Champagne is the signifier of celebration, the drink of luxury and good times. The fizz and the pop of this drink is synonymous with big events; weddings, births, Christmas, and it's an indulgent luxury the world over.

Champagne is the signifier of celebration, the drink of luxury and good times. The fizz and the pop of this drink is synonymous with big events; weddings, births, Christmas, and it’s an indulgent luxury the world over.

Produced solely in the region in France of the same name, the wine has a famed heritage and the wine producers of this region fiercely guard their right as the sole producers of wine permitted to include the word champagne on its label.

Many people use the term champagne loosely to refer to any white wine which sparkles, and there are many great sparkling wines from a variety of wine-producing countries, such as cava from Spain and prosecco from Italy, but it is champagne that is afforded the most prestige.

Bubbles

The bubbles are said to make the wine go to your head faster and, sure enough, carbonation does allow alcohol to enter your bloodstream more quickly. But did you know that when wine from this region was first produced, the makers tried their very best to get rid of the bubbles, perceiving them to be a flaw?

The weak glass used to bottle the wine in those days meant that when bubbles occurred during fermentation, bottles could explode at random, rendering cellar conditions hazardous. Many a cellar worker was injured and working in a cellar could prove to be a frightening job indeed!

Production

Champagne undergoes double fermentation, unlike regular wines. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle and continues right until the bottle is opened and the wine is served.

The drink starts life like any other wine; the grapes undergo pressing and are fermented, and the juice is blended with other grape juices for consistency and flavour.

Next, the wine’s bottled before being injected with a liquid yeast and sugar mix, and then the bottles get stored sideways in a temperature-controlled environment. It ferments like this, often in a cellar beneath the ground, and the sugar is converted to alcohol.

Various lengths of ageing take place, and any remaining yeast sediment cells in the bottles are destroyed by their own enzymes. This helps with flavouring and helps shape the final character of the wine.

Once the wine’s been aged, riddling takes place. Sediment is worked down to the neck of the bottle and on to the stopper, where it’s removed. It is actually propelled out by the carbon dioxide after being frozen.

Dominic Donaldson is a wine expert. Find out more about champagne at http://www.virginwines.com/wine-zone/champagne

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