Any celebration is rarely complete without champagne. And on New Year this drink is simply irreplaceable! But to enjoy this wine, you need to choose it correctly. And here you should take into account both qualitative characteristics and your own preferences. After all, the best champagne is one that is not only made correctly, but also you personally like it.

To make it easier to decide, it is important to know some secrets and features of sparkling champagnes.

Choosing the best

Let's start with the fact that we call any sparkling wine champagne. All over the world, this name can only belong to those drinks that are produced in France in the province of Champagne. It is believed that grapes exclusively in this area have all the necessary properties to obtain the desired flavor bouquet. Only 3 varieties of wine berries are used for production - Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

But this does not mean at all that sparkling wines made not in Champagne are worse. If the manufacturing technology was followed and high-quality raw materials were taken for production, then the taste and aroma of such a drink is in no way inferior to real champagne.

For example, back in 1900 in Paris, wine produced at the factories of Prince Golitsyn was recognized as one of the best and won the Grand Prix. By the way, it is believed that it was after this event that Russian sparkling wines began to bear the proud name of champagne.

Criterias of choice

So, what to look for when buying a bottle of champagne.

First of all - on the price. Remember that cheaper than 200 rubles. it doesn't happen!

Also look at appearance: the label must be glued evenly, neatly. The inscriptions are made clearly and without grammatical errors. Manufacture dates and expiration dates are required, all ingredients are written, etc.

No flavorings, dyes in the composition can not be! Also, there is no artificially added gas in real wine.

The bottle itself is necessarily dark, the liquid inside is without sediment.

When buying expensive copies, try to buy those that are made and sold by one company. They are usually marked “N.M.”

How real champagne is made

A real champagne is one that is produced in accordance with all the strict rules of manufacturing technology. The classic process looks like this:

dry wines are made from grape raw materials;
depending on the desired result, the resulting drinks are mixed in certain proportions;
poured into special thick-walled bottles and add the so-called circulation liquor (sugar, yeast and some other ingredients);
the bottle is well corked and laid horizontally;
liqueur provokes the beginning of fermentation, carbon dioxide appears, which saturates the wine.

In this state, the future champagne lies for several months or even years. When the fermentation process ends, a precipitate falls out - it is he who gives those notes to the drink for which gourmets appreciate it so much. By the way, the flavor can vary from bready and fruity to nutty and even cheesy.

After that, the contents of the bottles are cleaned of sediment, if necessary, sugar syrup is added and the champagne is ready for sale.

An alternative to this method is tank fabrication. All processes are the same, but they take place in large containers (barrels, tanks). And the period of such production is shorter. This is how most of the sparkling wines that are sold on the shelves of our stores are made. But this does not mean that "reservoir" champagne is worse - the average person will not even feel the difference when tasting. But experts say that the bouquet of such a drink is always poorer than that made using classical technology. The difference between a classic and such a wine will be visible only on the label - domestic producers will write "seasoned" or "classic", and foreign ones, for example, "Metodo Classico".

Much worse if you come across a saturated champagne. In general, this drink can be called lemonade rather than sparkling wine. Bubbles appear in it after forced gassing with a siphon. If the label says “sparkling”, “effervescent”, “saturated”, then there is nothing from champagne. Most likely, there is no natural wine there - dyes, flavors, etc. Prices for such a product, of course, are low.

Types of champagnes

When choosing, it is important to remember that any champagne is distinguished depending on the sugar content:

extra brut (Extra-Brut) - sugar not more than 6 g / l;
brut (Brut) - up to 15 g / l;
dry (Dry) - 20-25 g / l;
semi-dry (Semi-Dry) - 40-45 g / l;
white semi-sweet (Semi-Sweet white) - 60-65 g / l;
red semi-sweet (Semi-Sweet red) - 80-85 g / l.

In French terminology, sweet is anything in which sugar is more than 50 g / l.

Each type of champagne is good in its own way. But true connoisseurs believe that the less sugar, the brighter and more refined the bouquet. In general, there is an opinion that sugar drowns out the real taste and even masks flaws in production. But if you do not consider yourself a gourmet, then you are unlikely to like sour brut, and even more so extra brut. The best option is semi-dry.

French manufacturers

We figured out the terminology, let's move on to trademarks. If you want real champagne, then, of course, you should look at the producers of France. It is only important to understand right away that such a purchase will definitely not be cheap. However, it is also affordable - not everywhere you can buy real products from the Champagne region. If you decide to try, then choose only the best brands.

Perhaps the most famous brand, leading the ranking of the best wines in France for more than one hundred years, is Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. The founder of this brand was obsessed with winemaking and improved the manufacturing technology to the maximum, reaching unprecedented heights in business. What is especially surprising for a woman, since all this happened at the beginning of the 19th century. The simplest champagne will cost from $80.

The closest competitor is Moet and Chandon (Moë [email protected]). This champagne was loved by Louis XV, Napoleon Bonaparte. And now it is he who is preferred by the Queen of England. But thanks to the serious volumes, the prices for such royal luxury are quite democratic - from 70 USD. It is this company that has been producing the legendary Dom Pérignon champagne since 1936.

Piper-Heidsieck is a sparkling wine without which no Oscar ceremony takes place. Marilyn Monroe loved him. The cost starts from 50 USD.

By the way, this brand of champagne is the most expensive in the world. We are talking about Hiedsieck Diamant bleu from 1907 - the cost of one bottle is more than 275 thousand dollars! This wine was sent to Russia, but the ship sank. A few decades later, the bottles were taken from the bottom of the sea, and Russian businessmen bought them at an auction.

Paul Roger is one of the best champagne houses. This brand produces excellent vintage wine, that is, one that does not lose its qualities even after 30 years. Prices start at $80.

Demand for champagne Bollinger (Bollinger) exceeds supply. It's interesting that trademark she also owes her fame to her widow. Lily Bollinger did everything to make this champagne one of the best.

Which Russian champagne is better

And we make quite decent champagne. I am glad that the prices for it do not start with such exorbitant figures. Among huge amount manufacturers should highlight these:

Agrofirm Abrau-Dyurso (awarded with various medals, received the Grand Prix more than once);
JSC "Kornet";
JSC "Moscow plant of sparkling wines";
CJSC "Sparkling Wines";
RISP LLC.

Crimean wines are very tasty - unique weather conditions make it possible to obtain grape raw materials, which some connoisseurs consider even better than French. For example, I always try to buy Champagne factory Brut New World. This is a delicious Crimean champagne, one of the best.

With what and how to serve

It is also important to serve this noble drink correctly. Be sure to choose glasses made of glass or crystal of the correct shape. Ideally - high "tulip" or "flute". It is these glasses that allow you to "play" for a long time, presenting brighter and giving you the opportunity to feel the fullness of the taste and aroma of champagne.

According to etiquette, goblet glasses are also allowed, but such dishes are not suitable if it is taste that is important to you, and not aesthetics. Due to the large surface area and shallow depth, the bubbles escape very quickly.

Champagne is served with almost any dish, but the variety and type of wine are taken into account. Desserts are sweeter. And with seafood, cheeses, and some meat dishes, brut or dry goes well.

By the way, it is believed that fruits and chocolate are a great addition to champagne. Actually, this is not entirely true. For example, dark chocolate should not be combined at all - it interrupts the exquisite taste of this wine.

At the end, some tips from an experienced sommelier:

Tests of household appliances are carried out in conditions as close as possible to the conditions of its use in everyday life.

The test program is formed by the Customer

The test results (expert assessment) characterize only those specific samples that are presented in the tests (examination), and do not apply to similar products of these manufacturing enterprises (brands)

WHAT A GOOD CHAMPAGNE

AiF conducted an examination of a fizzy drink in Rostest-Moscow

Which semi-sweet champagne is better.
We bought 5 bottles of semi-sweet champagne of Russian and Ukrainian production and sent it for examination to the Rostest-Moscow Testing Center for Food Products and Food Raw Materials.

Test protocols th"Rostest-Moscow"
The name of the semi-sweet champagne	Manufacturer. Price	The proportion of ethyl alcohol*	Concentration sugars, g/dm3	Concentration titratable acids**	Concentration of total sulfur dioxide, mg/dm3***	Concentration of reduced extract, mg/dm3****
"Abrau-Durso". Fortress - 10.5-12.5%	Novorossiysk. 389 rub.
"Lights of Moscow". Fortress - 10,5-13%	Moscow. 239 rub.
"Crimean sparkling" (sparkling wine). Fortress - 11.5%	Sevastopol, Ukraine. 239 rub.
"Silver century” (aged sparkling wine). Fortress - 10.5-13.5%	Artyomovsk, Ukraine. 459 rub.
"Novosvetskoe" (sparkling wine aged). Fortress - 10-13,5%	Artyomovsk, Ukraine. 459 rub.
* Norm - 10-12.5; norm - 5.5-8; * norm - no more than 200; **** norm - not less than 16.

Play everyone!

Champagne can only be called white wine. And sparkling wines (often confused with champagne) can be white, rosé or red. At the same time, the foamy properties of these drinks are ensured by the fact that they contain naturally fermentation produces carbon dioxide. If it is added artificially - this is cheap drink! “Sparkling, that is, the presence of small bubbles, fountains and a beautiful white cap (mousse) in a glass, shows that the drink is of high quality,” explained Rostest experts who conducted the study. The most long-playing was champagne "Novosvetskoe". And the bubbles from the Crimean sparkling wine evaporated the fastest.

The next indicator is the concentration of sugars. We checked it to understand whether our samples correspond to the declared “semi-sweet” category. “Among winemakers, it is believed that added sugar corrects the shortcomings of the wine. That is why professionals especially appreciate brut varieties, where there is very little sugar and its level corresponds to the grape variety from which sparkling wine is made,” explains Roman Gaidashov, expert of the OZPP "Public Control". By the way, if the manufacturer adds more sugar than necessary (sugar and cognac alcohol are added to wine to make champagne), the drink may not have time to ferment - such champagne will turn out to be tasteless. In all samples, the concentration of sugar was normal. But we found the most sugar in the Novosvetskoye sparkling wine, and the least in Abrau-Dyurso.

Not sour?

An important indicator of the quality of champagne is the mass concentration of titratable acids. It depends on how the technological process was followed during production. If the concentration is below normal, this is unnatural wine low grade. If it is higher, then the drink has gone bad. Among our subjects, all were within acceptable limits.

By the way, if you think that guilt - natural product without preservatives, you are mistaken. In the production of any wine, including champagne, preservatives can be added to prevent bacteria from multiplying in the bottle. “Sulfur dioxide is the oldest and, one might say, the most harmless of them,” says Roman Gaidashov. - Domestic producers, as a rule, do not exceed the norm, but foreign wines often contain more sulfur dioxide. The point is in a stricter framework: in Russia the norm is no more than 200 mg / dm³, in the West - no more than 300. In our samples, the Silver Age champagne manufacturer turned out to be the most caring - he did not put a lot of preservative. But in the “Fires of Moscow” there was the most dioxide. True, the experts immediately rehabilitated it and noted that this sample pleased them with the price-quality-taste ratio.

The fullness of the wine, its taste, bouquet and saturation are determined, among other things, by the mass concentration of the given extract. This is exactly the “component” that depends on the raw material - grapes.

The higher the concentration, the fuller the taste of the drink. Usually in champagne from white grapes (white sparkling wines), this indicator is close to the lower limit of the norm. But in red, saturated wines, it is high. Among the tested bottles, Silver Age champagne has the most complete taste - the high price is justified. But the price of Novosvetskoye champagne is the same, but the saturation is much less.

“In general, experts noted the worthy quality of inexpensive champagne,” sums up Roman Gaidashov. “If you can’t afford a bottle from French cellars, don’t be upset - choose domestic.”

WAITER, CHAMPAGNE!!

“Never ask for champagne... It's vulgar. Only wine! The waiter, by your appearance, should understand that you drink wine only champagne! - according to the memoirs of a contemporary, V. Mayakovsky taught good manners.
The poet knew what he was saying: champagne is not just good wine, but a kind of symbol. A sign of exclusivity, elitism. sign good taste and respectability.
“Not everyone likes it, not everyone can afford it ... But there is no strength to overcome the desire to bark at the whole hall: “Man, champagne!”. Know ours! - this is from the book by V. Gilyarovsky "Moscow and Muscovites".
Well, how not to remember “in the subject”: in the mornings, either aristocrats or degenerates drink champagne! Be that as it may, but there are days, there are events (and there are many of them) when we cannot do without champagne. Whether we love it or not so much. What, say, New Year without champagne?! Well, how not to raise a foaming glass for the happiness of the newlyweds? Or for the health of the esteemed hero of the day? And with the wishes of seven feet under the keel on the side of the ship they break not vodka, not French cognac or whiskey - only champagne! Champagne is the drink of the day. Such already this wine - champagne!

Buying champagne should be approached responsibly. After all, it can decorate a holiday, or maybe, if not spoil it, then seriously overshadow it ... Not champagne, of course, but a burda that you can easily buy in a champagne bottle. It will hiss for about five minutes in large bubbles and run out of steam, calm down forever and ever before the eyes of the astonished public. Soda!
Not all champagne that sizzles and foams! The first officially registered scam took a shameful place back in the reign of Nicholas I. Someone Krich, who arrived in Russia even “not for ranks and awards”, but with one goal - to get rich as quickly as possible, being in the position of director of the Crimean State School of Winemaking, without philosophizing for a long time over grape varieties and methods of making wine, launched the trade in Crimean wine under the label of the French "Rederer". For counterfeiting, as we would now qualify this act, the unscrupulous foreigner was expelled from Russia in disgrace by the emperor, who was quick to be punished.

Let's talk about what real champagne is and how not to be deceived when buying it, as well as about Russian traditions in the production of sparkling wines

Champagne, according to international law, can only be called wine produced in France, in the province of Champagne. This is a white or rosé sparkling wine, the saturation of which with carbon dioxide occurs during the secondary fermentation and subsequent aging.
In the manufacture of champagne, the strict rules stipulated by the country's legislation for this category of wines are strictly observed, regarding, in particular, the system of vine pruning and grape harvesting, yield per hectare. The whole process from picking berries to bottling is under the strict supervision of both the producers themselves and the French controlling organizations.
For the production of champagne wines, three grape varieties are used: Chardonnay - white, Pinot Noir - red, Pinot Meunier - red. Champagne made only from Chardonnay is called "white of whites". If champagne is made from red grapes, then it is called "white from black".
Grapes are harvested by hand, while unripe, damaged and rotten berries must be removed from the bunch with tongs. They are delivered for processing in special plastic baskets with holes in the bottom so that the grapes can “breathe”, and the juice from the damaged berries flows out and cannot be used for the production of champagne, since it inevitably oxidizes during transportation.
The premises where the presses are installed are built near the vineyards. Pressing is a very crucial moment. The main thing at this stage is to separate the skin and bones from the must as quickly as possible ( grape juice), so that dyes and tannins contained in the skin of red varieties do not get into it. Pressing takes place in several stages. The result is two wort fractions. The first is called cuvee. The best champagne wines are made from cuvée: they are distinguished by their special sophistication, freshness and the ability to have a longer life in the bottle.
The second fraction of the wort is called thai. Squeezed juice (wort) is kept for 12 hours at a low temperature. So it undergoes primary fermentation. It turns out the base wine for champagne. Part of it is left in reserve, sent to be stored in large tanks at a temperature of 10 ° C under an inert gas. This ensures maximum freshness of the wines until their use in subsequent years. The other part is assembled (mixed) with wines from different regions of Champagne, different grape varieties (and we already know that there are three of them) and, most often, different years harvest. The most typical champagne is just such a mixture. It is based on the wine of the new vintage and plus reserve wines, that is, wines from previous vintages. The composition of such an assemblage can include up to 200 wines. This Champagne is fundamentally different from other wine-growing regions of France, the best wines which almost always come from the same vineyard and are made from grapes from the same vintage.
Features of winemaking in Champagne are predetermined by climatic conditions. In this region, depending on the weather, the wines of one vineyard, but of different years, can vary beyond recognition. Grapes in Champagne rarely ripen completely, and assemblage allows you to compensate for the shortcomings of the grapes of a particular vineyard.
The purpose of the assemblage is not only to disguise, level out the shortcomings, but also to strive to ensure that the sum becomes better than any of its components. A master winemaker in Champagne is often compared to an artist, and the reserve wines he uses are compared to a palette. In especially good years, producers produce vintage champagnes or vintages from grapes of the same vintage.
To achieve the typical and recognizable style of his champagne, the master "winemaker conducts numerous tastings and mixing wines, after which he proceeds to assembling. After creating an assemblage mixture, the wine is bottled. Since the sugar content in it is usually less than 1 gram per liter, then to provoke second fermentation (fermentation) in the bottle add the tirage liquor, which consists of dissolved in the reserve wine cane sugar, yeast and additives containing gelatin or bentonite.
Bottles are sealed with special “working” corks equipped with metal staples. After corking, the bottles are placed in a horizontal position in the cellars. Under the influence of the circulation liquor in the bottle begins secondary fermentation lasting from one to two months.
This time, the carbon dioxide formed during the fermentation process cannot escape and begins to dissolve in the wine. From time to time, the bottles are shaken slightly so that the resulting sediment (yeast decomposition products) does not stick to the walls.
After the completion of fermentation, a long exposure of champagne on the lees begins. During this period, the bottles are not touched at all. It is the long aging on the lees that gives champagne sophistication, richness and complexity. By law, non-vintage champagnes must age for at least 15 months, and vintage champagnes must age for at least three years.

At the end of the soak, the next process begins - remuage. The essence of this operation is to reduce the formed sediment to the cork. Traditionally, this operation is carried out on wooden music stands, resembling a sliding ladder with two boards, in which holes are made at a certain angle, allowing you to give the bottle any angle of inclination. The bottles are first placed in a horizontal position, then rotated around the axis by 1/8 every day, gradually tilting the neck down, gradually giving the bottle an almost vertical position.
It is believed that the idea of remuage belongs to Madame Clicquot (whose name is one of the most famous champagnes), who for a long time was looking for a way to get rid of the sediment in the bottle until she found an original solution by sacrificing a dining table in which bottle holes were made at her order. Much later, tables were replaced by music stands, which took up much less space.
When the sediment reduced to the cork is sufficiently compacted, the stage of disgorgement begins, that is, the sediment is removed. The neck of the bottle is placed in a coolant at -20°C, the sediment turns into an ice floe and literally “shoots out” when the bottle is uncorked.
Before finally corking the bottle, dosing (or dosing) liquor is added to it - sugar dissolved in wine, the amount of which varies depending on the type (from completely dry to sweet).
The champagne is corked under strong pressure with a cork stopper, which is always provided with the marking of the champagne house. A metal cap is put on the cork, which protects it from rubbing with a muzzle - a wire structure that protects the cork from spontaneous flight.

The classic bottle method of champagne is complex and time-consuming, but guarantees high quality wine. Using this method, at the end of the 19th century they began to prepare champagne in Russia, in the Crimea, under the guidance of Prince Golitsyn, who is called the founder of the production of Russian champagne. Having deeply studied the winemaking of France, Golitsyn boldly set about organizing the production of champagne in his estate "New World" near Sudak, where he planted vineyards. According to his project, first-class cellars were built.
After ten years of experience in making sparkling wines using champagne, in 1890 Golitsyn began commercial production of champagne. In 1896, Golitsyn champagne appears at a ceremonial dinner during the coronation celebrations of Nicholas II. In the same year, Golitsyn organizes the production of sparkling wines in AbrauDyurso. In the spring of 1900, at the Paris World Exhibition, Lev Golitsyn presented the 1899 edition of Novy Svet champagne from Russia. Russian champagne was unanimously recognized by experts and was awarded the highest award of the competition - the Grand Prix Silver Cup.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the founder of the production of "Soviet Champagne", academician Frolov Bagreev, developed the acratophore method of champagne, in which secondary fermentation is carried out in special metal tanks - acratophores, which made it possible to reduce the duration technological process 30 times.
A variation of this method is the continuous method of champagne, when the primary fermentation wine material is pumped through a system of 7-8 huge hermetically sealed tanks and turns into sparkling wine in 20 to 30 days. This is a cheaper, democratic wine, but it meets the main, “generic” feature of sparkling wine: it is saturated with carbon dioxide in an absolutely natural way.
The bulk of the wine, which, calling champagne, we drink "for life", is produced using this simplified technology. Sparkling wines "in champagne" are made in many countries. In Italy they are called "spumante", in Spain - "cava", in Germany - "zekt" ... Sparkling wines produced according to the "champagne method" are obtained in all wine-growing provinces of France, but they are called "crema". got accustomed - "champagne". But we have to say goodbye to this name, so beloved by us. Alien Brand!
In 1997, Russia recognized the exclusive right of France to this trademark and assumed the obligation not to use the designation “champagne” (as well as “cognac”) for Russian exported drinks in the future. Within 20-25 years, the name “champagne” should be replaced by “sparkling” on the domestic market as well. Assuming champagne, we will drink sparkling!

Today, the market for sparkling wines is large and diverse. True connoisseurs can, if funds permit, indulge in a bottle of real French champagne "Veuve Clicquot"...
Or Moet and Chandon. There are many other famous brands as well. This class of drinks, frankly, is not available to everyone. But this is not a reason for frustration, if you are driven not by snobbery (“certainly French!”), but by a natural desire to give yourself gastronomic pleasure with wine of excellent quality. There are many worthy wines in the shops, made by us or our closest neighbors and sold, as they say, at our prices. Some of them still continue to be called champagne for the time being. Others establish themselves in the minds of consumers under the correct designation "sparkling".

Classic sparkling wine is produced by our Abrau Durso, Novy Svet in the Crimea, Artemovsky in Ukraine, Cricovo in Moldova. Red sweet sparkling wine with a fruity aroma is produced by the old Cossack method at the Tsimlyansky factory located in the Rostov region.
Wineries located far from the climatic zones of grape growth operate on wine materials purchased in the south of Russia, in Moldova, Spain, Italy, Argentina.
Champagne has a very subtle, unique bouquet and taste. Color - light straw or golden with a greenish sheen. The alcohol content is not more than 12.5%. The smaller the bubbles, the longer they play in the glass, resembling a rosary or a string of beads, the better, the better the quality of the wine.
Left in an uncorked bottle for the night, real sparkling wine will not run out of steam, will not calm down, and will play in the morning. When buying, carefully study the information on the label, which should indicate the manufacturer, its address and the trademark of the enterprise, as well as the designation of the taste characteristic: from absolutely dry to sweet.

Without reading the label, you run the risk of buying instead of champagne in best case fizzy wine, at worst - a flavored fizzy drink made from alcohol, water, sugar, flavoring, which is artificially saturated with carbon dioxide. At the same time, the prices are such that it really is champagne, and not a liquid that promises heartburn.
It happens that on the label, cleverly made in the usual style of “Soviet champagne”, it is written in large size “Soviet semi-sweet”, and on the back label, which not everyone bothers to read, “Semi-sweet carbonated wine”. "Sparkling" is not "Sparkling". Probably, everyone understands that this is not the same thing, but in a hurry, and due to lack of experience, you can not get a grasp and instead of noble sparkling wine, buy artificially carbonated sparkling wine. Poppy!
If you bought real champagne, then you should know:
Champagne is usually served at a temperature of 8-10°C, which best contributes to the perception of the aroma and taste of the drink. To cool the wine, you can put it in the refrigerator (but not in the freezer) for about an hour or use a special ice bucket to cool it. Keeping champagne in the refrigerator for more than two days is not recommended - the cold kills the aroma and game of the drink. In general, champagne should not be stored for more than 2-3 years: the quality is lost. Champagne glasses need to be washed cold water without any detergents.

Russian champagne is a sparkling wine produced and sold in Russia. The demand for sparkling wine in the country exceeds a quarter of a million bottles a year. A New Year's table without a light, foaming cold drink sparkling with bubbles is equivalent to an Olympic stadium without a burning torch.

Producers of Russian champagne

Popular products often make money-seekers want to get involved in the business. But, having no technology, technical standards, wine raw materials and winemakers, unscrupulous producers are driving counterfeit products to the market.

To prevent the appearance of low-quality wine products on the consumer market, the Association of Sparkling Wine Producers was established in 2010. The association includes 13 Russian enterprises and one Belarusian enterprise.

Consumers are confident that the presence on the label of an inscription about the manufacturer from the list of members of the Association is a guarantee of the production of Russian champagne in compliance with technical standards.

Competition of winemakers

In Russia, winemakers annually hold a business meeting. In the category of sparkling drinks, the best Russian champagne of the classical method and the reservoir method of production is chosen. In 2016, two winners were awarded respectively: Russian champagne from the Crimea collection dry white "Golden Riesling" and Krasnodar sparkling wine brut "Blanc de Blanc" (Fanagoria) 2015.

Ordinary consumers are in awe of the Golden Riesling. Buyers do not skimp on compliments: “good”, “tasty”, “unearthly bliss”, “the most delicious champagne” and “the best memorable gift from the Crimea”.

Flavor "Blanc de Blanc" charmed tasters with fruity notes of peach, pear and apple. Buyers praise the soft and fresh taste with hints of honey and spices. Surprisingly well with cold appetizers and hot seafood dishes.

Criteria for classifying a sparkling drink

Selecting by manufacturer does not mean the best search result. Consider three more options for classifying sparkling wine:

by price,
by popularity
by quality.

In each class there is a product that is best in the main parameter.

Price plays a major role for the average consumer. It's nice to surprise a girl with collection wine. It is important to remember that high-quality champagne for 150 rubles does not exist, this is a drink from a different category. The cost of Russian champagne, for example, from the Abrau-Durso winemaker, varies from 435 rubles for 0.75 liters of white or pink semi-sweet to 1875 rubles. collectible brut.

Domestic figures of show business note the quality of Abrau-Durso champagne, its refreshing taste, and the absence of a headache after a libation.

More often, champagne is purchased for a celebration - to emphasize the importance of the moment. Festive feast in a friendly company begins with a glass of sparkling wine.

For a dinner in a chamber setting, for example, a decisive date or a marriage proposal, champagne is indispensable. It is important not to make a mistake in choosing a drink. As with any choice, experience matters. Articles on the Internet give a theoretical understanding of the drink under study. The theory is verified by practice, so that at the decisive moment the wine does not present a “sour surprise”.

Learning the skills of a sommelier

Proper tasting helps a competent choice of sparkling drink. Wine selection criteria:

Foam.
Aroma.
Taste.
Aftertaste.

First, we delight the eye. Then the delicious aroma captivates and pulls you to taste the drink. And if after a few minutes there are no unpleasant taste collisions, but on the contrary, a desire to repeat a sip of wine awakens, then the aftertaste convincingly proved the quality of the drink.

Champagne is poured along the wall of an inclined glass in a light stream, so that mousse forms on the surface - a light, persistent foam, and the taster of the drink admires the play of small gas bubbles.

Feel the aroma of wine. Carry out a simple test - pleasant or bad smell. Even if the advertisement promises an exquisite aroma, but the consumer does not like the smell, then delete the drink being evaluated from the list of preferences, try another brand of wine.

Pay attention to the champagne company "Northern Venice". The company's winemakers use raw materials from Spain and South Africa. The grapes are 100% ripe there. All types of Pinot are used to create the drink, but the main grape is Chardonnay. The color of the drink made on the basis of Chardonnay is from light yellow to dark pink. Consumers note a wide range of flavors: flowers, citrus, quince and honey.

Folk wisdom, turned into a newspaper stamp, but remained wisdom: there is no comrade for the taste and color. But if we leave aside the artistic description of the taste of wine, then the taster notes, firstly, whether the drink tastes like vodka or not. If it does, it's not champagne. The second observed flavor attribute is sweetness. Each person has his own measure of sweet, but you will have to choose from at least two options: sweet - unsweetened wine.

After a few sips of the drink, evaluate the aftertaste. What kind of grapes do you remember, do the tannins of the barrels where the wine matured bind the tongue. Classify persistent and unstable, weak and strong aftertaste. Try to evaluate and remember, when forming a collection of champagne wines, it will come in handy.

It's all about sparkling bubbles

Organizations "Russian Quality System" and the Federal Service for Regulation of the Alcohol Market before new year holidays investigated Russian champagne on the shelves of Russian stores. We checked compliance with GOST according to thirty parameters. Critics did not stand 17 product names out of 56 studied. The first remark is about the method of filling the drink with carbon dioxide. Yes, artificial carbonation of wine has been allowed in the country since 2012, which reduces the cost of sparkling wine production by half. But it's not champagne. According to GOST, champagne is filled with carbon dioxide during natural fermentation.

The second non-compliance with the standard is the quality of primary raw materials that does not comply with GOST for samples of the drink from the "popular segment". Unfair, from the point of view of producers, the establishment of excise taxes directly affects the cost of production. We have to get out, according to representatives of wine producers.

The third parameter is the alcohol content. In the rejected samples, the percentage of alcohol is recorded either below the norm, as in "Crimean Sparkling", or above the norm, as in the white semi-sweet "Royal Traditions". The contents did not match the label on the wine bottle.

Consumers called the taste of sparkling wine "Royal Traditions" of the company "Ariant" mediocre. Even the design of the label does not stand up to scrutiny.

The opinion of professional tasters about the unsatisfactory quality of another sparkling wine from the Rostov Champagne Winery: “Too much sugar, you can feel the essence… Too sweet… Taste of plastic… Bitter aftertaste, doubtful smell.”

Degrees - remember the main thing

About. is an abbreviation for the unit of measure of alcohol in a wine drink, "percentage by volume".

The degree measure of wine is determined by the place of manufacture of the drink and its brand.

The parameters of Russian champagne are shown in the table.

Manufacturer and name	White semi-sweet
Manufacturer and name	Price rubles for 0.75 l	Alcohol, vol.	Sugar, g/l
"Abrau-Durso Russian"
"Ariant Royal Traditions"
"Derbent"

"Moscow"

We prepare sparkling wine from our own raw materials

Russian white champagne is made from white technical grape varieties chardonnay, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc.

These varieties are acclimatized to the conditions of the Krasnodar Territory, Crimea, Stavropol Territory. Wine grape varieties are also grown in Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine.

To brut or not to brut, that is the question

Russian sparkling wine differs in degrees and amount of sugar. The classification of wines on the basis of sugar content is as follows:

Brut zero - 6 g / l.
Brut - up to 15 g / l.
Extra dry - from 12 to 20 g/l.
Semi-sweet - 17-35 g/l.
Sweet - 33-50 g / g.

This is just what they say - Russian semi-sweet champagne. In fact, 35 grams of sugar is four heaping teaspoons. People who jealously watch their weight and figure know that sweet champagne is a high-calorie product.

Champagne- a drink that was invented for kings. Apparently, hence its prestige and price. Only the taste of the contents of not every bottle with the label "Champagne" makes you feel like a king, or at least enjoy a few sips. You need to get lucky and get a real one high quality product, not a surrogate.What you need to know when choosing champagne?Let's find out.

Manufacturers secrets

Champagne, or rather sparkling wine, is produced all over the world in two ways: classic - in bottles and acratophoric - in tanks.

The tank method involves an accelerated production mode at minimal cost and large volumes. That is, the price is low, and the quality of drinks differ slightly.

Wines made the classic way, have a aging period of three years and are more expensive. On the label you can find a note - "seasoned".

If you are a gourmet, then it will not be difficult for you to determine the taste characteristics of wines made in different ways. Classic wine it tastes different from the “reservoir” one with a characteristic yeast tint.

Please note that there are also sparkling wines, but simply - "carbonated". They are saturated with carbon dioxide artificially. On the label with such a "champagne" small print there is a corresponding inscription.

Kinds

Sparkling wines, depending on the sugar content, were divided into 6 types.

1. Extra- brut or ultra - brut - less than 6 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

2. Brut- from 6 to 15 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

3. Extra dry- from 15 to 20 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

4. Dry- up to 35 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

5. Semi dry- from 33 to 55 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

6. Doo- more than 50 grams of sugar per 1 liter.

For connoisseurs, brut or dry champagne is more suitable - they have a stronger bouquet inherent in the drink. If you drink champagne only on holidays, it is better to take semi-sweet.

Quality level

Champagne, according to the level of quality, is usually divided into three groups:

1. No year of manufacture This is about 80% of the total production. The label does not indicate the year, but there is information about the sugar content.

2. Millesime or vintage champagne. Made from grapes of the same harvest in good years. It has undergone secondary fermentation, there is a vintage year on the label, it has been aged for at least three years.

3. Prestigious and special- made from selected grapes, there is a year on the label, it has its own name, it is unrealistically expensive.

Color

Champagne happens white and pink. The French believe that champagne cannot be red, since carbon dioxide creates unpleasant combinations with tannins, which are found in significant quantities in red wines. Although if you have tried Crimean and Moldovan red sparkling wines, you are unlikely to agree with this statement. As for pink sparkling wine, this is a real rarity. It produces about 1 percent of the total. Its taste is more “dense”, but in terms of elegance it is not inferior to white.

grape varieties

Most champagne is made from grapes. Chardonnay- on the label Blanc de Blancs.

From black varieties, for example, Pinot Meunier or Pinot Noir, it turns out stronger wine. called blanc de noirs- in translation: "white from black".

If there are no inscriptions on the label, then this means that the wine is made from varieties white grapes plus at least one black variety.

We meet by clothes

After you decide on the type of champagne, inspect the bottle. The color of the glass should be dark green. Then the sparkling wine will be protected from sunlight, which means it will retain its properties longer. The high quality of the product is also indicated by expensive cork. By the way, the bottle should be stored in a horizontal position, then the wine wets the cork and does not allow it to dry out, which means that carbon dioxide does not escape.

Do not buy bottles with crooked and damaged labels.

On the label itself, the energy and the nutritional value, product composition, sugar content, color, shelf life and date of manufacture.

The bottle is open...

Everything will become clear after the cork flies.

Regardless of color and sugar content, sparkling wine should be free of sediment. A benign drink is always transparent, and the color of white champagne is golden or light straw, that of pink is from light pink to red, and that of red is from light red to maroon.

The aroma of champagne is well expressed and without foreign odors. Brut has a refreshing, sour taste; semi-sweet wine has a slightly sweet and sour tint.

If you uncork the bottle correctly (without a shot), then the foam will be fine and persistent, and the bubbles will “play” for at least 24 hours.

And if the label says "carbonated wine"? This suggests that the drink did not ferment, but was simply carbonated using a special apparatus. It will take 10 - 15 minutes after opening the bottle, and the artificial bubbles will disappear. And in real champagne, they persist for at least 24 hours.

Buy a bottle with a cork stopper because oxygen can pass through the plastic stopper.

If there is an inscription "seasoned", then this is a good champagne.

But the presence of the words: “with flavors” or “with additives” is a sign of a fake.

Some tricks

Ordinary, not vintage, champagne is stored for no more than two years. Therefore, you should not uncork a bottle that you have kept for 10 years from the date of your wedding - most likely, the champagne has already deteriorated. Sparkling wine does not tolerate temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. But don't put it in the freezer! It is better to keep in the refrigerator, and 20 minutes before serving - in a bucket of ice.

Champagne is poured a couple of minutes after the bottle is uncorked. This makes the taste better. Pour the champagne by tilting the bottle slightly and preferably slowly.

The choice of dishes is very important. Pour sour varieties of champagne (brut and dry) into elongated tall glasses, and sweet varieties - into wide glasses such as bowls on a leg.

Champagne is best eaten with olives, shellfish, cheese, poultry meat. Black caviar is also suitable. From sweet snacks, cakes and cakes, dry biscuits, fruits and ice cream are suitable. But chocolate is not suitable, it does not allow you to feel the aroma of the drink.

Good luck choosing!

Choosing on New Year's table champagne, even before going to the store, decide what kind of champagne you would like to savor on New Year's Eve: brut (sugar content less than 15 g / l), extra-sec (very dry, sugar from 12 to 20 g / l), sec (semi-dry , sugar from 17 to 35 g/l), demi-sec (semi-sweet, from 33 to 50 g/l of sugar) or du (sweet, more than 50 g/l of sugar). Experienced winemakers advise: if you drink champagne once or twice a year, then it is better to buy semi-sweet. If you drink champagne every month, then choose dry. Specialists, experts and aristocrats who drink champagne daily should drink only brut.

Champagne — traditional drink, which is drunk on New Year's Eve to the sound of chimes. But not all people know how to choose a good champagne. Here are some ways:

1. Good champagne, or sparkling wine, rarely costs less than 200 rubles.

2. Buy champagne only in dark bottles. If the bottle is light, it is likely that the champagne will be bitter. The drink should be clear and without sediment.

3. If the label says the wine was produced classical method, which means that champagne was carried out according to French traditions, separately in each bottle. This champagne will most likely please you with exquisite taste.

4. The label on the bottle must be glued evenly and exactly in the center. The glue should not be visible.

5. Read the composition of the drink carefully. In good champagne there can be no flavors or food additives. Fruit and berry notes can only be present as a result of the characteristics of the area in which the grapes grew.

6. Ideally, champagne is stored in a horizontal position so that the drink wets the cork and keeps the bottle sealed. If champagne is stored upright for a long time, there is a risk that the cork will dry out and air will enter the bottle.

7. Champagne should not be older than one to one and a half years. After this period, the taste of the drink deteriorates.

8. When choosing real champagne, carefully read the label on the bottle. For example, the letter combination N. M. means that the wine producer is also selling it at the same time. This is the highest quality champagne, which comes directly from the manufacturer to your table.

Other designations - M. A., R. M., S. M. - indicate that the company sells, but does not produce wine. Champagne can be produced by small farms that supply grapes to large producers and use their symbols. At the same time, the quality of champagne is noticeably inferior to branded wine.

In general, champagne is made from three types of grapes: two red - pinot noir(pinot noir) and pinot meunier(pinot meunier) and white - chardonnay(chardonnay). As a rule, champagne is an inflorescence of wines from these three grape varieties. Champagne gains weight thanks to Pinot Noir grapes, Chardonnay gives elegance, Pinot Meunier - softness.

When buying a bottle of branded champagne, make sure that the bottle that the seller sells to you lies in a horizontal position before that (this applies to bottles with a cork, not a plastic stopper) and the wine wets the cork.

France is historically the birthplace of champagne. Therefore, the phrase French champagne is synonymous with quality and classic taste real sparkling drink.

In the article:

Real French champagne

Real champagne has certain criteria:

The homeland of the largest producers of champagne in France from time immemorial to this day is the Province of Champagne.
For real French wines, the following grape varieties are used: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay.
Special production technology method (Champenoise). This method is the final fermentation for a long period of time (more than a year) in a vessel from which it will subsequently be bottled.

Also, wine from the famous province of France has a certain label, which must indicate:

Information about the name of the champagne.
Brand name or manufacturer.
Each bottle is numbered.
The presence of any of the following abbreviations: "NM" (wine produced from purchased grapes), "CM" (wine produced by a cooperative of winegrowers), "RM" (wine from grapes grown by the manufacturer), "MA" (under the brand name wine is only bottled in bottles).

French champagne production technology

Champagne is produced using a special technology - champagne. The author of this technology is Pierre Perignon. This method is the main process for obtaining champagne from any grape variety. There are two ways to age the future drink: the first way is classic fermentation followed by bottling, the other way is full fermentation noble drink in a darkened bottle.

Champagne production is difficult process. In accordance with the precepts of the first winemakers, the berries, like centuries ago, are harvested by hand, after which they are sent to a special press.

There are several stages of pressing:

First spin. Getting over quality juice(cuvee). This juice is used to produce the best sparkling wines. This champagne has sophistication, freshness and is able to live long in the bottle.
Second spin (tai). Juice of the third extraction. Also used in production.
After obtaining the juice, the primary fermentation takes place. It is carried out in specialized tanks, which include stainless steel. Further, to reduce the acidity, a secondary fermentation is performed (most often it is malolactic). At the end of the process, the finished champagne is bottled. And the most important thing is the addition of circulation liquor. It is a liquid based on cane sugar and yeast. This liquid is added to move the drink to the next stage - champagne.
After that, the most important stage in the manufacture of champagne takes place. The vessel is sealed and stored in the basement. When secondary fermentation occurs, the alcohol concentration increases by 2%. Carbon dioxide is formed and the future sparkling drink is saturated. The formation of sediment indicates the fermentation process. In order for champagne to acquire a unique taste, it must be infused for at least 10 months..

When the required time has passed, each bottle is placed in specialized stands, neck down and an angle of 45 degrees is observed. Turn each bottle 90 degrees every morning in the morning. This leads to a slow settling of yeast residues. When each bottle is standing upright (the neck will be pointing down). The sediment moves to the cork and the next stage occurs - opening. The neck is immersed in cold liquid (-29), and some of the champagne will freeze. When the bottle is opened, this frozen part will be removed. After that, the bottles are corked again. Insert natural cork from cork wood. Before closing the bottle, dosing liquor is added.

Types of French champagne by amount of sugar

« Extra brut". This type of champagne contains the least amount of sugar.
« Brut". The composition of the drink includes no more than 14 g / l of sugar.
« sec". Dry champagne. Contains 16-34 g/l of sugar.
« Demisec". Semi-dry. The amount of sugar is 32-49 g/l. Considered a dessert drink.
« Doux". Sweet champagne. It is very rare, contains more than 50 g/l of sugar in its composition.

French champagne brands

Expensive French champagne is produced by elite producers. For the manufacture of such wines, only selected wine material is used. Therefore, the taste of expensive champagne is unique. Brands of expensive French sparkling wine:

The Widow Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin)

It is the most popular brand of champagne in the world. produced since 1722. Philippe Clicquot is considered to be the founder. After the death of Philip, his son took over, but died in a short time. His widow invented a new method for producing champagne. With this technology, the drink turned out to be transparent. The bottles were kept neck down, this is necessary to collect the sediment to the neck, after which they freeze and remove the ice plug.

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin

The widow always monitored the quality of products, bought more vineyards. For the production of champagne, several types of varieties were used (Pinot meunier, Pinot noir, Chardonnay), their combination gives a unique and harmonious taste.

According to individual technology, a blend was produced that combines Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Thanks to high achievements, this drink today occupies the second position among the giants of world trade.

This wonderful drink is best served with cheeses, desserts, appetizers or seafood dishes. The average price is 2500 rubles per bottle.

"Moët and Chandon" (Moët & Chandon)

For over two hundred years, the company has been producing best drinks on the world market. It is difficult to overestimate the dignity of the drink, which was once served on the dining tables of rabbits and queens of France and England. During the prosperity of cinema and various pop cultures, champagne also occupied its leading position.

The proof of this is that Moet and Chandon has been the official drink of the prestigious Golden Globe Awards for the third decade now. The taste of this champagne is amazing. Serve the drink, like other noble sparkling wines, with dessert or appetizer.

Since 2016, the brand has been the official sponsor of the "royal" Formula 1.

Depending on the year of harvest, the price varies from 2000 to 7000 rubles.

Dom Pérignon

This exclusive drink is named after the man who stood at the origins of the craft for the production of champagne Monk Pérignon. The world-famous company Moet and Chandon has been making this drink for almost 100 years. For such a long period of time, the taste qualities have not lost their former glory, they have only strengthened the names among the most popular brands of champagne on the international market.

The unique taste of this wine brings bliss to anyone who tastes it. Therefore, it can rightfully be considered the most refined and expensive drink. The price ranges from 7000 - 22000 rubles per bottle.

Louis Roederer

Another great brand of champagne, taking its origins from the depths of centuries. In addition to the general recognition of quality in Europe, it was once delivered to Russia on the personal order of the emperor. Perhaps the producer Louis Roederer is the only wine producer in the Champagne region who has not sold out to companies and is running a family business.

Since this wine has a soft, deep taste and is produced in small batches, its price starts from 4,000 rubles. However, there are specimens with a certain vintage, the price of which reaches 35,000 thousand rubles.

"Piper-Heidsieck" (Piper-Heidsieck)

Favorite drink of Marilyn Monroe, as well as the official drink of the Oscars. A very famous brand with its origins and history of more than 50 years. The wine has a chic taste, delicate and refined aroma, giving not only grapes, but also flowers.

Despite the fact that the brand is world famous and well promoted, its cost is quite acceptable for such a drink. An ordinary bottle of such champagne can be purchased for 1500 rubles, which cannot be done with an exclusive gift set. Since it is made exclusively to order and its circulation is limited. Availability of the same price for regular bottle due to the gigantic scale of production, exceeding several million bottles per year.

"Mumm" (G.H. Mumm)

This drink takes an honorable third place among the largest wineries in France in terms of sales and supplies. The drink takes its history in the 18th century, in France. Even then, he acquired a unique style - a red ribbon, which became his symbol and makes him recognizable among other drinks.

The history of the Mumm drink is closely connected with sports, therefore it is the “champagne of sports”. Sponsoring various extreme sports, wine has long been the official face of Formula 1, but in 2016 it passed the baton to Moet. Refined taste champagne is best served when cooled to 8 degrees and, complemented by desserts and ice cream, will not leave anyone indifferent. The price for one non-gift and non-collector bottle starts from 2500 rubles.