How is champagne made?

Champagne can only legally come from the Champagne region of northeastern France, made under strict appellation rules. The three main grapes are Chardonnay (freshness, elegance), Pinot Noir (structure, body) and Pinot Meunier (fruit, roundness).

Production begins with hand-harvesting — mandatory in Champagne — and gentle pressing. The juice undergoes a first fermentation in tank (or sometimes barrel) to create a still base wine. The cellar master then blends wines from different grapes, vineyards and often multiple vintages to achieve a consistent house style.

The magic step is the prise de mousse: the blended wine is bottled with a "liqueur de tirage" — yeast and sugar (about 24 g/L). A second fermentation occurs inside the sealed bottle, producing CO₂ trapped under roughly 6 atmospheres of pressure — about three times the pressure in a car tyre. The wine then rests on its lees (dead yeast cells), which impart those signature brioche, biscuit and creamy notes. Non-vintage must age at least 15 months on lees; vintage Champagne requires a minimum of 36 months, though many top houses age far longer.

After ageing, bottles are gradually tilted and rotated (riddling or remuage) to collect the sediment in the neck. The neck is then frozen and the plug of ice and sediment is ejected (disgorgement). Finally, a "dosage" of wine and sugar is added to set the sweetness level: Brut Nature (0 g/L), Extra Brut (0–6 g/L), Brut (0–12 g/L), Extra Dry (12–17 g/L), or Demi-Sec (32–50 g/L).