About Champagne

A Champagne bottle should mature in a cellar for one to two years.

Vintage bottles - the ones wearing a vintage year on their label - can mature longer. Champagne winemakers use to mature them from 3 to 8 years.

It is not recommended to leave in a refrigerator for more than 3 days a bottle already opened, even with a teaspoon inside.

The best vintage years are 1990, 1989, 1985 and specially 1982.

There are several different kinds of Champagne according to your taste:

- Doux (means sweet), 4% and more of sugar
- Demi-sec (fairly sweet), 2.5 to 5% of sugar
- Sec (sweet/dry), 1.75 to 2.5% of sugar
- Extra sec (medium dry), 1.5 to 2% of sugar
- Brut (dry), 0.5 to 1.5% of sugar, the most common Champagne these days
- Extra brut (very dry), 0 to 0.5% of sugar

Tasting Champagne:

Champagne is traditionally served in a typical glass called flute or in a tulip: a long stem with a tall glass. This kind of glass prevents the aromas to unfold. The height of the glass is necessary for the bubbles to rise to the surface and keep a constant temperature.

It is not recommended to pour Champagne to the top of the glasses but only up to 2/3 of the glass.

Champagne is always served cold and chilled. But not too cold, otherwise the wine is not able to release its aromas.

A non-vintage Champagne should be drunk at 8 °C (46 °F). A vintage Champagne at 10 °C (50 °F).

Read more about Champagne with Amazon.com:
- World Encyclopedia of Champagne by Tom Stevenson

 
About Champagne : Champagne Wine Map - Champagne information - Champagne region - Champagne wine history - Wine making in Champagne -  Wine classification - Champagne and food - Tasting Champagne - Buy Champagne - Champagne main page

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