Champagne, Sparkling Wine, and the Stories in the Glass

By Lynn NIshimura, Columnist

Champagne has a fascinating relationship with popular culture. One of the most

famous—and certainly one of the most expensive—examples is Cristal, the

prestigious cuvée produced by the Champagne house Louis Roederer. 

Created in 1876 for Tsar Alexander II, Cristal is known for its distinctive clear, flat-bottomed bottle and gold label, which have become part of its historical identity. Jay-Z, Kanye West, and even 50 Cent have referenced the prestigious wine in their music. But Champagne’s history goes far beyond popular culture.

Dom Pérignon is perhaps the most famous historical figure associated with the development of Champagne. Yet the creation and refinement of sparkling Champagne was not really the work of one person. It was the result of developments in winemaking that unfolded over generations. Dom Ruinart is another important name in Champagne history, and the Ruinart house, founded

in 1729, is recognized as the oldest established Champagne house.

Today, Champagne includes many producers with their own heritage and stories, from the grandes maisons to smaller, more boutique producers such as Virginie T., which produces in limited quantities. I first learned about the producer when its son and winemaker gave a masterclass for a wine club, which, at that time, was for females only. That experience introduced me to Blanc de Noirs: a white Champagne made from dark-skinned grapes, typically

Pinot Noir, Meunier, or a blend of permitted red grapes, rather than Chardonnay.

I also learned more about vintage Champagne and the effect of extended aging

before disgorgement.

For a long time, Virginie T. was one of my favorite Brut Champagnes, particularly its Brut Cuvée Blanc de Noirs, which had been aged for six years. I loved its aromatic and textural characteristics—brioche, toasted notes, refined nuances, and complexity. Those characteristics made me realize just how profoundly the aging process can transform Champagne.

Then there is Veuve Clicquot, another extraordinary story. After the death of her husband, the widow (veuve) Barbe-Nicole Clicquot took over the family Champagne business and became an internationally recognized businesswoman. Her entrepreneurial instincts and innovations helped establish the house as one of the great names in Champagne.

Charles Heidsieck offers another fascinating chapter. His personality, ambition, and determination helped introduce his Champagne to the American market. There is so much history in Champagne that sometimes you can learn a great deal simply by reading the label.

And Champagne houses have a remarkable tendency to resurface unexpectedly at events, dinners, and cocktail receptions. Champagne is also not all the same from a production perspective. Cristal, for example, is made primarily from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But Champagne can also come from smaller producers and can be found at a wide range of

price points.

A Champagne made mostly from dark-skinned grapes can be a Blanc de Noirs —white from red-skin grapes. A Champagne made entirely from Chardonnay is a Blanc de Blancs, or “white from whites.” These are some of the distinctions I discovered through curiosity, tastings, and wine trade shows such as Wine Paris and Champagne tasting events. But sparkling wine is not synonymous with Champagne, and vice versa.

Champagne is only one category within the much larger world of sparkling wine. France produces Crémant, including Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Loire and Italy is famous for Prosecco from Veneto. And when I see “sparkling wine” on a label from California, I naturally think of Napa Valley and Sonoma. You can still make a toast with these bubbly wines.

The word “Champagne” itself is geographically protected. Only wine produced in the Champagne appellation of France and meeting the applicable production requirements can legally be called Champagne. Reims and Épernay are among the region’s most renowned centers.

A sparkling wine produced elsewhere may be made using the traditional method—méthode champenoise— the production method historically associated with Champagne—but it cannot legally be called Champagne. The region has extensive rules governing grape varieties, vineyard practices, production, aging, and labeling. Champagne is protected under the European Union’s designation-of-origin framework, AOP and, in France, under the AOC

System. And then there is Italy.

Italy is one of the world’s major producers of sparkling wine, so it makes sense that my first experience with a dry sparkling red wine happened there. It wasn’t sweet. It was tannic, full-bodied, and completely unexpected. I didn’t know what it was called, so I went on a mission to find that wine again.

Part of the quest became an adventure in itself. I discovered that wine doesn’t always have to be expensive to be memorable. After returning to California, I tried to find the wine again. Surprisingly, it was difficult, even when I asked around at wine shops, cellars, and restaurants. Eventually, I discovered its name: Lambrusco.

I was surprised to learn that Lambrusco could be remarkably affordable—sometimes around eight to ten dollars for a standard bottle, with more premium examples reaching $20 or considerably more, depending on the producer and market. I also discovered that Lambrusco is not a single style. There are different Lambrusco grapes, appellations, and levels of sweetness, including dry expressions that can be dramatically different from the sweet sparkling red

that many people associate with the name. That discovery made me wonder what other sparkling red wines Italy produces. With so many regions, appellations, and indigenous grape varieties, there are almost certainly more discoveries waiting to be made.

The world of sparkling wine is vast. Behind what eventually appears in a glass are multiple regions, terroirs, grape varieties, production methods, appellations, traditions, and centuries of history.

The wine industry is vast, with multiple regions and terroirs, and there is so much minutiae involved that the wine becomes more mythical and full of discovery at times rather than just the consumption of alcohol.

Chin chin!