How to choose real champagne: 11 tips from the sommelier

1) Everything you need to know about real champagne
2) Champagne can be classified by the amount of sugar content
3) Tips for choosing champagne
4) What brands of champagne are worth paying attention to

Before we tell you how to choose real champagne, we need to find out what is meant by the word "real".

We are used to calling all drinks that have bubbles champagne. But this is not the case, and everything produced outside of France is just sparkling wine. And some specimens are a pathetic parody of a noble drink.

Everything you need to know about real champagne

Champagne is produced only in the French province of Champagne and its four sub-regions: Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bar.
French champagne is always expensive.

Champagne can be classified by the amount of sugar content

Brut Nature / Zéro Dosage.
Brut (brut).
Extra-Sec (extra dry).
Sec (dry).
Demi-sec (semi-sweet).
Doux (sweet), which is practically not found and is very rare.
In the province of Champagne, only 7 grape varieties are grown, and the most popular of them are: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Gris.
Real champagne is produced using a unique patented technology - "Méthode Champenoise" - when champagne is made by. е. filling the product with carbon dioxide, occurs naturally, by secondary fermentation in a bottle and subsequent aging in a horizontal position for at least 9 months.

Tips for choosing champagne

Now let's move on to the most important thing, how to buy real champagne and not fall for a fake. We have collected recommendations from the best sommeliers to help you choose a noble drink.

First of all, pay attention to the price, real champagne cannot be cheap. The minimum price can start from 1500-2000 rubles.
Try to buy champagne in small specialized shops or large supermarkets with a good reputation.
Be sure to look at the country of origin on the label. Champagne is only France, the Champagne province and its four regions (we talked about them at the beginning of the article).
The label must contain the inscription "Méthode Champenoise". If you do not find this inscription, it only means that you are holding sparkling wine, not champagne.
Also, pay attention to the presence of an excise stamp, with the exception of drinks purchased in the duty free zone.
Shake the bottle, if a uniform foam appears that fills the entire empty space of the bottle, then this is a good sign. The main thing is not to overdo it with shaking.
The cork is also an important element. It should be made only from natural materials so that the champagne can "breathe". The material of the cork can be determined even through the foil with a simple press. Natural material will be softer, unlike synthetic.
The bottle should be made of thick and dark glass. If the glass is thin, it can simply break, and thanks to the dark glass, champagne does not deteriorate when exposed to sunlight.
Another important factor is - bubbles. After filling the glass, the same bubbles should be the same size and rise up. In a quality drink, bubbles can come out of the glass for hours.
Be careful when choosing Demi-sec (semi-sweet) and Doux (sweet) champagne, because famous Champagne houses produce only 7-10% of this type of drink and you can run into a fake. Since the sweetener can hide many technological errors (applies only to counterfeit products).
Use the Vivino app. It is enough to take a photo of the bottle, and you will immediately receive comments and an overall rating based on the rating from people who have already tried this drink. You can download from Google Play и iTunes.