Best Champagne

There are approximately 12,000 brands of Champagne available. But which are the best and at what price? To get a good Champagne for your wine cellar, read on.

Champagne is a sparkling white wine, made exclusively in the Champagne region of France. White wine, made from anywhere, outside France cannot be called Champagne, by law. It is made by a second fermentation process, after primary fermentation and bottling. The fame of Champagne is primarily due to its marketing strategies, used throughout history. It was first promoted as a royal beverage, and indeed, it seemed to be a favorite among the titled and nobility. By the 19th century, it was marketed to women and the middle class, as a luxury drink for the masses. Today, it is a compulsory, celebratory drink, with a reputation for being pricey. The best Champagne brands are Bollinger, Perrier Jouët, Dom Perignon, Krug (most expensive Champagne brand) and Cristal to name a few. But wine lovers, do not fear, the best Champagne need not be the most expensive. In this article, we take a look at the different divisions of Champagne, and the best Champagne for any price range.

Types of Champagne

There are 4 primary types of Champagne:

Prestige cuvée

A proprietary blended Champagne, which is the best of a producer’s range. The first prestige cuvée was Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon.

Blanc de noirs

The term means “white of blacks” and is used to classify Champagnes made entirely from black grapes. The 2 permitted black grapes used to make this wine are Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. These are full-bodied, robust and a deep yellow-gold in color. They go good with heavy, flavored foods including meats and cheeses. This is a rare type of Champagne.

Blanc de blancs

Champagne which is made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes, are this type. The term is French for “white of whites”. It is the lightest and most refreshing of Champagnes, and are popular accompaniments to light courses like soup. Noted producers are Taittinger and Ruinart.

Rosé Champagne

There are 2 methods to make this type of Champagne. One is to add a small quantity of Pinot Noir wine to the base wine. The other method is skin contact, where the grapes skins are pressed, so they soak into the grape juice. This is done before fermentation. This type of Champagne is a popular romantic wine, due to its pale pink hue.

Vintage and Non Vintage

Champagne can also be judged by whether it is vintage or not. Vintage is used to classify Champagne, in which 85% of grapes used are from a single year. Each house decides whether to produce a vintage Champagne in any given year. Vintage Champagne must be aged for at least 3 years. 85 to 90 percent of Champagnes produced are non vintage, which is less expensive than those produced in a vintage year. Non vintage Champagne is composed of grapes from different harvest, as opposed to vintage, which is from a single harvest.

Best High-end Champagne

The best Champagne in the world, with prices above $200, are listed below.

Great Midrange Champagne

Willing to splurge, but not too much? Here is some of the world’s best Champagne, in the $50-$200 range.

Best Budget Champagnes

Cheap Champagne? How is that possible? Not all Champagne brands are for the rich and richer. Here is some of the best Champagne under 50 dollars.