CHAMPAGNE PURCHASE

Champagne was created as wine of kings: it (and also complexity of technology and high quality) its prestigiousness and the price speak. Last, however, does not frighten off fans of a blest drink. And business needs for small - to be made a true choice. At champagne purchase it is necessary to study its label in details first of all. On it the interested consumer will find the necessary information.

The attention should be turned for following moments:

The manufacturer

Its name by tradition is allocated on a label with the largest letters. In a question on as what of champagne houses to consider as the best, unanimities among experts are not present. As a rule, to number of leaders carry the companies entering into Syndicate of elite marks of champagne (SGMC): their production, despite considerable volumes is considered, that, represents the quality standard, and even in not the most successful years. Among the recognised companies it is necessary to name such, as Bollinger, Krug, Louis Roederer, Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin, Laurent-Perrier, Taittinger, Billecart-Salmon, Lanson, Moet and Chandon, H.Mumm and Cie, Piper-Heidsieck, Pol Roger, Pommery, Ruinart, Charles Heidsieck, Cosset, Henriot, Salon, Philipponat, Charles Lafitte, Nicolas Feuillate.

If nevertheless you have decided to get champagne of less known mark, it is necessary to pay attention to the status of the manufacturer. The corresponding designation is put by very small font on the bottom part of a label, before six-place number under which the company is registered. Stability of quality guarantees an inscription "NM" (negociant-manipulant, the negotiator-wine maker who is a member of Institute of negotiators of Champagne); so production of the companies which we have mentioned is marked. Pleasant (though at times and not so) opening are possible, if on a label there is a designation "RM" (recoltant-manipulant, the wine-grower-wine maker); however, such wine to Russia arrives seldom. From other possible reductions we will mention "ND" (nego-ciant-distributeur, the negotiator-seller) or "МА" (marque d'acheteur, mark of the buyer).

Degree of quality

On this indicator champagne can be subdivided into three groups:

- Champagne without a year (champagne sans annee). This group concerns more than 80 percent of wines made in region. Such champagne is easy for learning to two signs: year of a crop on a label is not designated, and the name, as a rule, specifies in the sugar maintenance in fault (brut, sec and тд.), for example, Brut Imperial at Moet and Chandon;

-millezimnoe (champagne millesime), or if to use the English term, винтажное (vintage) champagne. It is made in successful years from виноматериалов one crop though addition and others - no more than 20 percent is possible. After a secondary fermentation such wine is maintained not less than three years. A label миллезимного champagne, as a rule, same, as well as at usual, with a unique exception: on it year of a crop is underlined;

- Prestigious (cuvee de prestige) or special (cuvee speciale) champagne. It is made of the best grapes, with especially careful observance of technology, and in most cases marked year. Such champagne has own name, often fantasy or connected with house history: at Moet and Chandon it Cuvee Dom Perignon, y Louis Roederer - Cristal, at Laurent-Perrier - Grand Siecle, at Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin - La Grande Dame, at Pol Roger - Sir Winston Churchill and тд. For champagne of the given group irreproachable quality and very high prices are characteristic.

Colour of wine

Champagne does not happen red: the carbonic acid dissolved in fault would give unpleasant flavouring combinations to tannins, in significant amounts present at such wines. It can be only white or pink, however the last is the present curiosity: on it it is necessary an order of 1 percent of manufacture. Taste of pink champagne (on its label there is an inscription "rose") - as a rule, more "dense", but thus it far not always concedes white in the refined elegance.

The sugar maintenance

Under the maintenance of sugar champagne is subdivided into 6 categories, and the corresponding inscription necessarily is present on a label:

Extra-brut Or Ultra-brut - less than 6 г/л;
Brut - less than 15 г/л;
Extra-sec - 12-20 г/л;
Sec - 17-35 г/л;
Demi-sec - 33-55 г/л;
Doux - from above 50 г/л.

However, doux, that is sweet (it for old time's sake name champagne of Russian taste), now practically is not issued, and demi-sec it is made in the lesser volume.

Bottle volume

Champagne spreads in bottles of various capacity, each of which has own name, frequently rather freakish:

Magnum (Magnum) - 1,5 litres;
Jeroboam (Жеробоам) - two magnums, that is 3 litres;
Rehoboam (Реобоам) - three magnums, that is 4,5 litres;
Mathusalem (Матузалем) - four magnums, that is 6 litres;
Salmanazar (Сальманазар) - contains 6 magnums, that is 9 litres;
Balthazar (Бальтазар) - 8 magnums;
Nabuchodonsor (Набюкодонозор) - 10 magnums existed earlier, but now are not issued.

Grapes grades

As a rule, champagne with more elegant taste is made from grapes Шардоне, and in this case inscription Blanc is located on a label de Blancs ("white of white"). Black grades - Пино Нуар and Пино Менье - give stronger wine; if champagne is made only of them, it is called Blanc de Noirs ("white of black"). Absence of these inscriptions means, that at champagne manufacturing have been used as white, and at least one of black grades.

Champagne belongs to number of few French wines on which stopper the name апелласьона - Champagne necessarily is underlined.