{"id":35603,"date":"2021-03-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-14T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/blog\/champagne-brands-and-characteristics-compared\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T19:36:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T17:36:45","slug":"champagne-brands-and-characteristics-compared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mywinestore.it\/en\/blog\/champagne-brands-and-characteristics-compared\/","title":{"rendered":"Champagne: brands and characteristics compared"},"content":{"rendered":"

An icon of elegance, luxury and prestige, the expression of a region steeped in charm and history: champagne<\/strong>, the French sparkling wine, enjoys the title of \u201cking of wines<\/strong>\u201d, marked by an authoritative identity that nothing can dent.<\/p>\n

The idea that a bottle of champagne is for a select few is still common, because of its character and its price, which is generally higher than that of Italian sparkling wines. The price of champagne is often also shaped by factors that go beyond the product and the supply chain, such as the image and communicative power entrusted to the bottle, which has to convey the value of what it holds at first glance.<\/p>\n

And although the prevailing view is that champagne is elitist, today\u2019s landscape shows that this is not entirely true, at least in terms of affordability. The exclusive imprint of a land and of a know-how like few others remains, but the answers offered to consumers are changing: the average price of a champagne is certainly not \u20ac10, but there are many different offerings from France that can delight different palates<\/strong>, those of great devotees as well as those of less experienced drinkers who are keen to experiment without going overboard.<\/p>\n

You do not need to reach for extremely expensive champagnes to treat your senses; several maisons make truly interesting bottles: we will look at some of them, favouring our customers\u2019 most popular choices together with our own suggestions.<\/p>\n

First of all, though, here is a brief overview of champagne<\/a><\/strong>, from the territory to the methods and grapes used to make it.<\/p>\n

Champagne, the region<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Exceptional for its climate, geology and geography, wonderful for its landscapes and atmosphere, fascinating for its art and history: Champagne is the homeland of the king of wines, full of hills, buildings and UNESCO-listed cellars<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In such a marvellous setting, Reims <\/strong>stands out with its Cathedral, the emblem of French royalty, together with Troyes<\/strong>, the historic capital of Champagne. And in Reims what lies hidden in the underground cathedrals is astonishing: a network of cellars and tunnels holding millions of bottles of champagne ageing below ground.<\/p>\n

In Champagne history is preserved and blends with an equally marvellous landscape of gentle hills, home to the vineyards of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier<\/strong>, which belong to the vignerons and in part to the maisons.<\/p>\n

Independent growers farm most of the grapes in Champagne, while the maisons farm a smaller share; in most cases, in fact, it is the vignerons who sell their grapes to the maisons. There are also many growers, that is, small family-run estates, who make their own wine independently, just as there are less standardised maisons that use artisanal methods for making champagne, comparable to those of the vignerons.<\/p>\n

But telling the story of Champagne in all its forms and customs would take a whole manuscript; we refer you to La mia Champagne<\/em><\/a>, a book by Alberto Lupetti, the most authoritative Italian voice on the subject.<\/p>\n

Champagne grapes and the Crus<\/h2>\n

Champagnes are made mainly from three grapes, two of them black. There is Pinot Noir, the dominant variety of the Montagne de Reims and the C\u00f4te des Bar, Pinot Meunier, from the Vall\u00e9e de la Marne, and Chardonnay, the favoured variety of the C\u00f4te des Blancs.<\/p>\n

Pinot Noir grapes give wines red-fruit aromas and an assertive character<\/strong>; Pinot Meunier produces supple, fruity wines<\/strong>, fairly round; Chardonnay<\/strong>, finally, stands out for its delicate, floral aromas<\/strong> and for its slow evolution, which makes the wine suited to ageing. The three most widely used grapes for champagne are those best suited to the nature of the terroir; a few other white grapes can also be found in very small percentages.<\/p>\n

The vineyards and territories of Champagne also make it possible to classify these sparkling wines into three categories: Premier Cru, Grand Cru and Cru<\/strong>. Each village holds a rating for the quality of its grapes: the best, the Premier Crus and Grand Crus, are found mainly in the Marne department. Even so, it is not unusual to find great champagnes in areas that are less famous for their prestige.<\/p>\n

Indeed, the imprint of every bottle of champagne also comes from technique and production skill, honed over centuries of history, which have made the French sparkling wine a true icon of style and refinement<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Types of champagne<\/h2>\n

Champagne is born from the blending of the so-called Cuv\u00e9e<\/strong>, the mix obtained from the base wines produced after the harvest and then kept separately, at the disposal of the Chef de cave.<\/p>\n

A first distinction between types of champagne can be made on the basis of these very wines: if they are different and from different years, we speak of Sans Ann\u00e9e champagne<\/strong>, that is, non-vintage; when instead the wines are different but all from the same year, we speak of Mill\u00e9sime or Vintage champagne<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A further classification depends on the grapes used in the blend. Most champagnes are made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, in a Trois C\u00e9pages blend<\/strong>, and are generally entry-level bruts; more delicate are the Blanc de Blancs<\/strong>, champagnes made from Chardonnay alone; and finally the Blanc de Noirs<\/strong>, drier and more assertive, are a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.<\/p>\n

As for ros\u00e9s<\/strong>, their colour comes from adding small amounts of red wine to the Cuv\u00e9e or from a colour-extraction technique called Saign\u00e9e.<\/p>\n

The best champagnes: the record-holding brands<\/h2>\n

If it is hard to say which wines are the very best, with champagne it becomes a utopia. There are certainly several champagne brands that earn that label not only thanks to the objective quality of the wine; consumer choices, price and other factors tied to a house\u2019s communication and marketing also give a champagne a certain value. The quality of the product, of course, remains a given.<\/p>\n

Among big names and lesser-known brands<\/strong>, here are some champagne bottles and maisons that, in our customers\u2019 opinion and then ours, deserve praise:<\/p>\n