Champagne

Also called champagne brut, vin de Champagne

Sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France, made by a second fermentation in the bottle and aged on its lees for at least 15 months. Chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier give it citrus, red fruit and bread notes. Brut is the cocktail standard, for the French 75 and the Champagne Cocktail.

green apple
citrus
brioche
almond
red berries
chalk
fine persistent bubbles

Origin

Champagne is pressed at harvest, settled, fermented, blended, then bottled with sugar and yeast for a second fermentation (tirage) from Jan. 1 after the harvest. It matures on its lees for at least 15 months, is riddled, disgorged, dosed and corked. Pinot noir makes up about 38% of plantings, chardonnay and meunier about 31% each, with five minor varieties at a fraction of a percent. The name is protected: only wine from the delimited region may be called Champagne.

Production and safety

Contains sulfites. Chill to 6 to 8 C before opening; hold the cork and twist the bottle. An opened bottle keeps its sparkle for a day under a proper stopper in the fridge. Do not shake drinks that contain Champagne; add it last and stir gently.

Allergens: Sulfites

Common uses

french-75
Champagne Cocktail with a bitters soaked sugar cube
Mimosa and Bellini (when a lighter wine is not at hand)
Death in the Afternoon with absinthe
Seelbach

Pours that use it

Classic
French 75
Gin, lemon and champagne, named for a field gun
A sparkling gin sour from the 1920s: gin, fresh lemon juice and sugar shaken, then topped with chilled champagne. A cognac version is also traditional.
GinShakenEasy

Sources

How Champagne is made (Comité Champagne), Comité Champagne · primary source, retrieved 2026-10-11
Champagne and its grape varieties, Comité Champagne · primary source, retrieved 2026-10-11