SOME OTHER FERMENTED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE

OTHER FERMENTED ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Cider (beverage is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% ABV to 8.5% ABV or more in traditional English ciders.
Although cider can be made from any variety of apples, certain cultivars are known as cider apples. Cider is popular in the United Kingdom, especially in South West England. The United Kingdom has the highest per capita consumption of cider, as well as the largest cider-producing companies in the world including H. P. Bulmer, the largest. As of 2006, the UK produces 600 million litres of cider each year.
Both sparkling and still ciders are made; the sparkling variety is the more common.

Perry :

Perry is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears. Perry has been common for centuries in Britain, particularly in the Three Counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and in parts of south Wales; and France, especially Normandy and Anjou.
In more recent years, commercial perry has also been referred to as “pear cider”, though some organisations (such as CAMRA) do not accept this as a name for the traditional drink.[
As with apples specifically grown to make cider, special pear cultivars are used: in the UK the most commonly used variety of perry pear is the Blakeney Red. They produce fruit that is not of eating quality, but that produces superior perry.
The majority of perry pear varieties in the UK originate from the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire in the west of England.

Mead--

Also called honey wine is an alcoholic beverage that is produced by fermenting a solution of honey and water. It may also be produced by fermenting a solution of water and honey with grain mash; the mash is strained off immediately after fermentation. Depending on local traditions and specific recipes, it may be flavored with spices, fruit, or hops (which produce a bitter, beer-like flavor). The alcoholic content of mead may range from about 8% ABV] to 18%. It may be still, carbonated, or sparkling, and it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet.
A mead that also contains spices (such as cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg), or herbs (such as oregano, hops, or even lavender or chamomile, is called a metheglin.
Mead that contains fruit (such as raspberry, blackberry or strawberry) is called a melomel,
Mead that is fermented with grape juice is called a pyment.

Sake :

Sake is a rice-based alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin. It is sometimes spelled sake‘ to show the pronunciation more clearly.
This beverage is called sake in English, but in Japanese, sake or o-sake refers to alcoholic drinks in general.
The Japanese term for this specific beverage is Nihonshu, meaning “Japanese sake”.
In Japan sake is served chilled, at room temperature, or heated, depending on the preference of the drinker, the quality of the sake, and the season. Typically, hot sake is a winter drink, and high-grade sake is not drunk hot, because the flavors and aromas will be lost. This masking of flavor is the reason that low-quality sake is often served hot.
Sake is usually drunk from small cups called choko, and poured into the choko from ceramic flasks called tokkuri. Saucer-like cups called sakazuki are also used, most commonly at weddings and other ceremonial occasions. Recently, footed glasses made specifically for premium sake have also come into use.
Another traditional cup is the masu, a box usually made of hinoki or sugi, which was originally used for measuring rice. In some Japanese restaurants, as a show of generosity, the server may put a glass inside the masu or put the masu on a saucer and pour until sake overflows and fills both containers.
In general, it is best to keep sake refrigerated in a cool or dark room, as prolonged exposure to heat or direct light will lead to spoilage. Sake stored at room temperature is best consumed within a few months after purchase.

Toddy–

Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called “Kallu” in Malayalam and Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the Palmyra, and coconut palms.
This drink is common in various parts of Asia and Africa,
The sap is extracted and collected by a tapper. Typically the sap is collected from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. The white liquid that initially collects tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented.
In parts of India, the unfermented sap is called “Neera” and is refrigerated, stored and distributed by semi-government agencies.
A little lime is added to the sap to prevent it from fermenting. Neera is said to contain many nutrients including potash.
Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the air (often spurred by residual yeast left in the collecting container). Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer.
Pulque– Pulque, or octli, native beverage of is a milk-colored, somewhat viscous alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant, and is a traditional Mexico.
Plum jerkum is a type of fruit wine produced from plums, similar in the manner to which cider (from apples) and perry (from pears) are made. The drink is native to areas of central England such as Warwickshire and the Cotswolds.

WINE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

Wine categories of different countries

French wine categories

France

The French wine industry is one of the most closely monitored in any agricultural sector any where. Each bottle is labeled according to law and each fits in to a quality category. These are in descending importance.
Quality levels and appellation system
In 1935 numerous laws were passed to control the quality of French wine. They established the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée system, which is governed by a powerful oversight board (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine, INAO). Consequently, France has one of the oldest systems for protected designation of origin for wine in the world, and strict laws concerning winemaking and production. Many other European systems are modelled after it. The word “appellation” has been put to use by other countries, sometimes in a much looser meaning. As European Union wine laws have been modelled after those of the French, this trend is likely to continue with further EU expansion.
French law divides wine into four categories, two falling under the European Union’s Table Wine category and two falling under the EU’s Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) designation. The categories and their shares of the total French production for the 2005 vintage, excluding wine destined for Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies, were:

Table wine:

• Vin de Table (11.7%) – Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it is from France.
• Vin de Pays (33.9%) – Carries with it a specific region within France (for example Vin de Pays d’Oc from Languedoc-Roussillon or Vin de Pays de Côtes de Gascogne from Gascony), and subject to less restrictive regulations than AOC wines. For instance, it allows producers to distinguish wines that are made using grape varieties or procedures other than those required by the AOC rules, without having to use the simple and commercially non-viable table wine classification. In order to maintain a distinction from Vin de Table, the producers have to submit the wine for analysis and tasting, and the wines have to be made from certain varieties or blends.

QWPSR:

• Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS, 0.9%) – Less strict than AOC, usually used for smaller areas or as a “waiting room” for potential AOCs. This category was abolished at the end of 2011.
• Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC, 53.4%) – Wine from a particular area with many other restrictions, including grape varieties and winemaking methods.
The total French production for the 2005 vintage was 43.9 million hl (plus an additional 9.4 million hl destined for various brandies), of which 28.3% was white and 71.7% was red or rosé. The proportion of white wine is slightly higher for the higher categories, with 34.3% of the AOC wine being white.
In years with less favourable vintage conditions than 2005, the proportion of AOC wine tends to be a little lower. The proportion of Vin de table has decreased considerably over the last decades, while the proportion of AOC has increased somewhat and Vin de Pays has increased considerably.
In 2005 there were 472 different wine AOCs in France.

Vin de Table

Within the category of table wines, a difference is made between “plain” table wines, which are only allowed to display the country of origin, and table wines with geographical indication, which may indicate a region of origin and are a form of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) applied to wine.
For the lowest vin de table level in France, the producers must use postal codes to prevent the name of an appellation from appearing even in fine print on the label or its vintage date (though “lot numbers” which can bear a striking resemblance to dates are permitted). The new appellation Vin de France permits a vintage date.

Vin de pays

is a French term meaning “country wine”. Vins de pays are a step in the French wine classification that is above the table wine (Vin de table) classification, but below the VDQS and Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) classifications. Legislation on the Vin de pays terminology was created in 1973 and passed in 1979, allowing producers to distinguish wines that were made using grape varieties or procedures other than those required by the AOC rules, without having to use the simple and commercially non-viable table wine classification. Unlike table wines, which are only indicated as being from France, Vin de pays carries a geographic designation of origin, the producers have to submit the wine for analysis and tasting, and the wines have to be made from certain varieties or blends. Regulations regarding varieties and labelling practices are typically more lenient than the regulations for AOC wines. In 2009, the Vin de pays classification was replaced by the new PGI – Indication Géographique Protégée, or Protected Geographical Region – designation.
Production rules:
The conditions to respect to be allowed to use the classification Vin de pays are the following:
• The yield must be less than 90 hectoliters per hectare for white wines, and less than 85 hl for red and rosé wines.
• Only wine producers with a total yield of less than 100 hl/ha can qualify.
• The minimum alcoholic strength depends on the region and is 10% in Le Midi, 9.5% in South-west France area and the Centre East area, and 9% for the Loire Valley and the East area.
• The allowed amounts of sulfur dioxide allowed in the wines are 125 mg/l for red wines and 150 mg/l for white and rosé wines. For wines with sugar content of at least 5 g/l, the quantity of sulfur dioxide is slightly higher: 150 mg/l for red wines and 175 mg/l for white and rosé wines.
• The acidity in terms of pH values is also regulated, with some Vin de Pays areas having stricter rules than others.
• The wines must be kept and produced separately from other wines (e.g., production for table wines) and are subject to quality monitoring by an official regional committee.

QWPSR:

• Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS, 0.9%) – Less strict than AOC, usually used for smaller areas or as a “waiting room” for potential AOCs. This category was abolished at the end of 2011.
• Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC, 53.4%) – Wine from a particular area with many other restrictions, including grape varieties and winemaking methods.
The total French production for the 2005 vintage was 43.9 million hl (plus an additional 9.4 million hl destined for various brandies), of which 28.3% was white and 71.7% was red or rosé. The proportion of white wine is slightly higher for the higher categories, with 34.3% of the AOC wine being white.
In years with less favourable vintage conditions than 2005, the proportion of AOC wine tends to be a little lower. The proportion of Vin de table has decreased considerably over the last decades, while the proportion of AOC has increased somewhat and Vin de Pays has increased considerably.
In 2005 there were 472 different wine AOCs in France.

Appellation d’ Origine Controlee:

The AOCs Are areas making wines according to local criteria. There are around450 AOCs in existence. Two aspects are important, one, that the rules are local ones second, the AOCs exists in tiers or levels.. The local nature of the rules is deliberate attempt to preserve the wine traditions and qualities , and to emphasises the uniqueness of each region or locality.
The rules governed since 1935 by the INAO (Institut National des App0ellation di Origine) were drawn up by and amended in cooperation with each region’s wine producers and wine merchants. They thus reflect local usage. In Bordeaux the unit of wine is a chateau, but it is by no means a fixed patch of land. In Burgundy and elsewhere the by contrast the specific vineyard take priority over the person or persons who own it.
The AOC rules in the two regions differ accordingly. In Bordeaux there are fairly wide AOCs. Covering whole communes or even as in case of AOC Margaux, five communes. Specific vineyards are not graded, though everyone knows the some vineyards are better than others. Apart from excluding patently unsuitable land – low laying meadows – the AOC contents itself with establishing AOC Margaux or St Julien. Within these districts the chateaux have a pecking order expressed in the 1855 classification, the other later classification and the list of crus Bourseois. Non of these is the concern of the AOC.
In Burgundy a commune of the size of Gevery Chambertin, comparable in scale with one of the Medoc villages will have his own AOC but will be further divided into dozens of named vineyards . Some of these will be AOC Gevrey Chambertin, others will be entitled to AOC Gevrey Chambertin premier crus and a select few will posses their own AOC and the status of Grand Crus. A small amount of oytlying land will by contrast be thought unfit to be Gevrey at all and demoted to mere AOC Bourgoigne.

Following are the different criteria or parameters taken into consideration before awarding the AOC status to a wine producing areas:

1. The exact limit of the areas where the wine is going to be made. The unsuitable land excluded.
2. The exact varieties of grapes that can be grown in the area. For example red Rhones from Cornas must be made from 100% Syrah, where as Chateaunuef de Pape allows no fewer than 13 different grape varieties to be used.
3. The exact quantity of wine that can be made.
4. What must the minimum alcoholic strength be in must attain and sometimes the maximum it can attain.
5. The maximum yield i.e. the maximum quantity of wine that can be made from an hectare of vineyard which is expressed in terms of hectoliters per hectare of vineyard. This is decided on an annual basis.
6. Wine production techniques, for example Champagne with detailed regulation about pressing the grapes and maturing the wines.
7. Detals regarding the density of vines planted per hectare, chaptalization, the use of fertilizers, pruning techniques and the paperwork necessary to regulate the movement of the wine.
8. The approval of the wine by a tasting panel.

Protecting the appellation:

The AOC system is controlled and nurtured by the INAO which rightly take a serious view of it’s task. It speaks of the worldwide struggle to protect the appellation d’ origine from every possible external threat. These threats includes the misuse of wine names on other wines.
Specific appellation work to protect their own name. The Champagne industry is particularly active through the CIVC (Comte´ Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne) which has fought legal actions in several countries to protect the name “Champagne” whether appears on a wine label or any other product.

Italian appellation system

Italy’s classification system has four classes of wine, with two falling under the EU category Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) and two falling under the category of ‘table wine’. The four classes are:

Table Wine:
• Vino da Tavola (VDT) – Denotes simply that the wine is made in Italy. The label usually indicates a basic wine, made for local consumption.
• Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) – Denotes wine from a more specific region within Italy. This appellation was created in 1992 for wines that were considered to be of higher quality than simple table wines, but which did not conform to the strict wine laws for their region. Before the IGT was created, “Super Tuscan” wines such as Tignanello were labeled Vino da Tavola.

QWPSR:
• Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
• Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)
Both DOC and DOCG wines refer to zones which are more specific than an IGT, and the permitted grapes are also more specifically defined. The DOC system began in 1963, seeking to establish a method of both recognizing quality product and maintaining the international and national reputation of that product. The main difference between a DOC and a DOCG is that the latter must pass a blind taste test for quality in addition to conforming to the strict legal requirements to be designated as a wine from the area in question. After the sweeping wine laws of 1992, transparent rules were made regarding requirements for DOCG entry, imposing new limits regarding the production of grapes per hectare and minimum natural alcohol levels, among others.
A notable difference for wines is that DOCG labelled wines are analysed and tasted by government–licensed personnel before being bottled. To prevent later manipulation, DOCG wine bottles then are sealed with a numbered governmental seal across the cap or cork.

Italian legislation additionally regulates the use of the following qualifying terms for wines:
• classico (classic): is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced “traditionally”. For the Chianti Classico, this “traditional region” is defined by a decree from July 10, 1932.
• Riserva (reserve): may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years longer than normal for a particular type of wine.
Wines labelled DOC or DOCG may only be sold in bottles holding 5 litres or less.
For wines produced in Bolzano, where German is an official language, DOC may alternatively be written as Kontrollierte Ursprungsbezeichnung and DOCG may be written as Kontrollierte und garantierte Ursprungsbezeichnung.

The overall goal of the system is to encourage producers to focus on quality wine making.
Presently, there are 120 IGT zones. In February 2006, there were 311 DOC plus 32 DOCG appellations, according to the PDF document V.Q.P.R.D. Vini (DOCG – DOC): Elenco e Riferimenti Normativi al 07.02.2006, published by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture.

German wine classification

German wine classification is sometimes the source of confusion. However, to those familiar with the terms used, a German wine label reveals much information about the wine’s origin, minimum ripeness of the grapes used for the wine as well as the dryness/sweetness of the wine.
Ripeness Classifications of German wines (any grape varietal): In general, the ripeness classifications of German wines reflect minimum sugar content in the grape (also known as “potential alcohol” = the amount of alcohol resulting from fermenting all sugar in the juice) at the point of harvest of the grape. They have nothing to do with the sweetness of the wine after fermentation, which is one of the most common mis-perceptions about German wines.
• Deutscher Tafelwein (German table wine) is mostly consumed in the country and not exported. Generally used for blended wines that can not be Qualitätswein.
• Deutscher Landwein (German country wine) comes from a larger designation and again doesn’t play an important role in the export market.
• Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA) wines from a defined appellation with the exception of Liebfraumilch, which can be blended from several regions and still be classified as Qualitätswein.
• Prädikatswein, recently (August 1, 2007) renamed from Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) wines made from grapes of higher ripeness. As ripeness increases, the fruit characteristics and price increase. Categories within Prädikatswein are Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein. Wines of these categories can not be chaptalized. All these categories within Prädikatswein are solely linked to minimum requirements of potential alcohol. While these may correlate with harvest time, there are no legally defined harvest time restrictions anymore.
o Kabinett wines are made from grapes that have achieved minimum defined potential alcohol levels. Those minimum requirements differ by region and grape varietal. Essentially, Kabinett is the first level of reserve grape selection.
o Spätlese wines (“late harvest”) are made from grapes that have achieved minimum defined potential alcohol levels. Those minimum requirements differ by region and grape varietal. Essentially, Spatlese is the second level of reserve grape selection.
o Auslese wines (“select harvest”) are made from grapes that have achieved minimum defined potential alcohol levels. Those minimum requirements differ by region and grape varietal. Essentially, Auslese is the third level of reserve grape selection.
o Beerenauslese wines (“berry selection”) are made from grapes that have achieved minimum defined potential alcohol levels. The concentration of the grape juice may have been facilitated by a fungus Botrytis, which perforates the skin of the grape forcing water to drip out and all remaining elements to concentrate. Due to the high potential alcohol level required for this category of ripeness, these wines are generally made into sweet wines and can make good dessert wines.
o Trockenbeerenauslese wines (“dry berries selection”) are made from grapes of an even higher potential alcohol level, generally reachable only with the help of Botrytis. The grapes used for Trockenbeerenauslese have reached an even more raisin-like state than those used for Beerenauslese. Due to the high concentration of sugar in the raisin-like grape, these wines can only be made in a sweet style and make extremely sweet, concentrated and usually quite expensive wines.
o Eiswein (ice wine) wine is made grapes that freeze naturally on the vine and have to reach the same potential alcohol level as Beerenauslese. The grapes are harvested and pressed in the frozen state. The ice stays in the press during pressing and hence a concentrated juice flows off the press leading to higher potential alcohol levels which in turn generally result in sweet wines due to the high potential alcohol. The taste differs from the other high-level wines since Botrytis infection is usually lower, ideally completely absent.
On wine labels, German wine may be classified according to the residual sugar of the wine. Trocken refers to dry wine. These wines have less than 9 grams/liter of residual sugar. Halbtrocken wines are off-dry and have 9-18 grams/liter of residual sugar. Due to the high acidity (“crispness”) of many German wines, the taste profile of many halbtrocken wines fall within the “internationally dry” spectrum rather than being appreciably sweet. Feinherb wines are slightly more sweet than halbtrocken wines. Lieblich wines are noticeably sweet; except for the high category Prädikatsweine of type Beerenauslese and above, lieblich wines from Germany are usually of the low Tafelwein category. The amount of German wines produced in a lieblich style has dropped markedly since the style went out of fashion in the 1980s.
Spanish wine classification

Following Spain’s acceptance into the European Union, Spanish wine laws were brought in line to be more consistent with other European systems. One development was a five-tier classification system that is administered by each autonomous region. Non-autonomous areas or wine regions whose boundaries overlap with other autonomous communities (such as Cava, Rioja and Jumilla) are administered by the Instituto Nacional de Denominaciones de Origen (INDO) based in Madrid. The five-tier classifications, starting from the bottom, include:
• Vino de Mesa (VdM) – These are wines that are the equivalent of most country’s table wines and are made from unclassified vineyards or grapes that have been declassified through “illegal” blending. Similar to the Italian Super Tuscans from the late 20th century, some Spanish winemakers will intentionally declassify their wines so that they have greater flexibility in blending and winemaking methods.[3]
• Vinos de la Tierra (VdlT) – This level is similar to France’s vin de pays system, normally corresponding to the larger comunidad autonóma geographical regions and will appear on the label with these broader geographical designations like Andalucia, Castilla La Mancha and Levante.
• Vino de Calidad Producido en Región Determinada (VCPRD) – This level is similar to France’s Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) system and is considered a stepping stone towards DO status.
• Denominación de Origen (Denominació d’Origen in Catalan – DO)- This level is for the mainstream quality-wine regions which are regulated by the Consejo Regulador who is also responsible for marketing the wines of that DO. In 2005, nearly two thirds of the total vineyard area in Spain was within the boundaries a DO region.[3]
• Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ – Denominació d’Origen Qualificada in Catalan)- This designation, which is similar to Italy’s Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) designation, is for regions with a track record of consistent quality and is meant to be a step above DO level. Rioja was the first region afforded this designation in 1991 and was followed by Priorat in 2003, and Ribera del Duero in 2008.[3]
Additionally there is the Denominación de Pago (DO de Pago) designation for individual single-estates with an international reputation. As of 2009, there were 9 estates with this status.

Portuguese wine appellation system

The appellation system of the Douro region was created nearly two hundred years before that of France, in order to protect its superior wines from inferior ones. The quality and great variety of wines in Portugal are due to noble castas, microclimates, soils and proper technology.
Official designations:
• Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) or VQPRD – Vinho de Qualidade Produzido em Região Demarcada
o These are the most protected wine and indicates a specific vineyard, such as Port Wine, Vinhos Verdes, and Alentejo Wines. These wines are labeled D.O.C. (Denominação de Origem Controlada) which secures a superior quality.
• Wines that have more regulations placed upon them but are not in a DOC region fall under the category of Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR, Indication of Regulated Provenance)
• Regional Wine – Vinho Regional Carries with it a specific region within Portugal.
• Table Wines – Vinho de Mesa carries with it only the producer and the designation that it’s from Portugal.

CHAMPAGNE

Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced from grapes grown in the Champagne appellation of France following rules that demand secondary fermentation of the wine in the bottle to create carbonation Some use the term champagne as a generic term for sparkling wine, but many countries reserve the term exclusively for sparkling wines that come from Champagne and are produced under the rules of the Champagne appellation..
The Champagne wine region is a historic province within the Champagne administrative province in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region’s name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term “Champagne” exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the administrative province: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne. The towns of Reims and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area.
Grape varieties and styles

Champagne is a single Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. As a general rule, grapes used must be the white Chardonnay, or the dark-skinned “red wine grapes” Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier. Due to the gentle pressing of the grapes and absence of skin contact during fermentation, the dark-skinned varieties also yield a white wine. Most Champagnes are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for example 60%/40%. Blanc de blanc (“white from white”) Champagnes are made from 100% Chardonnay. Blanc de noir (“white from black”) Champagne is pressed from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a mix of the two.

The 2010 version of the appellation regulations lists seven varieties as allowed, Arbanne, Chardonnay, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir. But varieties other than Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are rarely used. The main areas of production are:
1. Montagne de Reims
2.Valée de la Marne
3.Côte des Blanc
4.Côte de Sézanne
5.Aube

Pinot Noir is the most widely planted grape in the Aube region and grows very well in Montagne de Reims. Pinot Meunier is the dominant grape in the Vallée de la Marne region. The Côte des Blancs is dedicated almost exclusively to Chardonnay.

Geography and climate
The Champagne province is located near the northern limits of the wine world along the 49th parallel. The high altitude and mean annual temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) creates a difficult environment for wine grapes to fully ripen. Ripening is aided by the presence of forests which helps to stabilize temperatures and maintain moisture in the soil. The cool temperatures serve to produce high levels of acidity in the resulting grape which is ideal for sparkling wine.
During the growing season, the mean July temperature is 18 °C (66 °F). The average annual rainfall is 630 mm (25 inches), with 45 mm (1.8 inches) falling during the harvest month of September. Throughout the year, growers must be mindful of the hazards of fungal disease and early spring frost.
Ancient oceans left behind chalk subsoil deposits when they receded 70 million years ago. Earthquakes that rocked the region over 10 million years ago pushed the marine sediments of belemnite fossils up to the surface to create the belemnite chalk terrain. The belemnite in the soil allows it to absorb heat from the sun and gradually release it during the night as well as providing good drainage. This soil contributes to the lightness and finesse that is characteristic of Champagne wine. The Aube area is an exception with predominately clay based soil. The chalk is also used in the construction of underground cellars that can keep the wines cool through the bottle maturation process.

Classification of Champagne vineyards
Classifications and vineyard regulations
In 1927, viticultural boundaries of Champagne were legally defined and split into five wine producing districts- The Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne. This area covers 33,500 hectares (76,000 acres) of vineyards around 319 villages that are home to 5,000 growers who make their own wine and 14,000 growers who only sell grapes. The region is set to expand to include 359 villages in the near future.
The different districts produce grapes of varying characteristics that are blended by the champagne houses to create their distinct house styles. The Pinots of the Montagne de Reims that are planted on northern facing slopes are known for their high levels of acid and the delicacy they add to the blend. The grapes on the southern facing slope add more power and character. Grapes across the district contribute to the bouquet and headiness. The abundance of southern facing slopes in the Vallée de la Marne produces the ripest wines with full aroma. The Côte des Blancs grapes are known for their finesse and the freshness they add to blends with the extension of the nearby Côte de Sézanne offering similar though slightly less distinguished traits.[
In 1942, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) was formed with the purpose of protecting Champagne's reputation and marketing forces as well as setting up and monitoring regulations for vineyard production and vinification methods. Champagne is the only region that is permitted to exclude AOC or Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée from their labels.
For each vintage, the CIVC rated the villages of the area based on the quality of their grapes and vineyards. The rating was then used to determine the price and the percentage of the price that growers get. The Grand Cru rated vineyards received 100 percent rating which entitled the grower to 100% of the price. Premier Crus were vineyards with 90–99% ratings while Deuxième Crus received 80–89% ratings.
Under appellation rules, around 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) of grapes can be pressed to create up to 673 gallons (either 2,550 L or 3,060 L) of juice. The first 541 gallons (either 2,050 L or 2,460 L) are the cuvée and the next 132 gallons (either 500 L or 600 L) are the taille. Prior to 1992, a second taille of 44 gallons (either 167 L or 200 L)was previously allowed. For vintage champagne, 100% of the grapes must come from that vintage year while non-vintage wine is a blend of vintages. Vintage champagne must spend a minimum three years on its lees with some of premier champagne houses keeping their wines on lines for upwards of five to ten years. Non-vintage champagne must spend a minimum of 15 months on the lees.

The classification of Champagne vineyards developed in the mid-20th century as a means of setting the price of grapes grown through the villages of the Champagne wine region. Unlike the classification of Bordeaux wine estates or Burgundy Grand cru vineyards, the classification of Champagne is broken down based on what village the vineyards are located in. A percentile system known as the Échelle des Crus ("ladder of growth") acts as a pro-rata system for determining grape prices. Vineyards located in villages with high rates will receive higher prices for their grapes than vineyards located in villages with a lower rating. While the Échelle des Crus system was originally conceived as a 1-100 point scale, in practice, the lowest rated villages are rated at 80%. Premier crus villages are rated between 90 and 99 percent while the highest rated villages, with 100% ratings are Grand crus.
Pricing structure
The Échelle des Crus was originally established as a fixed pricing structure. The price for a kilogram of grapes was set and vineyards owners would receive a fraction of that price depending on the village rating where they were located. Vineyards in Grand crus villages would receive 100% of the price while Premier crus village with a 95 rating would receive 95% of the price and so forth down the line. Today the business dynamic between Champagne houses and vineyards owners is not so strictly regulated but the classification system still serves as an aide in determining prices with Grand and Premier crus vineyards receiving considerably more for their grapes than vineyards in villages with ratings below 90%.[
Grand crus

When the Échelle des Crus was first established 12 villages received Grand cru status. In 1985 that number was expanded to 17 with the promotion of five villages). Less than 9% of all the planted vineyard land in Champagne have received a 100% Grand cru rating. All of the Grand cru and Premier cru villages are located in the Marne department.

Usage in Champagne
Champagne is primarily a product of vast blending - of different grape varieties, different vintages and different vineyards - with a typical non-vintage blend being composed of grapes from up to 80 different vineyards. However for their prestige cuvee (such as Moët et Chandon's Dom Pérignon or Louis Roederer's Cristal) Champagne producers will often limit the grape sources to only Grand cru (and sometimes Premier crus) vineyards. While single vineyard Champagnes are rare, they do exist, such as Krug's Clos du Mesnil coming from the Grand cru vineyard located near Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.[ Grower Champagnes, the product of a single producer and vineyard owner, located in Grand cru villages will often label their wines "100% Grand cru" if their wines qualify for the designation.

Use of the word champagne
There are many sparkling wines produced worldwide, yet most] legal structures reserve the word champagne exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region, made in accordance with Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne regulations. In the European Union and many other countries, the name Champagne is legally protected by the Treaty of Madrid (1891), which reserved it for the sparkling wine produced in the eponymous region and adhering to the standards defined for it as an Appellation d’origine contrôlée; the protection was reaffirmed in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. Similar legal protection has been adopted by over 70 countries. Most recently Canada, Australia, and Chile signed agreements with Europe that limit the use of the term “champagne” to only those products produced in the Champagne region. The United States bans the use from all new U.S.-produced wines.[ Only those that had approval to use the term on labels before 2006 may continue to use it and only when it is accompanied by the wine’s actual origin (e.g., “California”). The majority of U.S.-produced sparkling wines do not use the term champagne on their labels and some states, such as Oregon, ban producers in their states from using the term.
Even the terms méthode champenoise and champagne method were forbidden by an EU court decision in 1994. As of 2005, the description most often used for sparkling wines not from Champagne yet using the second fermentation in the bottle process is méthode traditionnelle. Sparkling wines are produced worldwide, and many producers use special terms to define them: Spain uses Cava, Italy designates it spumante, and South Africa uses cap classique. An Italian sparkling wine made from the Muscat grape uses the DOCG Asti. In Germany, Sekt is a common sparkling wine. Other French wine regions cannot use the name Champagne: e.g., Burgundy and Alsace produce Crémant. In 2008, more than 3000 bottles of sparkling wine produced in California labeled with the term “Champagne” were destroyed by Belgian government authorities.
The village of Champagne, Switzerland, has traditionally made a still wine labelled as “champagne”, the earliest records of viticulture dated to 1657. In an accord with the EU, the Swiss government conceded in 1999 that by 2004 the village would phase out use of the name. Sales dropped from 110,000 bottles a year to 32,000 after the change. In April 2008 the villagers resolved to fight against the restriction following a Swiss open-air vote.

Methode´ Champenois
Harvesting

Harvest dates are usually 100 days after flowering, and the exact starting date is fixed by the CIVC. This will be determined by the composition of the grapes so that the sugar levels will be sufficient to produce wines of 10 to 11 percent alcohol whilst retaining sufficient acidity to balance. Chardonnay is usually a week later than the two Pinots. Occurring normally in mid-September, 2007 was an unusually early vintage and starting dates are predicted to be 4-6 weeks ahead of schedule. The grapes are always harvested by hand, and begins in the cool of the dawn to prevent spontaneous fermentation. Picking in full sunlight or in the rain is also avoided. Pressing plants will be located as near to the vineyards as possible to ensure the process can begin as quickly as possible

Pressing

To ensure the best possible juice quality, the amount of liquid extracted from the grapes is stringently regulated. Inspectors from the CIVC are common sights in the press-houses to ensure this. Traditional flat basket presses are used as it is believed that this is the gentlest form of extraction, due to the large surface area and the small fruit loads allows the juice to drain without picking up harsh tannins along the way. Modern pneumatic bladder presses are also used as they are much faster and less labour intensive. The bunches are always put through whole as the stems and stalks act as a natural sieve for the juice to pass through. The juice is released from the press in the order of quality, the more the fruit is pressed, the higher the uptake of tannins, through skin and seed contact. The best quality juice always comes from the free-run and first pressing. Second pressings may be used but generally for lesser wines or sold off.
Under appellation rules, around 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds) of grapes can be pressed to create up to 673 gallons (either 2,550 L or 3,060 L) of juice. The first 541 gallons (either 2,050 L or 2,460 L) are the cuvée and the next 132 gallons (either 500 L or 600 L) are the taille. Prior to 1992, a second taille of 44 gallons (either 167 L or 200 L) was previously allowed. For vintage champagne, 100% of the grapes must come from that vintage year while non-vintage wine is a blend of vintages. Vintage champagne must spend a minimum three years on its lees with some of premier champagne houses keeping their wines on lees for upwards of five to ten years. Non-vintage champagne must spend a minimum of 15 months on the lees.[

Settling

Skins and other impurities in the must need to be removed this can be achieved by a filter or centrifuge, but most producers will allow this to occur naturally by gravity settling. If the must is chilled to -5 degrees C, this process will be quicker and more thorough

Primer Fermentation
Once the must has settled the clear juice will be racked off into clean fermentation vats. Small vats allow greater control over the individual components and stainless steel ensures cleanliness. However producers such as Alfred Gratien and Krug still prefer fermentation in oak barrels.Fermentation normally lasts about 10 days and takes palce at about 18-20 C, some producers prefer cooler temperatures to preserve the wines fruitiness. The choice of malolactic fermentation or not is generally a house style decision.This process converts the tart malic acid into the milder lactic acid. The advantage of the process is that it makes wines much more approachable when young. Wines that have not undergone malolactic fermentation are more acidic and sharp in their youth but retain a high level of acidity for a very long time, acting as a preservative.

Cold stabilization
Once fermentation is complete the wine will be cold stabilized to remove any suspended material, and also to prevent tartrate precipitation at a later stage. It will then be racked off its lees and further clarified by filtering or fining.

Blending
The most important stage of the Methode Champenois process and the best example of where art meets science. It requires great skill and experience to create a consistent house style particularly when vintage conditions can vary widely. The cellar master has at his disposal a range of varieties, from different villages and vintages- all of which will be considered through constant tastings- as to what will constitute the final blend. The greater the tasting skill of the blender, the more influence that can be brought to the final blend. At a large house such as Moet, the cellar master has over 800 vats sourced from over 150 villages to choose from. In lesser vintages, reserve wines from previous vintages will be used to achieve balance and consistency. As the blend will contain numerous wines of differing chemical composition, the finished blend will once more have to be clarified, filtered and fined to produce a stable final product free of any impurities. The wine will then undergo its third and final racking. This blend is called as the vin de cuvee or simply cuvee.
Most Champagnes are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for example 60%/40%. Blanc de blanc (“white from white”) Champagnes are made from 100% Chardonnay.

Blanc de noir (“white from black”) Champagne is pressed from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or a mix of the two.

Liqueur de tirage

After racking the wines will be transferred to the bottling line where the liqueur de tirage mixture which is a mixture of reserve wine, sugar and selected yeast will be added to the base wine prior to bottling to promote a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Sugar is necessary in the blend as all base wines for Champagne are dry, with no fermentable sugars.

Secondary fermentation:

During the first alcoholic fermentation, carbon dioxide is formed and dispelled into the air, but during the second fermentation all the carbon dioxide is imprisoned in the bottle. The bottled wines will then be brought down to the cellars where the temperature is a constant 10-12 C, and laid down horizontally on racks to rest and develop their all important sparkle. The cool temperature allows for a slow and gradual fermentation with smaller, finer bubbles produced. During this time the wine will gain creaminess and complexity through the wines contact with the yeast sediment (lees). Restacking and shaking of the bottles is carried out at various intervals to avoid the yeast sticking to the bottle, which could later cause clarification problems. Such shifting of bottles periodically is referred to as poignetage.
Under the Appellation d’origine contrôlée, Champagne requires a minimum of 1.5 years to develop completely. In years where the harvest is exceptional, a vintage (millesimé) is declared and the wine must mature for at least three years.
The amount of added sugar determines the pressure of the bottle. To reach the standard value of 6 bars (600 kPa) inside the bottle, it is necessary to have 18 grams of sugar; the amount of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is regulated by the European Commission (Regulation 1622/2000, 24 July 2000) to be 0.3 gram per bottle. The liqueur de tirage is then a mixture of sugar, yeast and still Champagne wine.

Aging on lees
Non-vintage wine from Champagne cannot legally be sold until it has aged on the lees in the bottle for at least 15 months. Champagne’s AOC regulations further require that vintage Champagnes be aged in cellars for three years or more before disgorgement, but most top producers exceed the requirement, holding bottles on the lees for 6 to 8 years.

Remuage
Once secondary fermentation is completed the dead yeast lees need to be removed from the bottle. Traditionally the bottles are moved to angled wooden racks (pupitres) where each bottle must be gradually riddled ( where the bottles are slowly tilted from a horizontal to vertical position) to encourage the sediment to move down the bottle and into the neck. A skilled remueur can move tens of thousands of bottles in a day, and the whole process can take several months. Today, many houses use the gyropalette, a machine which greatly shortens the riddling time to just over a week.

Alginate beads
Moet & Chandon has done an enormous amount of research into the development of the alginate yeast capsules, whereby the yeast are trapped inside the porous beads, and removal is straightforward. This could theoretically make riddling and gyropallettes redundant, however more research is still required as Moet are still not entirely satisfied with the results.

Maturation
Once the sediment has been moved into the neck, the bottles will be matured sur pointes (upside down or ‘on tiptoe’) for up to five years, with the wine greater complexity through contact with the yeast lees.

Disgorgement

The final stage in the production of Champagne where the yeast is finally removed before corking. As this movement briefly exposes the wine to air the operation needs to be performed as quickly as possible to prevent oxidation. As the yeast deposit has moved into the neck space, the bottles are inverted and the necks placed into a freezing brine solution of -28 C. The deposit is half frozen and viscous and easily removed by the pressure of the Champagne as the crown seal is removed. Some winemakers still perform this task by hand, such as Salon, where they wish to check and aerate the wine. The volume of wine lost at disgorgement will be replaced by the dosage.

Dosage

The dosage or liqueur d’expedition is a mixture of wine and sugar, the level of sweetness will depend on the style required. For young wines that may be dry yet acidic, this dosage will give greater balance and approachability. For wines that have undergone long aging on the yeast lees and gained complexity and roundness with time, dosage may not be required, but will still need topping up with wine after the removal of the sediment. One such example are the brilliant late disgorged wines from Jacquesson, which require no dosage, and show how magnificent aged Champagne can become.

¤ Brut-Naturale: 0-3 gram of sugar per liter (the driest of the dry, unsweetened)
◘ Extra-Brut less than 0-6 gram of sugar per liter (dry, this is the typical style of Champagne with no sweetness)
¤ Brut 0-12 grams of sugar per litre of Champagne
◘ Extra-Dry 12-17 gram of sugar per liter (still dry with a hint of sweetness or slightly sweet)
◘ Sec 17-32 gram of sugar per liter (medium sweet)
◘ Demi-Sec 32-50 gram of sugar per liter (sweet)
◘ Doux more than 50 gram of sugar per liter (Sweetest, very rare and is considered as dessert wine)

Packaging

Once the liqueur d’expedition has been added the bottles will immediately be corked and shaken to ensure the dosage is mixed in thoroughly with the wine in bottle. The cork will then be held in place by a wire cage called a muselet. Some wines will undergo additional aging on the cork to achieve greater complexity, as the esters introduce further characters such as coffee, caramel and even mushroom notes.

Bottle aging

Even experts disagree about the effects of aging on Champagne after disgorgement. Some prefer the freshness and vitality of young, recently disgorged Champagne, and others prefer the baked apple and caramel flavors that develop from a year or more of bottle aging. In 2009, a 184-year-old bottle of Perrier-Jouët was opened and tasted, still drinkable, with notes of “truffles and caramel”, according to the experts.

Champagne producers

There are more than one hundred Champagne houses and 19,000 smaller vignerons (vine-growing producers) in Champagne. These companies manage some 32,000 hectares of vineyards in the region. The type of Champagne producer can be identified from the abbreviations followed by the official number on the bottle:[
• NM: Négociant manipulant. These companies (including the majority of the larger brands) buy grapes and make the wine
• CM: Coopérative de manipulation. Cooperatives that make wines from the growers who are members, with all the grapes pooled together
• RM: Récoltant manipulant. (Also known as Grower Champagne) A grower that also makes wine from its own grapes (a maximum of 5% of purchased grapes is permitted). Note that co-operative members who take their bottles to be disgorged at the co-op can now label themselves as RM instead of RC
• SR: Société de récoltants. An association of growers making a shared Champagne but who are not a co-operative
• RC: Récoltant coopérateur. A co-operative member selling Champagne produced by the co-operative under its own name and label
• MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d’acheteur. A brand name unrelated to the producer or grower; the name is owned by someone else, for example a supermarket
• ND: Négociant distributeur. A wine merchant selling under his own name
Types of Champagne

Non vintage Champagne

Most of the Champagne produced today is “Non-vintage”, meaning that it is a blended product of grapes from multiple vintages. Most of the base will be from a single year vintage with producers blending anywhere from 10–15% (even as high as 40%) of wine from older vintages.

Vintage Champagne

Prepared exclusively from grapes of a vintage year. Under Champagne wine regulations, houses that make both vintage and non-vintage wines are allowed to use no more than 80% of the total vintage’s harvest for the production of vintage Champagne. This allows at least 20% of the harvest from each vintage to be reserved for use in non-vintage Champagne .

Prestige cuvee

A cuvée de prestige is a proprietary blended wine (usually a Champagne) that is considered to be the top of a producer’s range. Famous examples include Louis Roederer’s Cristal, Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle, Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon, Duval-Leroy’s Cuvée Femme and Pol Roger’s Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill. Perhaps the original prestige cuvée was Moët & Chandon’s Dom Pérignon launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage.

Blanc de noirs

A French term (literally “white of blacks”) for a white wine produced entirely from black grapes. Black, or red, grapes have a white flesh and grape juice obtained after minimal possible contact with the skins produces white wine, the colour of which is offset by the small amount of red skin pigments and turns into lighter shades of yellow, often described as white-yellow, white-grey, or silvery. It basically refers to a Champagne made entirely from black grapes.

Blanc de blancs

A French term that means “white of whites”, and is used to designate Champagnes made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes. A famous example is Ruinart. The term is occasionally used in other sparkling wine-producing regions, usually to denote Chardonnay-only wines rather than any sparkling wine made from other white grape varieties.

Rosé Champagne

The rosé wines of Champagne (also known as Pink Champagne) are produced either by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time (known as the saigneé method) or, more commonly, by adding a small amount of still Pinot noir red wine to the sparkling wine cuvee. Champagne is typically light in colour even if it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins, which is what gives red wine its colour. Rosé Champagne is one of the few wines that allows the production of Rosé by the addition a small amount of red wine during blending. This ensures a predictable and reproducible colour, allowing a constant Rosé colour from year-to-year.
Due to the comparatively high risk and cost of using the saigneé or ‘skin contact only’ technique, there are very few producers who habitually do not add any additional red wine.

Champagne bottles
The different sizes and capacities of Champagne bottles seen in the market are

Bottle—750 ml
Magnum – 1.5 litres
Champagne is normally fermented in these two sized bottles
Jeroboam – 3 litres
Rehoboam – 4.5 litres
Methuselah – 6 litres
Salmanazar – 9 litres
Balthazar – 12 litres
Nebuchadnezzar – 15 litres

Champagne corks

Champagne corks are built from several sections and are referred to as agglomerated corks. The mushroom shape that occurs in the transition is a result of the bottom section, which is in contact with the wine, being composed of two stacked discs of pristine cork, cemented to the upper portion which is a conglomerate of ground cork and glue. Prior to insertion, a sparkling wine cork is almost 50% larger than the opening of the bottle. Originally they start as a cylinder and are compressed prior to insertion into the bottle. Over time their compressed shape becomes more permanent and the distinctive “mushroom” shape becomes more apparent.
The aging of the Champagne post disgorgement can to some degree be told by the cork, as the longer it has been in the bottle the less it returns to its original cylinder shape.

Other methods of sparkling wine production

While the traditional, or “Champagne method”, is the most widely known style of production, there are several ways to produce sparkling wine that are less costly in labor.

Metodo Italiano (Charmat process)

The Charmat process is known as Metodo Charmat-Martinotti (or Metodo Italiano) in Italy, where it was invented and is most used. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks or steel vessels covered with vitreous enamel rather than individual bottles, and is bottled under pressure in a continuous process. Many grape varieties, including Prosecco, are best suited for fermentation in tanks. Charmat method sparkling wines can be produced at a slightly lower cost than méthode champenoise wines.

Transfer method

This follows the first steps of “methode champenoise” in that after primary fermentation the cuvée is transferred to bottles to complete secondary fermentation. When the secondary fermentation is complete and the wine has spent the desired amount of time in bottle on yeast lees (six months is the requirement to label a wine ‘bottle fermented’) then the individual bottles are transferred (hence the name) into a larger tank. The wine is then filtered, the liqueur de dosage added, and then filled back into new bottles for sale. This method allows for complexity to be built into the wine, but also gives scope for blending options after the wine has gone into bottle.

Artificial carbonation

Comparatively inexpensive sparkling wine is made by simple injection of CO2 from a carbonator. This way of
manufacturing is not allowed in the European Union.

Champagne shippers

Abelé, Ayala, Billecart-Salmon, Boizel, Bollinger, Brice, Brun, Bruno Paillard, Burtin – Besserat de Bellefon, Charles Heidsieck, Delamotte, Deutz, Gosset, Heidsieck & Co Monopole, Henriot, Jacquesson, Joseph Perrier, Krug, Lanson, Laurent-Perrier, Mercier, Moët & Chandon, Mumm, Perrier-Jouët, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Louis Roederer, Ruinart, Taittinger