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Champagne

Champagne is not a variety of grape.
Champagne is not a state of mind.
Champagne is France's northernmost wine growing region and don't you forget it.

 

Not all grapes grown in Champagne are used to make Champagne, but it's pretty close. By law, only three varieties of grape can be used in Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and between them they make up 100% of the grapes grown in Champagne.

 

To make Champagne through the traditional process (the Method Champenoise or Méthode Traditionnelle), which entails two fermentations. The first fermentation is traditional, and followed by a blending with up to 39 others similar wines. Additional sugars and yeasts are added, and then the wines are fermented in the bottle. The second fermentation is followed by an elaborate process whereby the yeast is gently and painstakingly removed from the bottle. Thereafter, the wine is aged for a period of at least one year (at least three for vintage Champagne). Then the wine is once again sugared to taste and it is finally ready to drink.

 

Dom Pérignon did not invent champagne, he was one of it's early innovators. He invented the modern wine bottle and the corking process, these were necessary to prevent the champagne from exploding.