugar to a finished wine to create a second fermentation six years before [[Dom Pérignon (monk)|Dom Pérignon]] set foot in the [[Abbey]] of [[Hautvillers]]. Merret presented a paper at the [[Royal Society]], in which he detailed what is now called ''{{lang|fr|[[Traditional method|méthode traditionnelle]]}}'', in 1662.<ref name="herald">{{cite web |last=McQuillan|first=Rebecca |work=The Herald |title=What's the story with ... Champagne? |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23670868.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610165239/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-23670868.html |archive-date=2014-06-10 }}</ref> Merret's discoveries coincided also with English [[glass]]-makers' technical developments that allowed bottles to be produced that could withstand the required internal pressures during secondary fermentation. French glass-makers at this time could not produce bottles of the required quality or strength{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}. As early as 1663, the poet [[Samuel Butler (poet)|Samuel Butler]] referred to "brisk champagne".<ref>{{Cite book|last=Butler|first=Samuel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h8YIAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-PA29|title=Hudibras. The first (second, third) part &#91;by S. Butler&#93;. Corrected and amended, with several additions and annotations|date=1709|language=en}}</ref>

In France, the first sparkling champagne was created accidentally; the pressure in the bottle led it to be called "the devil's wine" (''{{lang|fr|le vin du diable}}''), as bottles exploded or corks popped. At the time, bubbles were considered a fault. In 1844, Adolphe Jaquesson invented the [[muselet]] to prevent the corks from blowing out. Initial versions were difficult to apply and inconvenient to remove.<ref name="dumangin">{{cite web |url=http://www.champagne-dumangin.com/uk/finition/muselet.html |title=Muselet |publisher=Champagne J Dumangin fils |access-date=20 May 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cuveesclassiques.co.za/brands/jacquesson |title=Jaquesson |publisher=Cuvées Classiques |access-date=20 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013031847/http://www.cuveesclassiques.co.za/brands/jacquesson |archive-date=13 October 2012}}</ref> Even when it was deliberately produced as a sparkling wine, champagne was for a very long time made by the ''{{lang|fr|méthode rurale}}'', where the wine was bottled before the initial fermentation had finished. Champagne did not use the ''{{lang|fr|méthode champenoise}}'' until the 19th century, about 200 years after Merret documented the process. The 19th century saw a dramatic growth in champagne production, going from a regional production of 300,000 bottles a year in 1800 to 20 million bottles in 1850.<ref name="Phillips p. 241">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/241 241] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/241 }}</ref> In 2007, champagne sales hit a record of 338.7 million bottles.<ref name="Stelzer p. 34">{{cite book |author=T. Stelzer |title=The Champagne Guide 2014–2015 |page=34 |publisher=[[Hardie Grant Books]] |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-74270-541-5}}</ref>

In the 19th century, champagne was noticeably sweeter than today's champagnes. The trend towards drier champagne began when [[Perrier-Jouët]] decided not to sweeten his 1846 vintage before exporting it to [[London]]. The designation ''Brut'' Champagne was created for the British in 1876.<ref name="Phillips p. 242">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/242 242] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/242 }}</ref>

The only wines that are legally allowed to be named "Champagne" must be bottled within 100 miles of the Champagne region in France. The name is legally protected by European law and an 1891 treaty that requires true champagne to be produced in the Champagne region and made from the Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay grapes grown in this region.

==Rights to the name==
{{Main|Champagne (wine region)}}

[[File:Anbau champagner.png|thumb|right|A map of French wine regions, with the Champagne appellation highlighted in red]]

The Champagne winemaking community, under the auspices of the {{lang|fr|[[Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne]]}} (CIVC), has developed a comprehensive set of rules and regulations for all wine produced in the region to protect its economic interests. They include codification of the most suitable growing places, the most suitable grape types (most Champagne is a blend of up to three grape varieties, though other [[#Grape varieties and styles|varieties are allowed]]), and a lengthy set of requirements specifying most aspects of [[viticulture]]. This includes pruning, vineyard yield, the degree of pressing, and the time that wine must remain on its [[lees (fermentation)|lees]] before bottling. It can also limit the release of Champagne to market to maintain prices. Only when a wine meets these requirements may it be labelled Champagne. The rules agreed upon by the CIVC are submitted for the final approval of the {{lang|fr|[[Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité]]}} (formerly the ''{{lang|fr|Institut National des Appellations d'Origine}}'', INAO).

In 2007, the [[INAO]], the government organization that controls wine appellations in France, was preparing to make the largest revision of the region's legal boundaries since 1927 in response to economic pressures. With soaring demand and limited production of grapes, Champagne houses say the rising price could produce a consumer backlash that would harm the industry for years into the future. That and political pressure from villages that wanted to be included in the expanded boundaries led to the move. Changes are subject to significant scientific review and are said not to impact Champagne-produced grapes until 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Nassauer |first=Sarah |title=Demand for Champagne gives Peas a chance |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=14 December 2007 |page=B1 }}</ref> A final decision is not expected until 2023<ref name="France TV info">{{cite news |title=Pourquoi la Champagne va subir son plus grand bouleversement depuis 1927 |url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/grand-est/pourquoi-champagne-va-subir-son-plus-grand-bouleversement-1927-1621387.html |access-date=16 June 2022 |work=France 3 Grand Est |language=fr-FR|author-first1=Charles-Henry|author-last1=Boudet}}</ref> or 2024.<ref name="Times expansion">{{cite news |last1=Sage |first1=Adam |title=Champagne region expansion uncorks grapes of wrath |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/champagne-region-expansion-uncorks-grapes-of-wrath-k5f6p8x9x |access-date=16 June 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

===Use of the word ''Champagne''===
[[File:Grape-Shot.jpg|thumb|left|upright|1915 English magazine illustration of a lady riding a Champagne cork (Lordprice Collection)]]
Sparkling wines are produced worldwide, but many legal structures reserve the word ''Champagne'' exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region, made in accordance with {{lang|fr|[[Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne]]}} regulations. In the European Union and many other countries, the name ''Champagne'' is [[protected designation of origin|legally protected]] by the [[Madrid system]] under an 1891 treaty, which reserved it for the sparkling wine produced in the toponymous region and adhering to the standards defined for it as an ''{{lang|fr|[[appellation d'origine contrôlée]]}}''; the protection was reaffirmed in the [[Treaty of Versailles]] after World War I. Over 70 countries have adopted similar legal protection. Most recently [[Australia]],<ref>{{cite web |author=Christopher Werth |url=http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/australia-corks-its-use-champagne |title=Australia corks its use of 'champagne' |work=Marketplace |date=1 September 2010 |access-date=16 March 2012 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006104905/http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/australia-corks-its-use-champagne }}</ref> [[Chile]], [[Brazil]], [[Canada]] and [[China]] passed laws or signed agreements with Europe that limit the use of the term "Champagne" to only those products produced in the Champagne region. The United States bans the use on all new U.S.-produced wine brands.<ref name="Section">{{usc|26|5388}}</ref> However, those that had approval to use the term on labels before 2006 [[Grandfather clause|may continue to use it]], provided the term is accompanied by the wine's actual origin (e.g., "California").<ref name="Section"/> The majority of US-produced sparkling wines do not use the term ''Champagne'' on their labels,<ref name="Champagne Bureau">{{cite web |url=http://www.champagne.us/ |title=United States Champagne Bureau Champagne in United States Champagne America |publisher=Champagne.us |date=2021-03-31 |access-date=2022-03-04 |archive-date=3 April 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050403162700/http://www.champagne.us/ }}</ref> and some states, such as Oregon,<ref name="Oregon State Law 471">Oregon State Law 471, including 471.030, 471.730 (1) & (5)</ref> ban producers in their states from using the term.

Several key U.S. wine regions, such as those in California ([[Napa Valley AVA|Napa]], [[Sonoma Valley AVA|Sonoma Valley]], [[Paso Robles AVA|Paso Robles]]), [[Oregon wine|Oregon]], and [[Walla Walla Valley AVA|Walla Walla, Washington]], came to consider the remaining semi-generic labels as harmful to their reputations (cf. [[Napa Declaration on Place]]).

Even the terms ''{{lang|fr|méthode champenoise}}'' and ''Champagne method'' were forbidden by an EU court decision in 1994.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:61993J0306:EN:NOT |title=Judgment of the Court of 13 December 1994, ''SMW Winzersekt GmbH v Land Rheinland-Pfalz'', Preliminary reference – Assessment of validity – Description of sparkling wines – Prohibition of reference to the method of production known as "''méthode champenoise''" |access-date=23 January 2007 }}</ref> {{As of|2005}} the description most often used for sparkling wines using the second fermentation in the bottle process, but not from the Champagne region, is ''{{lang|fr|méthode traditionnelle}}''. Sparkling wines are produced worldwide, and many producers use special terms to define them: Spain uses ''[[Sparkling Wine#Cava|Cava]]'', Italy designates it ''{{lang|it|[[spumante]]}}'', and South Africa uses ''{{lang|fr|cap classique}}''. An Italian sparkling wine made from the [[Muscat (grape)|Muscat]] grape uses the [[Denominazione di origine controllata|DOCG]] ''[[Asti wine|Asti]]'' and from the [[Glera (grape)|Glera]] grape the DOC ''[[Prosecco]]''. In Germany, [[Sekt]] is a common sparkling wine. Other French wine regions cannot use the name Champagne: e.g., [[Burgundy]] and [[Alsace]] produce ''{{lang|fr|[[Crémant]]}}''. In 2008, more than 3,000 bottles of sparkling wine produced in California labelled with the term "Champagne" were destroyed by Belgian government authorities.<ref>{{cite news |author=Alexandra Stadnyk |title=Belgium destroys California bubbly |work=[[BusinessWeek]] online |date=10 January 2008 }}</ref>

Regardless of the legal requirements for labeling, extensive efforts by the Champagne region, and the use of alternative names by non-Champagne sparkling wine producers, some consumers, and wine sellers, including "Korbels California Champagne", use ''Champagne'' as a generic term for white sparkling wines, regardless of origin.

The village of [[Champagne, Switzerland]] has traditionally made a still wine labelled as "Champagne": the earliest records of viticulture dated to 1657. In 1999, in an accord with the EU, the Swiss government conceded that, by 2004, the village would phase out the use of the name. Sales dropped from 110,000 bottles a year to 32,000 after the change. In April 2008, the villagers resolved to fight against the restriction following a Swiss open-air vote.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7332473.stm |title=Swiss town fights champagne ban |date=5 April 2008 |work=[[BBC News Online]] }}</ref>

In the [[Soviet Union]], all sparkling wines were called {{lang|ru|шампанское}} (''{{lang|ru-Latn|shampanskoe}}'', Russian for "that, which is of Champagne"). The name is still used today for some brands of sparkling wines produced in former Soviet republics, such as ''{{lang|ru-Latn|[[Sovetskoye Shampanskoye]]}}'' and ''{{lang|ru-Latn|Rossiyskoe Shampanskoe}}''. In 2021, [[Russia]] banned the use of the designation {{lang|ru|шампанское}} for imported sparkling wine, including sparkling wine produced in the Champagne wine region, reserving the designation for domestically produced sparkling wine only.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Pomranz |first=Mike |date=6 July 2021 |title=Only Wines Made in Russia Can Be Called Champagne Under New Putin Law |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/news/russia-champagne-law-sparkling-wine-label |magazine=[[Food & Wine]] |access-date=4 September 2021 |archive-date=4 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210904113355/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/russia-champagne-law-sparkling-wine-label }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=11 July 2021 |title=Russia just banned the use of the word "Shampanskoye" – the Russian word for champagne – on imported bottles |url=https://www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg/gourmet-travel/russia-just-banned-the-use-of-the-word-shampanskoye-the-russian-word-for-champagne-on-imported-bottles/ |magazine=The Peak Magazine |access-date=4 September 2021}}</ref>

==Production==
{{Main|Sparkling wine production}}
[[File:Champagne-Remuer.jpg|right|frame|upright|Le Remueur: 1889 engraving of the man engaged in the daily task of turning each bottle a fraction]]

Formerly known as ''méthode champenoise'' or ''méthode classique'', champagne is produced by a traditional method. After primary [[fermentation (wine)|fermentation]] and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second fermentation is induced by adding several grams of yeast ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'' and rock sugar to the bottle – although each brand has its own secret recipe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.cellarer.com/champagne-yeastiness/ |publisher=Cellarer.com |title=Yeast taste in Champagne }}</ref> According to the ''{{lang|fr|[[appellation d'origine contrôlée]]}}'' a minimum of fifteen months is required to completely develop all the flavour. For years where the harvest is exceptional, a ''{{lang|fr|millésime}}'' is declared and some champagne will be made from and labelled as the products of a single vintage (''vintage champagne'') rather than a blend of multiple years' harvests. This means that the champagne will be very good and has to mature for at least three years. During this time the champagne bottle is sealed with a [[crown cap]] similar to that used on beer bottles.<ref name="Oxford pp. 150–153"/>

After aging, the bottle is manipulated, either manually or mechanically, in a process called ''{{lang|fr|remuage}}'' (or "riddling" in English), so that the [[lees (fermentation)|lees]] settle in the neck of the bottle. After chilling the bottles, the neck is frozen, and the cap removed. This process is called disgorgement. The {{convert|6|bar|psi|-1|adj=on|spell=in}} pressure<ref>{{cite web |last1=Matthews |first1=Robert |title=How much pressure is there in a champagne bottle? |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/how-much-pressure-is-there-in-a-champagne-bottle/ |website=[[BBC Science Focus]] Magazine |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210604204135/https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/how-much-pressure-is-there-in-a-champagne-bottle/ |archive-date=4 June 2021 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref> in the bottle forces out the ice containing the lees. 
[[File:Champagne dosager.jpg|thumb|Champagne dosager]]
Some wine from previous vintages and additional sugar (''{{lang|fr|le dosage}}'') is added to maintain the level within the bottle and adjust the sweetness of the finished wine. The bottle is then quickly corked to maintain the [[carbon dioxide]] in solution.<ref name="Oxford pp. 150–153"/>

===Bubbles===
{{See also|Carbonation}}
[[File:Rose Champagne Bubbles.jpg|thumb|left|Bubbles from rosé Champagne]]
An initial burst of effervescence occurs when the champagne contacts the dry glass on pouring. These bubbles form on imperfections in the glass that facilitate [[nucleation]] or, to a minimal extent, on cellulose fibres left over from the wiping and drying process as shown with a high-speed [[video camera]].<ref>{{in lang|fr}} {{Cite journal |author=G. Liger-Belair |title=La physique des bulles de champagne |trans-title=The physics of the bubbles in Champagne |journal={{lang|fr|[[Annales de Physique]]}} |year=2002 |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=1–106 |url=http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/anphys/abs/2002/04/ann042002/ann042002.html |doi=10.1051/anphys:2002004 |bibcode=2002AnPh...27d...1L |access-date=26 November 2005 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081201160806/http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/anphys/abs/2002/04/ann042002/ann042002.html |archive-date=1 December 2008 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, after the initial rush, these naturally occurring imperfections are typically too small to consistently act as nucleation points as the surface tension of the liquid smooths out these minute irregularities. The nucleation sites that act as a source for the ongoing effervescence are not natural imperfections in the glass, but actually occur where the glass has been etched by the manufacturer or the customer. This etching is typically done with acid, a laser, or a glass etching tool from a craft shop to provide nucleation sites for continuous bubble formation (note that not all glasses are etched in this way). In 1662 this method was developed in England, as records from the [[Royal Society]] show.

[[Dom Pérignon (monk)|Dom Pérignon]] was originally charged by his superiors at the [[Abbey]] of [[Hautvillers]] to get rid of the bubbles since the pressure in the bottles caused many of them to burst in the cellar.<ref name="Kladstrup p. 25">{{cite book |author=D. & P. Kladstrup |title=Champagne |date=November 2005 |page=[https://archive.org/details/champagnehowworl00klad/page/25 25] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=0-06-073792-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/champagnehowworl00klad/page/25 }}</ref> As sparkling wine production increased in the early 18th century, cellar workers had to wear a heavy iron mask to prevent injury from spontaneously bursting bottles. The disturbance caused by one bottle exploding could cause a chain reaction, with it being routine for cellars to lose 20–90% of their bottles this way. The mysterious circumstance surrounding the then unknown process of fermentation and carbonic gas caused some critics to call the sparkling creations "The Devil's Wine".<ref name="Kladstrup pp. 46–47">{{cite book |author=D. & P. Kladstrup |title=Champagne |date=November 2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/champagnehowworl00klad/page/46 46–47] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=0-06-073792-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/champagnehowworl00klad/page/46 }}</ref>

[[File:Champagne uncorking photographed with a high speed air-gap flash.jpg|thumb|upright|Champagne uncorking captured via high-speed photography]]

===Champagne producers===
{{Main|List of Champagne houses}}
{{See also|Grower Champagne}}
There are more than one hundred champagne houses and 19,000 smaller ''{{lang|fr|vignerons}}'' (vine-growing producers) in Champagne. These companies manage some 32,000 hectares of vineyards in the region. The type of champagne producer can be identified from the abbreviations followed by the official number on the bottle:<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178">{{cite book |editor=T. Stevenson |title=The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia |url=https://archive.org/details/newsothebyswinee00stev_053 |url-access=limited |edition=4th |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newsothebyswinee00stev_053/page/n166 169]–178 |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2005 |isbn=0-7513-3740-4 }}</ref>

* '''NM''': ''{{lang|fr|Négociant manipulant}}''. These companies (including the majority of the larger brands) buy grapes and make the wine
* '''CM''': ''{{lang|fr|Coopérative de manipulation}}''. Cooperatives that make wines from the growers who are members, with all the grapes pooled together
* '''RM''': ''{{lang|fr|Récoltant manipulant}}''. (Also known as [[Grower Champagne]]) A grower that also makes wine from its own grapes (a maximum of 5% of purchased grapes is permitted). Note that co-operative members who take their bottles to be disgorged at the co-op can now label themselves as RM instead of RC
* '''SR''': ''{{lang|fr|Société de récoltants}}''. An association of growers making a shared Champagne but who are not a co-operative
* '''RC''': ''{{lang|fr|Récoltant coopérateur}}''. A co-operative member selling champagne produced by the co-operative under its own name and label
* '''MA''': ''{{lang|fr|Marque auxiliaire}}'' or ''{{lang|fr|Marque d'acheteur}}''. A brand name unrelated to the producer or grower; the name is owned by someone else, for example a supermarket
* '''ND''': ''{{lang|fr|Négociant distributeur}}''. A wine merchant selling under his own name

===Marketing===
[[File:Laurent-Perrier-1905.jpg|thumb|An Edwardian English advertisement for champagne, listing honours and royal drinkers]]
{{See also|Champagne in popular culture}}

In the 19th century, champagne was produced and promoted to mark contemporary political events, such as the [[Franco-Russian Alliance]] of 1893, and the [[Tennis Court Oath]] to mark the centennial of [[French Revolution]],<ref name="Guy, Kolleen">Guy, Kolleen M. ""Oiling the Wheels of Social Life": Myths and Marketing in Champagne during the Belle Epoque." French Historical Studies 22.2 (1999): 211–39. Web. 28 February 2017.</ref> linking champagne to French nationalist ideology. [[Winemaker|Négociants]] also managed to market champagne by identifying it with leisure activities and sporting events. They also successfully appealed to a broader range of consumers by highlighting the different qualities of sparkling wine versus ordinary wine, associating champagne brands with royalty and nobility, and selling off-brands under the names of importers from France at a lower cost. However, selling off-brands at a lower price proved to be unsuccessful, since "there was an assumption that cheap sparkling wine was not authentic."<ref name="Guy, Kolleen"/> Since the beginning of the [[Belle Époque]] period, champagne has gone from a regional product serving a niche market to a national commodity which is distributed globally.

The popularity of champagne is particularly attributed to the success of champagne producers in marketing the wine's image as a royal and aristocratic drink. [[Laurent-Perrier]]'s advertisements in late 1890 boasted their champagne was the favourite of [[Leopold II of Belgium]], [[George I of Greece]], [[Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]], [[Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge]], and [[John Lambton, 3rd Earl of Durham]], among other nobles, knights, and military officers. Despite this royal prestige, champagne houses also portrayed champagne as a luxury which could be enjoyed by anyone, and was fit for any occasion.<ref name="Phillips p. 245">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/245 245] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/245 }}</ref> This strategy worked, and, by the turn of the 20th century, the majority of champagne drinkers were [[middle class]].<ref name="Phillips p. 243">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/243 243] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/243 }}</ref>

In the 19th century, champagne producers made a concentrated effort to market their wine to women. This is done by having the sweeter champagne associates with female, whereas the dry champagne with male and foreign markets.<ref name="Guy, Kolleen"/> This was in stark contrast to the traditionally "male aura" that the wines of France had—particularly [[Burgundy wine|Burgundy]] and [[Bordeaux wine|Bordeaux]]. Laurent-Perrier again took the lead in this area with advertisements touting their wine's favour with the Countess of [[William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|Dudley]], the wife of the 9th [[Earl of Stamford]], the wife of the [[Baron Tollemache]], and the opera singer [[Adelina Patti]]. Champagne labels were designed with images of romantic love and marriage as well as other special occasions that were deemed important to women, such as the [[baptism]] of a child.<ref name="Phillips p. 246">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/246 246] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/246 }}</ref>

In some advertisements, the champagne houses catered to political interest such as the labels that appeared on different brands on bottles commemorating the centennial anniversary of the [[French Revolution]] of 1789. On some labels there were flattering images of [[Marie Antoinette]] that appealed to the conservative factions of French citizens that viewed the former queen as a martyr. On other labels there were stirring images of Revolutionary scenes that appealed to the liberal left sentiments of French citizens. As World War I loomed, champagne houses put images of soldiers and countries' flags on their bottles, customizing the image for each country to which the wine was imported. During the [[Dreyfus affair]], one champagne house released a ''champagne antijuif'' with antisemitic advertisements to take advantage of the wave of [[Antisemitism]] that hit parts of France.<ref name="Phillips p. 244">{{cite book |author=R. Phillips |title=A Short History of Wine |page=[https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/244 244] |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-06-621282-0 |url=https://archive.org/details/shorthistoryofwi0000phil/page/244 }}</ref>

Champagne is typically drunk during celebrations. For example, British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] held a champagne reception to celebrate London winning the right to host the [[2012 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4394690.stm |title=Party celebrates 2012 Olympic win |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date=31 October 2005 }}</ref> It is also used to [[ceremonial ship launching|launch ships]] when a bottle is smashed over the hull during the ship's launch. If the bottle fails to break this is often thought to be bad luck.

==Wine districts, grape varieties and styles==

=== Wine-producing districts of Champagne ===
Champagne is a single ''{{lang|fr|[[appellation d'origine contrôlée]]}}'' but the territory is divided into next sub-regions, known as wine-producing districts, and each of them has distinct characteristics. The main wine-producing districts of the Champagne wine region: Reims, Marne Valley, Côte des Blancs, Côtes des Bar, Côtes de Sezzane.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Champagne travel guide for wine lovers |url=https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/champagne/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=www.winetourism.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

As a general rule, grapes used must be the white Chardonnay, or the dark-skinned "red wine grapes" Pinot noir or Pinot meunier, which, due to the gentle [[pressing (wine)|pressing]] of the grapes and absence of skin contact during fermentation, usually also yield a white base wine. Most Champagnes, including Rosé wines, are made from a blend of all three grapes, although ''{{lang|fr|blanc de blancs}}'' ("white from whites") Champagnes are made from 100% Chardonnay and ''{{lang|fr|blanc de noirs}}'' ("white from blacks") Champagnes are made solely from Pinot noir, Pinot meunier or a mix of the two.<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178" />

Four other grape varieties are permitted, mostly for historical reasons, as they are rare in current usage. The 2010 version of the appellation regulations lists seven varieties as allowed, [[Arbane]], Chardonnay, [[Petit Meslier]], [[Pinot blanc]], [[Pinot gris]], Pinot meunier, and Pinot noir.<ref name="AOC 2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000023126020&dateTexte=&oldAction=rechJO&categorieLien=id |title=Décret n° 2010-1441 du 22 novembre 2010 relatif à l'appellation d'origine contrôlée " Champagne " |publisher=[[Journal officiel de la République française]] number 273, text number 8 |date=25 November 2010 |page=21013 |trans-title=Decree number 2010-1441 of 22 November 2010, relating to the ''Appellation d'Origine Contôlée'' of 'Champagne' |language=fr}}</ref> The sparsely cultivated varieties (0.02% of the total vines planted in Champagne) of Arbanne, Petit Meslier, and Pinot blanc can still be found in modern cuvées from a few producers.<ref name="deca-ch6">{{cite web |last=Rosen |first=Maggie |work=Decanter.com |title=Champagne house launches '6 grape' cuvée |url=http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/champagne-house-launches-6-grape-cuvee-103313/ |date=8 January 2004 }}</ref> Previous directives of [[Institut National des Appellations d'Origine|INAO]] make conditional allowances according to the complex laws of 1927 and 1929, and plantings made before 1938.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité]] (INAO) |title=AOC Champagne – Conditions de production |url=http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?comiteNat=1&id_txt=18 |language=fr |access-date=10 September 2008 |archive-date=3 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903172253/http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produits/showTexte.php?comiteNat=1&id_txt=18 }}</ref> Before the 2010 regulations, the complete list of the actual and theoretical varieties also included {{lang|fr|[[Pinot de Juillet]]}} and [[Pinot Rosé]].<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Les Maisons de Champagne |title=AOC Champagne: Définition et loi |trans-title=AOC Champagne: Definition and law |url=http://www.maisons-champagne.com/bonal/pages/06/06-01_1.htm |language=fr |access-date=10 September 2008 |archive-date=14 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914035910/http://www.maisons-champagne.com/bonal/pages/06/06-01_1.htm }}</ref> The [[Gamay]] vines of the region were scheduled to be uprooted by 1942, but due to [[World War II]], this was postponed until 1962,<ref name="ALEch">{{Cite book |author=Alexis Lichine |title=Encyclopedia of Wines and Spirits |publisher=Cassell & Company Ltd |year=1967 |location=London |page=186 }}</ref> and this variety is no longer allowed in Champagne.<ref name="AOC 2010"/>

The dark-skinned Pinot noir and Pinot meunier give the wine its length and backbone. They are predominantly grown in two areas – the [[Montagne de Reims]] and the [[Vallée de la Marne]]. The Montagne de Reims run east–west to the south of Reims, in northern Champagne. They are notable for north-facing chalky slopes that derive heat from the warm winds rising from the valleys below. The River [[Marne (river)|Marne]] runs west–east through Champagne, south of the Montagne de Reims. The Vallée de la Marne contains south-facing chalky slopes. Chardonnay gives the wine its acidity and biscuit flavour. Most Chardonnay is grown in a north–south-running strip to the south of [[Épernay]], called the {{lang|fr|[[Côte des Blancs]]}}, including the villages of [[Avize]], [[Oger, Marne|Oger]] and {{lang|fr|[[Le Mesnil-sur-Oger]]}}. These are east-facing vineyards, with ''{{lang|fr|terroir}}'' similar to the {{lang|fr|[[Côte de Beaune]]}}. The various ''{{lang|fr|[[terroir]]s}}'' account for the differences in grape characteristics and explain the appropriateness of blending juice from different grape varieties and geographical areas within Champagne, to get the desired style for each Champagne house.<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178"/>

===Types of Champagne===
[[File:Vignobles champagne.svg|thumb|left|640px|Champagne appellation]]
Most of the Champagne produced today is "non-[[vintage]]", meaning that it is a blended<ref name="Pfanner-IHT-12102011">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/dining/10iht-wine10.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=pfanner&st=cse |title=Uncorking the secrets of Champagne |author=Eric Pfanner |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=10 December 2011 |access-date=10 December 2011 }}</ref> product of grapes from multiple vintages. Most of the base will be from a single year vintage with producers blending anywhere from 10 to 15% (even as high as 40%) of wine from older vintages.<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178"/> If the conditions of a particular vintage are favourable, some producers will make a ''vintage'' wine, which must be composed entirely of grapes from that vintage year.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Media Room &#124; Le site officiel du Champagne|url=https://www.champagne.fr/fr/informations-complementaires/mediaroom|access-date=2022-12-31|website=www.champagne.fr}}</ref> Under Champagne wine regulations, houses that make both vintage and non-vintage wines are allowed to use no more than 80% of the total vintage's harvest for the production of vintage Champagne. This allows at least 20% of the harvest from each vintage to be reserved for use in non-vintage Champagne. This ensures a consistent style that consumers can expect from non-vintage Champagne that does not alter too radically depending on the quality of the vintage. In less than ideal vintages, some producers will produce a wine from only that single vintage and still label it as non-vintage rather than as "vintage" since the wine will be of lesser quality and the producers have little desire to reserve the wine for future blending.<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178"/>

====Prestige ''{{lang|fr|cuvée}}''====
A ''{{lang|fr|cuvée de prestige}}'' is a proprietary blended wine (usually a Champagne) that is considered to be the top of a producer's range. Famous examples include [[Louis Roederer]]'s [[Cristal (wine)|Cristal]], [[Laurent-Perrier]]'s ''{{lang|fr|Grand Siècle}}'', [[Moët & Chandon]]'s [[Dom Pérignon (wine)|Dom Pérignon]], [[Duval-Leroy]]'s ''{{lang|fr|Cuvée Femme}}'', [[Armand de Brignac]] ''Gold Brut'', and [[Pol Roger]]'s ''{{lang|fr|Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill}}''. Perhaps the first publicly available prestige ''{{lang|fr|cuvée}}'' was Moët & Chandon's Dom Pérignon, launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage. Until then, Champagne houses produced different ''{{lang|fr|cuvées}}'' of varying quality, but a top-of-the-range wine produced to the highest standards (and priced accordingly) was a new idea. In fact, Louis Roederer had been producing Cristal since 1876, but this was strictly for the private consumption of the Russian [[tsar]]. Cristal was made publicly available with the 1945 vintage. Then came [[Taittinger]]'s ''{{lang|fr|Comtes de Champagne}}'' (first vintage 1952), and {{lang|fr|Laurent-Perrier}}'s ''{{lang|fr|Grand Siècle 'La Cuvée'}}'' in 1960, a blend of three vintages (1952, 1953, and 1955) and Perrier Jouët's ''{{lang|fr|La Belle Époque}}''. In the last three decades of the 20th century, most Champagne houses followed these with their own prestige ''{{lang|fr|cuvées}}'', often named after notable people with a link to that producer and presented in non-standard bottle shapes (following Dom Pérignon's lead with its 18th-century revival design).

====''{{lang|fr|Blanc de noirs}}''====
[[File:Raisin noir à jus blanc.png|thumb|right|Most red wine grapes have their color concentrated in the skin, while the juice is much lighter in color.]]
A French term (literally "white from blacks" or "white of blacks") for a white wine produced entirely from black grapes. The flesh of grapes described as black or red is white; grape juice obtained after minimal possible contact with the skins produces essentially white wine, with a slightly yellower colour than wine from white grapes. The colour, due to the small amount of red skin pigments present, is often described as white-yellow, white-grey, or silvery. ''Blanc de noirs'' is often encountered in Champagne, where a number of houses have followed the lead of [[Bollinger]]'s ''prestige cuvée'' Vieilles Vignes Françaises in introducing a ''cuvée'' made from either pinot noir, pinot meunier or a blend of the two (these being the only two black grapes permitted within the Champagne AOC [[appellation]]).

====''{{lang|fr|Blanc de blancs}}''====
[[File:Blanc de blanc grand Cru champagne.jpg|right|thumb|upright|A Grand Cru blanc de blancs Champagne]]

A French term that means "white from whites", and is used to designate Champagnes made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes or in rare occasions from Pinot blanc (such as ''{{lang|fr|La Bolorée}}'' from Cedric Bouchard). The term is occasionally used in other sparkling wine-producing regions, usually to denote Chardonnay-only wines rather than any sparkling wine made from other white grape varieties.<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178"/>

====Rosé Champagne====
{{Redirect|Champagne Rosé|the song by Quavo|Quavo Huncho}}
Rosé Champagnes are characterized by their distinctive blush color, fruity aroma, and earthy flavor. Rosé Champagne has been produced since the late 18th century; storied French Champagne houses Rinault and Veuve Clicquot have each claimed to have shipped and sold the first bottles.<ref>{{cite web|last=Napjus|first=Alison|date=10 March 2014|title=First Rosé Champagne? Older Than You Think|url=https://www.winespectator.com/articles/first-rose-champagne-older-than-you-think-49701|website=Wine Spectator}}</ref> The wine is produced by one of two methods. Using the ''saignée'' method, winemakers will leave the clear juice of dark grapes to macerate with the skins for a brief time, resulting in wine lightly colored and flavored by the skins. In the more common ''d'assemblage'' method, producers will blend a small amount of still red wine to a sparkling wine ''cuvée''.<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-02-08|title=How Rosé Champagne is Made|url=https://www.winemag.com/2019/02/08/celebrate-rose-champagne-learn-how-its-made/|access-date=2020-09-27|website=Wine Enthusiast|language=en-US|archive-date=6 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106080121/https://www.winemag.com/2019/02/08/celebrate-rose-champagne-learn-how-its-made/}}</ref> Champagne is light in color even when it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes contact with the skins. By contrast, Rosé Champagne, especially that created by ''d'assemblage'', results in the production of rosé with a predictable and reproducible color, allowing winemakers to achieve a consistent rosé appearance from year to year.

The character of rosé Champagne has varied greatly since its production began. Thought to be a sign of extravagance when originally introduced,<ref>{{cite web|title=That Intoxicating Pink|url=https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/intoxicating-pink|access-date=2020-09-27|website=Lapham's Quarterly|date=20 March 2013 |language=en}}</ref> by the early 20th century these wines were colloquially known as "Pink Champagne," and had gained a reputation of frivolousness or even dissipation. The 1939 Hollywood film ''[[Love Affair (1939 film)|Love Affair]]'' was reportedly approached to promote it by featuring the main characters bonding over enjoying the unpopular drink, and caused a sales boost after the film's release.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Andrea Foshee |title=Love Affair (1939) – Love Affair |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3938/love-affair#articles-reviews?articleId=18752 |website=Turner Classic Movies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129085526/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3938/love-affair#articles-reviews?articleId=18752 |date=January 21, 2003|archive-date=2020-11-29|quote=One interesting product placement bit of trivia: The champagne industry was interested in promoting a new product: pink champagne. In one scene, [[Charles Boyer]] and [[Irene Dunne]] gazed into each others' eyes while sipping on pink champagne, and sales went up immediately afterwards.}}</ref> It is also cited by the [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]] as a beverage of choice in the titular "[[Hotel California]]." Rosé Champagnes, particularly brut varieties, began regaining popularity in the late 20th century in many countries. Because of the complex variety of flavors it presents, rosé Champagne is often served in [[fine dining]] restaurants, as a complementary element in [[food and wine pairing]].<ref name="Stevenson pp. 169–178" />

===Sweetness===
Just after disgorgement a "liqueur de dosage"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://maisons-champagne.com/en/appellation/stages-in-winemaking/preparation-for-shipment-many-years-later/article/dosage|title = Dosage – Union des Maisons de Champagne}}</ref> or liqueur d'expédition{{dash}}a blend of, typically, cane sugar and wine (sugar amounts up to 750&nbsp;g/litre){{dash}}is added to adjust the levels of sugar in the Champagne when bottled for sale, and hence the sweetness of the finished wine. Today sweetness is generally not looked for per se, and dosage is used to fine tune the perception of acidity in the wine.

For Caroline Latrive, cellar master of Ayala, a Champagne house that pioneered drier champagnes at the end of the 19th century, dosage represents the final touch in champagne making and must be as subtle as possible to bring the right balance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dosage in Champagne – Past, Present, Future |url=https://www.bestchampagne.net/glossary/dosage/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=BESTCHAMPAGNE |language=en-US |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128001711/https://www.bestchampagne.net/glossary/dosage/ }}</ref>

Additionally, dosage protects champagne from oxidation because it includes a small amount of [[Sulfur dioxide|{{SO2}}]], and sugar also acts as a preservative. Benoît Gouez, cellar master of Moët & Chandon says that sugar helps champagne recover from the oxidative shock of disgorgement, and contributes to the wine's aging potential.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-29 |title=Interview with Benoît Gouez Chef de Caves of Moët & Chandon |url=https://www.bestchampagne.net/interviews/benoit-gouez-moet-chandon/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=BESTCHAMPAGNE |language=en-US |archive-date=6 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706225540/https://www.bestchampagne.net/interviews/benoit-gouez-moet-chandon/ }}</ref>

Wines labeled ''{{lang|fr|Brut Zero}}'', more common among smaller producers,<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |author=Eric Pfanner |title=Champagne Decoded: The Degrees of Sweet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/dining/22iht-wine22.html |access-date=10 March 2013 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=21 December 2012 }}</ref> have no added sugar and will usually be very dry, with less than three grams of residual sugar per litre in the finished wine. The following terms are used to describe the sweetness of the bottled wine:

* ''{{lang|fr|Extra Brut}}'' (less than 6&nbsp;grams of sugar per litre)
* ''{{lang|fr|Brut}}'' (less than 12&nbsp;grams)
* ''Extra Dry'' (between 12 and 17&nbsp;grams)
* ''{{lang|fr|Sec}}'' (between 17 and 32&nbsp;grams)
* ''{{lang|fr|Demi-sec}}'' (between 32 and 50&nbsp;grams)
* ''{{lang|fr|Doux}}'' (50&nbsp;grams)

The most common style today is ''{{lang|fr|Brut}}''. However, throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th century Champagne was generally much sweeter than it is today. Moreover, except in Britain, Champagne was drunk as [[dessert wine]]s (after the meal), rather than as table wines (with the meal).<ref>''Facts About Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines,'' [[Henry Vizetelly]] (1879), [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20889/20889-h/20889-h.htm pp. 213–214]:<br />
"Manufacturers of champagne and other sparkling wines prepare them dry or sweet, light or strong, according to the markets for which they are designed. The sweet wines go to Russia and Germany, the sweet-toothed Muscovite regarding M. Louis Roederer's syrupy product as the beau-idéal of champagne, and the Germans demanding wines with 20 or more per cent. of liqueur, or nearly quadruple the quantity that is contained in the average champagnes shipped to England. France consumes light and moderately sweet wines; the United States gives a preference to the intermediate qualities; China, India, and other hot countries stipulate for light dry wines; while the very strong 214 ones go to Australia, the Cape, and other places where gold and diamonds and such-like trifles are from time to time "prospected." Not merely the driest but the very best wines of the best manufacturers, and commanding of course the highest prices, are invariably reserved for the English market. Foreigners cannot understand the marked preference shown in England for exceedingly dry sparkling wines. They do not consider that as a rule they are drunk during dinner with the plats, and not at dessert, with all kinds of sweets, fruits, and ices, as is almost invariably the case abroad."</ref> At this time, Champagne sweetness was instead referred to by destination country, roughly as:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oneblockwest.com/gout-americain/ |title=Goût Américain |last= Matthews |first=Ed |website= One Blog West |date=2010-01-10 |access-date=2019-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702141551/http://oneblockwest.com/gout-americain/ |archive-date=2017-07-02}}</ref>
* ''{{lang|fr|Goût anglais}}'' ("English taste", between 22 and 66&nbsp;grams); note that today ''{{lang|fr|goût anglais}}'' refers to [[aging of wine|aged]] vintage Champagne
* ''{{lang|fr|Goût américain}}'' ("American taste", between 110 and 165&nbsp;grams)
* ''{{lang|fr|Goût français}}'' ("French taste", between 165 and 200&nbsp;grams)
* ''{{lang|fr|Goût russe}}'' ("Russian taste", between 200 and 300&nbsp;grams)
Of these, only the driest English is close to contemporary tastes.

==Bottles==
{{further|Wine bottle}}
[[File:Veuve clicquot bottle sizes.jpg|right|thumb|Side-by-side comparison of Champagne bottles. (L to R) On ladder: [[Wine bottle#Sizes|Magnum]] (1.5&nbsp;litres), full (0.75&nbsp;litre), half (0.375 litre), quarter (0.1875 litre). On floor: [[Wine bottle sizes|Balthazar]] (12 litres), [[Wine bottle sizes|Salmanazar]] (9 litres), [[Wine bottle sizes|Methuselah]] (6 litres), [[Wine bottle sizes|Jeroboam]] (3 litres)]]

Champagne is mostly fermented in two sizes of bottles, standard bottles (750 millilitres) and magnums (1.5 litres). In general, magnums are thought to be higher quality, as there is less oxygen in the bottle, and the volume–to–surface-area ratio favours the creation of appropriately sized bubbles. However, there is no hard evidence for this view. Other bottle sizes, mostly named for Biblical figures, are generally filled with Champagne that has been fermented in standard bottles or magnums. [[Gosset]] still bottles its Grande Réserve in Jeroboam from the beginning of its second fermentation.

Sizes larger than Jeroboam (3&nbsp;L) are rare. Primat bottles (27&nbsp;L)—and, {{as of|2002|lc=y}}, Melchizedek bottles (30&nbsp;L)—are exclusively offered by the House [[Drappier]]. (The same names are used for bottles containing regular wine and port; however, ''Jeroboam'', ''Rehoboam'', and ''Methuselah'' refer to different bottle volumes.)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guide to Champagne Bottle Sizes and Names &#124; Adore Champagne|url=https://www.adorechampagne.com/stemware/guide-champagne-bottle-sizes-names-653|access-date=2022-12-31|language=en-US}}</ref>

Unique sizes have been made for specific markets, special occasions and people. The most notable example is perhaps the imperial pint (56.8&nbsp;cL) bottle made between 1874 and 1973 for the English market by [[Pol Roger]], often associated with [[Winston Churchill|Sir Winston Churchill]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://blog.bbr.com/2017/07/25/liquid-history/|title= Liquid history |last=de Billy |first=Hubert |date=25 July 2017|publisher=Berry Bros & Rudd |access-date=6 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2009, a bottle of 1825 {{lang|fr|[[Perrier-Jouët]]}} Champagne was opened at a ceremony attended by twelve of the world's top wine tasters. This bottle was officially recognised by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as the oldest bottle of Champagne in the world. The contents were found to be drinkable, with notes of [[truffle]]s and [[caramel]] in the taste. There are now only two other bottles from the 1825 vintage extant.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7954876.stm |title=World's oldest champagne opened |work=[[BBC News Online]] |date=20 March 2009 }}</ref>

In July 2010, 168 bottles were found on board a shipwreck near the [[Åland|Åland Islands]] in the [[Baltic Sea]] by Finnish diver Christian Ekström. Initial analyses indicated there were at least two types of bottle from two different houses: ''{{lang|fr|[[Veuve Clicquot]]}}'' in [[Reims]] and the long-defunct Champagne house Juglar (absorbed into [[Jacquesson]] in 1829.)<ref name="deca-fresh">{{cite web |author=Adam Lechmere |work=Decanter.com |date=17 November 2010 |url=http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/507484/champagne-still-fresh-after-nearly-two-centuries-in-baltic |title=Champagne still 'fresh' after nearly two centuries in Baltic }}</ref> The shipwreck is dated between 1800 and 1830, and the bottles discovered may well predate the 1825 {{lang|fr|Perrier-Jouët}} referenced above.<ref name="ind200">{{cite news |author=Enjoli Liston |work=[[The Independent]] |date=18 November 2010 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/champagne-still-bubbly-after-200-years-at-sea-2137067.html |title=Champagne still bubbly after 200 years at sea |access-date=25 August 2017 |archive-date=21 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621121031/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/champagne-still-bubbly-after-200-years-at-sea-2137067.html }}</ref><ref name="wp-fizz">{{cite news |author=Louise Nordstrom |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=17 November 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/17/AR2010111700922.html |title=200-year-old Champagne loses fizz but not flavour }}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> When experts were replacing the old corks with new ones, they discovered there were also bottles from a third house, [[Heidsieck & Co|Heidsieck]]. The wreck, then, contained 95 bottles of Juglar, 46 bottles of {{lang|fr|Veuve Clicquot}}, and four bottles of Heidsieck, in addition to 23 bottles whose manufacture is still to be identified. Champagne experts [[Richard Juhlin]] and [[Essi Avellan]], [[Master of Wine|MW]]<ref name="deca-fresh"/> described the bottles' contents as being in a very good condition. It is planned that the majority of the bottles will be sold at auction, the price of each estimated to be in the region of £40,000–70,000.<ref name="ind200"/><ref name="wp-fizz"/><ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Independent]] |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/shipwrecked-champagne-good-but-not-ours-veuveclicquot-2046274.html |title=Shipwrecked champagne good, but not ours: Veuve-Clicquot |date=7 August 2010 |access-date=19 December 2013 }}</ref>

In April 2015, nearly five years after the bottles were first found, researchers led by Philippe Jeandet, a professor of food biochemistry, released the findings of their chemical analyses of the Champagne, and particularly noted the fact that, although the chemical composition of the 170-year-old Champagne was very similar to the composition of modern-day Champagne, there was much more sugar in this Champagne than in modern-day Champagne, and it was also less alcoholic than modern-day Champagne. The high sugar level was characteristic of people's tastes at the time, and Jeandet explained that it was common for people in the 19th century, such as Russians, to add sugar to their wine at dinner. It also contained higher concentrations of minerals such as iron, copper, and table salt than modern-day Champagne does.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/food/what-does-a-170-year-old-champagne-found-on-the-116996097686.html|title = What Does a 170-Year-Old Champagne Found on the Bottom of the Sea Taste Like?| date=21 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Feltman |first=Rachel |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/04/21/170-year-old-shipwrecked-champagne-gets-a-taste-test/ |title=170-year-old, shipwrecked champagne gets a taste test |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=21 April 2015|access-date=22 April 2015}}</ref>

===Champagne corks===
[[File:Bouchon de champagne neuf.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.5|A Champagne cork before usage. Only the lower section, made of top-quality pristine cork, will be in contact with the Champagne.]]
[[File:Champagne-Corking-1855.jpg|right|frame|Corking a Champagne Bottle: 1855 engraving of the manual method]]
Champagne corks are mostly built from three sections and are referred to as agglomerated corks. The mushroom shape that occurs in the transition is a result of the bottom section's being composed of two stacked discs of pristine cork cemented to the upper portion, which is a conglomerate of ground cork and glue. The bottom section is in contact with the wine. Before insertion, a sparkling wine cork is almost 50% larger than the opening of the bottle. Originally, the cork starts as a cylinder and is compressed before insertion into the bottle. Over time, their compressed shape becomes more permanent and the distinctive "mushroom" shape becomes more apparent.

The aging of the Champagne post-disgorgement can to some degree be told by the cork, as, the longer it has been in the bottle, the less it returns to its original cylinder shape.

==Serving==
{{See also|Champagne stemware}}
Champagne is usually served in a [[Champagne flute]], whose characteristics include a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl, thin sides and an etched bottom. The intended purpose of the shape of the flute is to reduce surface area, therefore preserving carbonation, as well as maximizing nucleation (the visible bubbles and lines of bubbles).<ref>Ames, D. L., Garrison, J. R., Gitlin, J., Herrmann, G., Isenstadt, S., Jenkins, M., ... & Winn, L. (2014). ''Shopping: Material Culture Perspectives''. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 138–140.</ref> Legend has it that the Victorian ''{{lang|fr|[[Champagne stemware#Champagne coupe|coupe]]}}''<nowiki/>'s shape was modelled on the breast of [[Madame de Pompadour]], chief-mistress of [[Louis XV]], or perhaps [[Marie Antoinette]], but the glass was designed in England over a century earlier especially for [[sparkling wine]] and champagne in 1663.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lamprey|first=Zane|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o7aaimpuALYC|title=Three Sheets: Drinking Made Easy! 6 Continents, 15 Countries, 190 Drinks, and 1 Mean Hangover!|date=2010-03-16|publisher=Random House Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-345-52201-6|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Boehmer|first=Alan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MNHHJtWRB34C|title=Knack Wine Basics: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Understanding, Selecting & Enjoying Wine|date=2009-10-14|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7627-5838-8|language=en}}</ref> Champagne is always served cold; its ideal drinking temperature is {{convert|7|to|9|C|F}}. Often the bottle is chilled in a bucket of ice and water, half an hour before opening, which also ensures the Champagne is less gassy and can be opened without spillage. Champagne buckets are made specifically for this purpose and often have a larger volume than standard wine-cooling buckets to accommodate the larger bottle, and more water and ice.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.cellarer.com/how-to-enjoy-champagne-wines/ |title=Storing and serving Champagne |publisher=Cellarer.com }}</ref>

When it comes to the etiquette behind holding a glass of Champagne, it is important to consider the type of Champagne glass used and the four main parts of any wine glass: the rim, the bowl, the stem and the base. In the case of a [[Champagne glass|flute glass]] or tulip glass, etiquette dictates holding by the long, narrow stem in order to avoid smudging the glass and warming up the contents with the heat of one's hand. Flute and tulip glasses can be temporarily held by the rim, although this glass hold blocks the area where the taster would take a sip. This hold can also smudge the top section of the glass. These two types of glass can also be held by the disk-shaped base without smudging or warming the liquid inside. When it comes to the coupe glass, with its short stem and shallow, wide-brimmed bowl, the only possible glass hold is by the bowl. The top-heavy nature of the glass makes holding by the base or stem impossible, while the large diameter of the top makes grabbing the glass by the rim difficult.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Millesima USA |first1=Millesima USA |title=How to Hold a Glass of Champagne |url=https://www.millesima-usa.com/types-of-champagne.html |website=Millesima USA}}</ref>

===Opening Champagne bottles===
To reduce the risk of spilling or spraying any Champagne, the bottle is opened by holding the cork and rotating the bottle at an angle in order to ease out the stopper. This method, as opposed to pulling the cork out, prevents the cork from flying out of the bottle at speed (the expanding gases are supersonic).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gerard |last2=Cordier |first2=Daniel |last3=Georges |first3=Robert |title=Under-expanded supersonic CO2 freezing jets during champagne cork popping |journal=Science Advances |date=20 September 2019 |volume=5 |issue=9 |article-number=eaav5528 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.aav5528 |pmid=31555725 |pmc=6754238 |bibcode=2019SciA....5.5528L |doi-access=free }}</ref> Also, holding the bottle at an angle allows air in and helps prevent the champagne from geysering out of the bottle.

A [[sabre]] can be used to open a Champagne bottle with great ceremony. This technique is called ''{{lang|fr|[[sabrage]]}}'' (the term is also used for simply breaking the head of the bottle).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://expensivechampagne.org/how-to-open-a-champagne|title=How to Open Champagne Bottles|date=18 March 2021}}</ref>

===Pouring Champagne===
Pouring sparkling wine while tilting the glass at an angle and gently sliding in the liquid along the side will preserve the most bubbles, as opposed to pouring directly down to create a head of "mousse", according to a study,<ref>
*{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gérard |last2=Bourget |first2=Marielle |last3=Villaume |first3=Sandra |last4=Jeandet |first4=Philippe |last5=Pron |first5=Hervé |last6=Polidori |first6=Guillaume |title=On the Losses of Dissolved CO 2 during Champagne Serving |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |date=11 August 2010 |volume=58 |issue=15 |pages=8768–8775 |doi=10.1021/jf101239w |pmid=20681665 |bibcode=2010JAFC...58.8768L |url=https://del.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/10/54f9390995429_-_champagnepouring.pdf |access-date=1 January 2022}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gérard |last2=Parmentier |first2=Maryline |last3=Cilindre |first3=Clara |title=More on the Losses of Dissolved CO 2 during Champagne Serving: Toward a Multiparameter Modeling |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |date=28 November 2012 |volume=60 |issue=47 |pages=11777–11786 |doi=10.1021/jf303574m |pmid=23110303 |bibcode=2012JAFC...6011777L |url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf303574m |access-date=1 January 2022|url-access=subscription }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Beaumont |first1=Fabien |last2=Liger-Belair |first2=Gérard |last3=Polidori |first3=Guillaume |title=Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a Tool for Investigating Self-Organized Ascending Bubble-Driven Flow Patterns in Champagne Glasses |journal=Foods |date=23 July 2020 |volume=9 |issue=8 |page=972 |doi=10.3390/foods9080972|pmid=32717781 |pmc=7466256 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Cilindre |first1=Clara |last2=Henrion |first2=Céline |last3=Coquard |first3=Laure |last4=Poty |first4=Barbara |last5=Barbier |first5=Jacques-Emmanuel |last6=Robillard |first6=Bertrand |last7=Liger-Belair |first7=Gérard |title=Does the Temperature of the prise de mousse Affect the Effervescence and the Foam of Sparkling Wines? |journal=Molecules |date=22 July 2021 |volume=26 |issue=15 |page=4434 |doi=10.3390/molecules26154434|pmid=34361583 |pmc=8347939 |doi-access=free }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gérard |last2=Villaume |first2=Sandra |last3=Cilindre |first3=Clara |last4=Jeandet |first4=Philippe |title=Kinetics of CO 2 Fluxes Outgassing from Champagne Glasses in Tasting Conditions: The Role of Temperature |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |date=11 March 2009 |volume=57 |issue=5 |pages=1997–2003 |doi=10.1021/jf803278b|pmid=19215133 |bibcode=2009JAFC...57.1997L }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gérard |title=Visual Perception of Effervescence in Champagne and Other Sparkling Beverages |journal=Advances in Food and Nutrition Research |date=2010 |volume=61 |pages=1–55 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-374468-5.00001-5 |pmid=21092901 |isbn=978-0-12-374468-5 }}
*{{cite journal |last1=Liger-Belair |first1=Gérard |last2=Polidori |first2=Guillaume |last3=Jeandet |first3=Philippe |title=Recent advances in the science of champagne bubbles |journal=Chemical Society Reviews |date=2008 |volume=37 |issue=11 |pages=2490–2911 |doi=10.1039/b717798b |pmid=18949122 }}
</ref> ''On the Losses of Dissolved CO<sub>2</sub> during Champagne serving'', by scientists from the [[University of Reims]].<ref name=keller>{{cite news |author=Greg Keller |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=12 August 2010 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2010/08/12/champagne_fizzics_science_backs_pouring_sideways/ |title=Champagne fizzics: Science backs pouring sideways }}</ref> Colder bottle temperatures also result in reduced loss of gas.<ref name=keller /> Additionally, the industry is developing Champagne glasses designed specifically to reduce the amount of gas lost.<ref>{{Cite news |title=How to pour champagne properly |url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/homestyle/how-to-pour-champagne-properly-20100813-122ph.html |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=13 August 2010 |access-date=29 September 2010 }}</ref>

===Spraying Champagne===
[[File:Champagne celebration - tour of gippsland.jpg|thumb|250px|Champagne on the podium of the 2007 Tour of [[Gippsland]]]]
Champagne has been an integral part of sports celebration since {{lang|fr|[[Moët & Chandon]]}} started offering their Champagne to the winners of [[Formula 1 Grand Prix]] events. At the [[1967 24 Hours of Le Mans]], winner [[Dan Gurney]] started the tradition of drivers spraying the crowd and each other.<ref name="Miscellany p. 82">{{cite book |author=G. Harding |title=A Wine Miscellany |url=https://archive.org/details/winemiscellanyja0000hard |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/winemiscellanyja0000hard/page/82 82] |publisher=Clarkson Potter Publishing |location=[[New York City]] |year=2005 |isbn=0-307-34635-8 }}</ref> The [[Muslim]]-majority nation [[Bahrain]] [[Islam and alcohol|banned]] Champagne celebrations on F1 podiums in 2004, using a nonalcoholic [[pomegranate]] and [[rose water]] drink instead.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2004-03-31|title=Bahrain bans champagne|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3585731.stm|access-date=2022-12-31}}</ref>

In 2015, some Australian athletes, most notably then-Formula 1 [[Red Bull Racing]] driver [[Daniel Ricciardo]], began celebrating victories by drinking champagne from their shoe—a practice known as "doing a [[Drinking from shoes|shoey]]."

== Culinary uses ==
The {{lang|fr|poulet au champagne}} ("chicken with Champagne"), a variant of [[coq au vin]], is an essentially [[Marne (department)|Marnese]] specialty.<ref>{{Cite book|first=Simon|last=Arbellot|title=Tel plat, tel vin|year=1963|page=73|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4HGyAAAAIAAJ|language=fr}}</ref> Other well-known recipes using Champagne are {{lang|fr|huîtres au champagne}} ("oysters with Champagne") and Champagne [[zabaione]].

== Price ==
There are several general factors influencing the price of Champagne: the limited land of the region, the prestige that Champagne has developed worldwide, and the high cost of the production process, among possible others.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/nickpassmore/2014/12/06/the-worlds-most-expensive-champagnes/#46377ed9820e|title=The World's Most Expensive Champagnes|website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

==Producers==
{{main|list of Champagne houses}}
A list of major Champagne producers and their respective cuvées de prestige

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!House||Founding Year||Location||Cuvée de prestige||Vintage||Company
|-
!Henri Abelé
| style="text-align:center;"| 1757||[[Reims]]||Sourire de Reims<br />
| style="text-align:center;"|–
|[[Freixenet]] [[Spain]]
|-
![[Alfred Gratien]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1864||[[Épernay]]||Cuvée Paradis
| style="text-align:center;"| yes||[[Henkell & Co. Sektkellerei]] KG
|-
!AR Lenoble
| style="text-align:center;"| 1920||[[Damery, Marne|Damery]]||Les Aventures
| style="text-align:center;"|-|| Family owned
|-
!Ayala
| style="text-align:center;"| 1860||[[Aÿ]]||Grande Cuvée
| style="text-align:center;"|yes||[[Bollinger]]
|-
!Bauget-Jouette
| style="text-align:center;"| 1822||[[Épernay]]||Cuvée Jouette/<br />
| style="text-align:center;"|no|| Family owned
|-
!Beaumet/Jeanmaire
| style="text-align:center;"| 1878||[[Épernay]]||Cuvée Malakoff/<br />Cuvée Elysée
| style="text-align:center;"|yes|| [[Laurent-Perrier]]
|-
!Beaumont des Crayères
| style="text-align:center;"| 1953||[[Mardeuil]]
| Nostalgie
| style="text-align:center;"| dependent 
|[[cooperative]] with ≈240 affiliated producers
|-
!Besserat de Bellefon
| style="text-align:center;"| 1843||[[Épernay]]||Cuvée des Moines
| style="text-align:center;"|– || Groupe Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
![[Billecart-Salmon]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1818||[[Mareuil-sur-Ay]]|| Grande Cuvée
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||independent
|-
!Binet
| style="text-align:center;"| 1849||[[Rilly-la-Montagne]]||Cuvée Sélection
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Groupe Binet, Prin et Collery
|-
!Château de Bligny
| style="text-align:center;"| 1911||[[Bligny (Aube)]]||Cuvée année 2000
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Groupe G.&nbsp;H. Martel & Co.
|-
![https://www.claudebelmont.com Claude-&-Belmont] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121184825/https://www.claudebelmont.com/ |date=21 January 2025 }}
| style="text-align:center;"| 1918||[[Vertus]]||Cuvée année 2008
| style="text-align:center;"| yes|| par CP Récoltant-manipulant
|-
!Henri Blin et Cie
| style="text-align:center;"| 1947||[[Vincelles (Marne)|Vincelles]]||Cuvée Jahr 2000
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||cooperative with ≈34 affiliated producers
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Bollinger]]
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| 1829||rowspan=2|[[Aÿ]]||Vieilles Vignes Françaises
| style="text-align:center;"|yes || rowspan=2| independent
|-
|La Grande Année, (R.&nbsp;D.&nbsp;– Récemment Dégorgé, this is the denomination for "Œnothèque" by Bollinger, meaning the crowning achievement of the Grande Année)|| style="text-align:center;"|yes
|-
!Boizel
| style="text-align:center;"| 1834||[[Épernay]]||Joyau de France
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
!Ferdinand Bonnet
| style="text-align:center;"| 1922||[[Oger (Marne)|Oger]]
| – || style="text-align:center;"|– ||EPI
|-
!Raymond Boulard
| style="text-align:center;"| 1952||[[La-Neuville-aux-Larris]]||Vieilles Vignes
| style="text-align:center;"| – ||independent
|-
![[Canard-Duchêne]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1868||[[Ludes]]||Grande Cuvée Charles&nbsp;VII
| style="text-align:center;"| – ||Alain Thiénot
|-
!De Castellane
| style="text-align:center;"| 1895||[[Épernay]]||Commodore
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Laurent-Perrier
|-
!Cattier
| style="text-align:center;"| 1918||[[Chigny-les-Roses]]||Clos du Moulin/<br />[[Armand de Brignac]]
| style="text-align:center;"|– ||independent
|-
!Charles de Cazanove
| style="text-align:center;"| 1811||[[Reims]]|| Stradivarius
| style="text-align:center;"|– || Groupe Rapeneau
|-
!Chanoine Frères
| style="text-align:center;"| 1730||[[Reims]]||gamme Tsarine<br />
| style="text-align:center;"| vintage dependent ||Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
!Cheurlin
| style="text-align:center;"| 1788||[[Celles-sur-Ource]]||Brut Spéciale<br />Rosé de Saignée
| style="text-align:center;"|-|| [[Independent business|Independent]]
|-
!Cheurlin Thomas
| style="text-align:center;"| 1788||[[Celles-sur-Ource]]||Blanc de Blanc – Célébrité<br />Blanc de Noir – Le Champion
| style="text-align:center;"|-|| [[Independent business|Independent]]
|-

![[Deutz (wine)|Deutz]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1838||[[Aÿ]]||Amour de Deutz, Cuvée William Deutz
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||[[Louis Rœderer]]
|-
! [[Drappier]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1808||[[Urville (Aube)|Urville]]||Grande Sendrée
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||family owned
Don perion 
|-
![[Duval-Leroy]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1859||[[Vertus]]||Femme de Champagne
| style="text-align:center;"|vintage dependent ||independent
|-
!Gauthier
| style="text-align:center;"| 1858||[[Épernay]]||Grande Réserve Brut
| style="text-align:center;"| – || Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
!Paul Goerg
| style="text-align:center;"| 1950||[[Vertus]]||Cuvée Lady C.
| style="text-align:center;"|yes || style="text-align:center;"|–
|-
!Gosset
| style="text-align:center;"| 1584||[[Aÿ]]||Celebris
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Renaud Cointreau
|-
![[Heidsieck & Co. Monopole]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1785||[[Épernay]]||Diamant Bleu
| style="text-align:center;"| yes||[[Vranken-Pommery Monopole]]
|-
!Charles Heidsieck
| style="text-align:center;"| 1851||[[Reims]]||Blanc des Millénaires
| style="text-align:center;"| yes||EPI
|-
![[Henriot (Champagne)|Henriot]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1808||[[Reims]]||Cuvée des Enchanteleurs
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||independent
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Krug (Champagner)|Krug]]
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 1843||rowspan=2|[[Reims]]||Name defined annually
| style="text-align:center;"|yes||rowspan=2|[[Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton|LVMH]]
|-
|Clos du Mesnil, Clos d'Ambonnay|| style="text-align:center;"| vintage dependent
|-
!Charles Lafitte
| style="text-align:center;"| 1848||[[Épernay]]||Orgueil de France
| style="text-align:center;"| vintage dependent ||Vranken-Pommery Monopole
|-
![[Lanson Père & Fils]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1760||[[Reims]]||Noble Cuvée
| style="text-align:center;"|yes || Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
!Larmandier-Bernier
| style="text-align:center;"| 1956||[[Vertus]]||Vieille Vigne de Cramant
| style="text-align:center;"|yes || family owned
|-
![[Laurent-Perrier]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1812||[[Tours-sur-Marne]]||Grand Siècle "La Cuvée"
| style="text-align:center;"| – || Laurent-Perrier
|-
![[Champagne Mercier|Mercier]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1858 ||[[Épernay]]||Vendange
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||[[Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton|LVMH]]
|-
![[Moët & Chandon]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1743||[[Épernay]]||[[Dom Pérignon]]
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||[[Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton|LVMH]]
|-
![[G. H. Mumm]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1827||[[Reims]]||Mumm de Cramant
| style="text-align:center;"| –||[[Pernod-Ricard]]
|-
![https://www.champagne-naveau.com Naveau]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1988||[[Bergères-lès-Vertus|Bergères-les-Vertus]]||Cuvée Rhapsodie 
| style="text-align:center;"| yes|| Family-owned
|-
![[Bruno Paillard]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1981||[[Reims]]||N. P. U. (Nec Plus Ultra)
| style="text-align:center;"| yes|| independent
|-
![[Perrier-Jouët]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1811||[[Épernay]]||Belle Époque
| style="text-align:center;"| yes|| [[Pernod-Ricard]]
|-
![[Philipponnat]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1910||[[Mareuil-sur-Ay]]||Clos des Goisses
| style="text-align:center;"| vintage dependent|| Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
![[Piper-Heidsieck]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1785||[[Reims]]||Rare
| style="text-align:center;"| – ||EPI
|-
![[Pommery]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1836||[[Reims]]||Cuvée Louise
| style="text-align:center;"| yes||Vranken-Pommery Monopole
|-
![[Robert Moncuit]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1889||[[Le Mesnil-sur-Oger]]||Cuvée réservée brut, Cuvée réservée extra brut, Grande Cuvée Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs
| style="text-align:center;"| no ||independent
|-
![[Louis Rœderer]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1776||[[Reims]]||[[Cristal (wine)|Cristal]]
| style="text-align:center;"| yes||independent
|-
![[Champagne Pol Roger|Pol Roger]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1849||[[Épernay]]||Winston Churchill
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||independent
|-
![[Ruinart (Champagne)|Ruinart]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1729<br />oldest still active<br />producer||[[Reims]]||Dom Ruinart
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||[[Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton|LVMH]]
|-
![[Champagne Salon|Salon]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1921||[[Le Mesnil-sur-Oger]]||S
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Laurent-Perrier
|-
!rowspan=2 | Marie Stuart
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 1867||rowspan=2 | [[Reims]]||Cuvée de la Sommelière
| style="text-align:center;"| –||rowspan=2 | Alain Thiénot
|-
|Brut Millésimé|| style="text-align:center;"| yes
|-
!Chartogne Taillet
| style="text-align:center;"| 1515||[[Reims]]||Fiacre
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||independent
|-
! [[Taittinger]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1734||[[Reims]]||Comtes de Champagne
| style="text-align:center;"|yes|| Taittinger
|-
!rowspan=2 | Thiénot
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| 1985||rowspan=2 | [[Reims]]||Grande Cuvée
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||rowspan=2 | Alain Thiénot
|-
|Cuvée Stanislas|| style="text-align:center;"| –
|-
! de Venoge
| style="text-align:center;"| 1837||[[Épernay]]||Grand Vin des Princes
| style="text-align:center;"|yes ||Boizel Chanoine Champagne
|-
![[Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 1772||[[Reims]]||La Grande Dame
| style="text-align:center;"| yes ||[[Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton|LVMH]]
|-
!Vranken
| style="text-align:center;"| 1979||[[Épernay]]
|Demoiselle followed by <br />vintage dependent names|| style="text-align:center;"| vintage dependent
|Vranken-Pommery Monopole
|}

==Shipments==
The Champagne industry is expected to ship 314 million bottles in 2023, down 3.7% from the previous year, according to the [[Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne|Comité Champagne]] industry trade group. Nightclub markets remain strong, but consumption of Champagne in the home is losing ground.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rascouet |first=Angelina |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-17/champagne-demand-softens-after-post-covid-boom-years-lvmh-says |title=Champagne Demand Softens After Post-Covid Boom Years, LVMH Says |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |date=2023-09-17 |access-date=2023-09-18 }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+Champagne shipments<ref name=AGCC>{{cite web|title=Champagne at a glance |publisher=Comité Champagne |url=https://www.champagne.fr/en/find-out-more/champagne-at-a-glance}}</ref>
!Destination !! Volume<br />(bottle) !! Value<br />(EUR)
|-
!Total ||325.5 million || 6.8 Billion
|-
|France || 42.5% || 34%
|-
|Exports || 57.5% || 66%
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|+Top ten external markets<ref name=AGCC/>
|-
! No. !! Country !! Volume<br />(million bottles) !! Value<br />(million EUR)
|-
|1 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|United States}} || 34.1 ||793.5
|-
|2 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|United Kingdom}} ||29.9 ||503.6
|-
|3 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Japan}} ||13.8 ||354.5
|-
|4 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Germany}} ||11.1 ||201.9
|-
|5 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Belgium}} ||10.3 ||200.1
|-
|6 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Australia}} || 9.9 ||166.9
|-
|7 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Italy}} ||9.2 ||159.9
|-
|8 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Switzerland}} ||6.1 ||125.6
|-
|9 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Spain}} ||4.4 ||94.0
|-
|10 ||style="text-align:left;"|{{flag|Netherlands}} ||3.9 ||79.7
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Drink|Wine|France}}
* [[Autolysis (wine)]]
* [[Champagne breakfast]]
* [[Champagne Riots]]
* [[Classification of Champagne vineyards]]
* [[Club Trésors de Champagne]]
* {{lang|fr|[[Coteaux Champenois AOC]]}}, term used for non-sparkling (still) wines produced in the same area
* [[List of Champagne houses]]
* [[Louis Bohne]], sales agent for {{lang|fr|[[Veuve Clicquot]]}} in the 19th century

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last=Eichelmann |first=Gerhard |date=2017 |title=Champagne – Edition 2017 |location=Heidelberg |publisher=Mondo |isbn=978-3-938839-28-7 }}
* {{cite book |last=Guy |first=Kolleen M. |year=2003 |title=When Champagne Became French: Wine and the Making of a National Identity |url=https://archive.org/details/whenchampagnebec0000guyk |url-access=registration |location=Baltimore |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=978-0-8018-8747-5 |oclc=819135515}}
* {{cite book |last=Liger-Belair |first=Gérard |year=2004 |title=Uncorked: The Science of Champagne |location=Princeton, N.J. |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=0-691-11919-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=Stevenson |first=Tom |year=2003 |title=World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine |publisher=Wine Appreciation Guild |isbn=1-891267-61-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Sutcliffe |first=Serena |year=1988 |title=Champagne: The History and Character of the World's Most Celebrated Wine |publisher=Mitchell Beazley |isbn=0-671-66672-X |url=https://archive.org/details/champagnehistory0000sutc }}
* {{cite book |last=Walters |first=Robert |date=2016 |title=Bursting Bubbles: A Secret History of Champagne and the Rise of the Great Growers |location=Abbotsford, Victoria, Australia |publisher=Bibendum Wine Co |isbn=978-0-646-96076-0}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Champagne (drink)}}
{{Wiktionary}}
*[https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1913/the-history-of-champagne/ World History Encyclopedia - The History of Champagne]
*[https://www.champagne.fr/en ''Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne''] official site ([[Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne|CIVC]])
*[http://www.champagne.us Champagne Bureau U.S. official site]
*[https://maisons-champagne.com/en/ Union of Champagne Houses official site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130327115245/http://www.france.fr/en/wines-spirits/wines-champagne The wines of Champagne], official website of France

{{Wines}}
{{French wine regions}}
{{Wine by country}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Champagne}}
[[Category:Champagne (wine)| ]]
[[Category:Champagne wine AOCs]]
[[Category:French products with protected designation of origin]]
[[Category:French wine]]
[[Category:Sparkling wines]]