How to Choose a Good Champagne

You need it at weddings, at graduation parties, if you are on a date, or during any other occasion you wish to celebrate. Champagne is a drink which can't be missed at any celebration. It is white wine which is fermented with a small quantity of yeast and later with sugar for a second stage of fermentation. This second fermentation leads to another process called carbonation that gives rise to gas in the bottle, thus the wine is known as Champagne.

The word "Champagne" is actually the name of region in France that produces this signature wine, and therefore the drink goes by this name. Sparkling wine is also champagne but is not from France and is called so since it is produced in other areas of the world. There are three main varieties of grapes, viz; Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier grapes used to make champagne. This is what makes it is such a special drink at celebrations.

When you decide to bring home a bottle of champagne, you need to know which champagne is good, for starters. For beginners, there are many experts who offer to help while the selecting process. You can, not only learn new facts about champagne as a drink, but also use the advice for your benefit. According to these experts, there are three main things that you have to consider while picking the finest champagnes, viz. the label, taste and price. Therefore, to help you make the right choice, we have a few steps based on these certain factors, mentioned in the coming up paragraphs. You can keep these in mind and use them when needed. Take a look.

The first rule of choosing a good champagne is to make sure if it is authentic. By this I mean, the best champagne is produced in the region "Champagne" in France as mentioned above. Thus, when you ask the vendor to present you with a bottle, check it is produced in this region and is authentic.

You will get a variety of producers from this region, so make sure you pick a "real" champagne bottle from France. However, these are slightly expensive as they are the real ones.

The next thing you need to consider which choosing good champagne is the flavor and taste of the drink. With the variety of producers of champagne, there are a number of flavors that you will come across as well. These depend on the dryness, sweetness, yeasty or creamy flavors of the drink.

The judgment can also be made with respect to the quantity of bubbles, such as full or delicate. Usually, champagne is judged on the level of sweetness and there are various levels that are offered to you.

These can be; very dry (brut), dry but slightly more sweet than brut (extra brut), medium in sweetness (sec), a close to dessert wine which is sweet (demi-sec), and a dessert wine which is only sweet (doux).

Another important thing to be considered is to be aware of some terms related to the same. These terms related to champagne types are mentioned below and should be inquired about while picking the drink.

• Sparkling Wine: It is not Champagne, but the wine produced in places like California, Italy and Germany.
• Vintage Champagne: Wines which include 80% of blend of still wines (cuvee), that are 3 years older than the one produced.
• Nonvintage Champagne: This drink includes still wines which are about 8 years older and compose 80% of these in the housed wine.

• Blanc de Noirs: Made from red Pinot Noir or Meunier grapes and is clearer in taste.
• Blanc de Blancs: Made from Chardonnay grapes exclusively and is lightest in color.
• Rose: The champagne has an addition of red wine to the blend of still wines.

With these great tips, I hope you have learned a lot about this classic French drink! So, go ahead and pick out the finest champagne for your celebration.