No party is complete without champagne. Light wine creates a mood and sets you up for fun. In order for the celebration to go according to plan and not be spoiled by low-quality alcohol, you should choose good champagne. Everyone has different tastes: someone trusts the time-tested “Soviet”, and for someone the famous “Veuve Clicquot” or “Don Perignon” fall into this category. But you should not limit yourself to these varieties.
Classification of sparkling wines
Champagne is the correct name for drinks produced in the French province of Champagne, from which the wine got its name. At the same time, many varieties of it are produced in other countries using a similar technology.
Italian winemakers are famous for their varieties of good champagne, French winemakers from other regions. Russia does not lag behind European manufacturers. Delicious wine is made in Moldova. Also produced in Germany, Portugal, China, Spain.
It is not necessary that the price for a bottle of sparkling wine "bite". Among the variety offered by manufacturers, there is also an inexpensive good champagne. You should choose not by cost, although this is a significant criterion, but based on your own preferences. Not to get confused and understand which wine is better, will allow minimal knowledge about the producers, what happens in color, sugar content and other characteristics.
By country and region of origin
If we talk about the ranking of the best champagne by the location of the producer, then the wine from Champagne should be at the top. This will be the most expensive dish on your holiday table. But there is confidence in the quality of champagne, because its production is controlled at the state level.
Other regions of France also have champagne houses. On the labels of bottles of sparkling wine, the inscription “Cremant” flaunts and the name of the region is added, for example, Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy, etc. They are inferior to the best French champagne in terms of sparkling, but the quality remains at its best, as it is also controlled at the state level.
Italian sparkling wines should be chosen with the label "DOC S" - this guarantees the high quality of alcohol. The drink gets its name from the region of production and / or grape variety. Prosecco, Asti, Fragolino, etc. - this is all champagne from the Apennine Peninsula.
There are also quite a lot of manufacturers in Russia. The quality cannot be compared with the French, but if you take the ratio with the price, they are quite good varieties. "Lev Golitsyn", "Pinot Noir", "Moscow", "Imperial" and some others can be safely called sparkling wine, not a wine drink.
By grape varieties used
Champagne is most often made from a mixture of several wines. There are single-varietal best sparkling wines. If we talk about elite champagne wines, then there may even be material from seven varieties of grapes. To determine how many varieties were used in production, the inscriptions on the bottles will help:
- blanc de blanc - white of whites, or sparkling wine made from white Chardonnay grapes;
- blanc de noir - white from black, or in the composition of good champagne there are two black (red) varieties of Pinot Mignet and Pinot Noir;
- cuvee - cuvee, or the use of several varieties of grapes in the production (Italian Lambrusco, for example, is just that).
The exact answer, which is better - single-varietal or assemblage champagne - to choose, no one will give. You should be guided by your own taste.
by color
Sparkling wine is:
- white. Occurs most often. Despite the name, it can be made from red grape varieties. Lightness is achieved due to the fact that in the manufacture of the pulp and skin of the berries, when squeezing, they contact each other for a minimum amount of time;
- red - champagne from berries that do not differ in color with a hint of the finished drink;
- pink. It is obtained in two ways: by adding red wine or by increasing the contact time of the skin and pulp.
The classification is as follows:
- sweet (indicator: > 65g / l, the label contains doux (fr) or dolce (it));
- semi-sweet (50-65, demi-doux, semi-dolci);
- semi-dry (35-50, demi-sec, semisecco);
- dry (20-35, sec, secco);
- brut (6-15, brut);
- extra brut (no more than 6 g/l, extra brut/brut nature/brut zero).
Since it is believed that sugar negatively affects the aroma and taste of sparkling wine, when choosing which champagne is better to take: brut or semi-sweet, the world will give preference to the first option. The drink is sour and astringent, so not everyone will like it.
Semi-dry and semi-sweet champagnes are classified side by side, so which one is better to buy depends on your own preferences. The taste will not vary as much as with brut.
By quality level
Out of competition in this classification - products from the best houses of champagne wines in France. The famous "Veuve Clicquot", "Dom Perignon", "Moet" - alcohol of the highest quality, which will empty the wallet for a tidy sum.
Elite champagne made from the best variety grapes are categorized as prestigious or special. If only a vintage of one year is used, such sparkling wine is called vintage or mellizyme. Considering that successful years for winemaking happen 2-3 times in 10 years, the year will certainly be indicated on the bottle.
Good, but unremarkable among other types, champagne without a year with a price of up to 2000 rubles per bottle is the most common category of sparkling wines.
Important! Not always cork, bottle shape, bubbles are indicators of quality sparkling wine. At a price of up to 200 rubles, it will be a carbonated wine drink of the economy segment.
The best brands of champagne
The leaders among the producers of sparkling wines are France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Moldova. It is also possible to single out products from the New World in a separate category - the production of Chile, Argentina, Australia, South Africa. And in each of these countries there are brands that fall under the designation "the best champagne" of domestic production.
Any French brand is good, so the choice between Moet and Veuve Clicquot will be made based on cost and availability at the outlet. To say which of these champagnes is better is just to tell your opinion. The quality of both drinks is impeccable, it is not for nothing that they are included in the TOP-5 brands of champagne in the world. Other houses worthy of attention: Krug, Ayala, etc. Do not forget the wines from France under the general name "Cremant", which will also please with taste and aroma.
The leaders from Italy are Asti Mondoro, Asti Martini, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Cavicchioli Lambrusco Bianco and others. When buying wine with such sonorous names in our open spaces, you need to be careful. Good Italian-made champagne is unlikely to cost up to 1000 rubles, so there is a chance to run into a fake or a wine drink.
Russian brands that represent wine with good taste: "Abrau-Durso" and "Heritage of the master" Lev Golitsyn ". Individual varieties deserve to be compared which champagne is better. And "Lev Golitsyn" surpasses the carbonated wine drink Bosca.
At the same time, we pay tribute to the manufacturers of the latter, who position their product in this way, without pretending to have a more sonorous name. Bosco is comparable to palatability with Santo Stefano champagne, also presented by Russian producers. Which wine is better? Under each brand, varieties are produced from sweet to brut. Both brands are inexpensive drinks, which makes them popular. Bosca will be tastier and better, which is more expensive, but which one to buy, you still need to choose based on your own preferences.
In Moldova, the best sparkling wine is Cricova, in Spain you should look for Cava on the label, which refers to sparkling wine.
Many people know that genuine wine, called champagne, is produced in the French province of the same name from certain grape varieties using special technologies. However, sparkling wine, produced for several decades, first in the Soviet Union, and then in Russia, is in no way inferior to the original samples. This is confirmed by numerous international awards. Let's try to figure out how to choose the best Russian champagne for a festive banquet, the taste and quality of which is as close as possible to the original.
Original French technology
If we discard those very specific grape varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - and consider only the technological process of production, we see that the production of original champagne is a very laborious process, for which secondary fermentation in bottles is applicable. The whole process of bottled champagne should take at least three years. It is this exclusive technology of French winemakers that guarantees excellent quality and incomparable taste of champagne.
Production in large tanks
It would be absurd to imagine that for a country as large as ours, directly bottled champagne would not be supplanted by improved technology. The bright minds of the Soviet Union in the middle of the last century discovered and patented first the technology of champagne in large tanks, and then the production of sparkling wine in a continuous tank method. The Soviet (Russian) champagne produced in this way was noted as the best sample, not inferior to classical analogue. Moreover, many foreign manufacturers adopted the experience of Soviet know-how.
Abundance of modern manufacturers
V Soviet time there were no problems with the choice of sparkling wine, because the assortment was very scarce. The plant-monopolist, supplying store shelves for the holidays, was a non-alternative option. And now, given that distilleries are growing like mushrooms after the rain, it is not surprising to get confused, even if there are already some most preferred brands. How to choose Russian champagne from the abundance of brands on the shelves and what you need to know before going to the supermarket?
Let's go to the store
From the abundance of bottles presented on the shelves, we immediately reject the options poured into light containers. Why? The dark glass of the bottle does not let light in and prevents the sparkling wine from aging, turning yellow and becoming bitter in taste. For example, we need Russian semi-sweet champagne. We will carefully study the labeling. We know that there must be some sugar in wine. However, the presence citric acid, alcohol, dyes and flavorings will make the drink run out of steam quickly. Well, of course, there can be no talk of any foaminess in this case. In addition, if we do not want a headache in the morning, we reject this option.
Russian Champagne: Authentic Samples
Real domestic samples of sparkling wine must go through a cycle natural fermentation. Cheaper drinks only go through the process of carbonation with the help of special devices. Reading the markings on the label will also help determine this. We reject the option if we see the inscription "Carbonated" or "Sparkling" wine.
Next, pay attention to the cork of the bottle. Many manufacturers seal the container with a plastic stopper. For example, the taste that a Russian drink with such a cork has will be significantly inferior to the taste of a similar drink contained under a cork. In this case, air is almost completely absent inside the bottle, and a characteristic sour taste will never appear. What can not be said about the blockage of sparkling wine with a plastic stopper.
Additional selection criteria
A rosé sparkling wine, by definition, cannot be considered champagne. Exceptionally, all the above-mentioned grape varieties used for the production of the original drink are white. As a result, such a drink as Russian white, semi-sweet champagne received the greatest popularity among the Russian consumer.
What else should we note? We avoid the capacious inscription "With the addition of flavors." Naturally, every self-respecting producer places his legal address on the label, and also indicates sparkling wine.
Differences in price categories should not confuse the buyer. If he orders a banquet and is not ready to shell out an impressive amount for champagne alone, he only needs to pay close attention to the release date of the drink. For budget options, the shelf life should not exceed 1 year from the date of manufacture. Expensive drinks only get tastier over time, and it’s better not to risk it with mid-priced options.
And the last. Too low price should scare away the buyer. Here you need to estimate the cost price in your mind and immediately draw the appropriate conclusions. We will also say our strong “no” to bottles containing sediment and suspicious substances at the bottom.
Russian champagne: manufacturer reviews
In fact, the preferences of champagne consumers completely coincide with the recognition of professional experts. So, the St. Petersburg manufacturer - the company "Sparkling Wines" - produces the brand "Heritage of Master Lev Golitsyn", which was repeatedly noted at various international competitions and took away gold coins to their homeland. It is worth noting that the company was founded back in 1945.
Also, the Moscow enterprise Kornet, founded during the Great Patriotic War, has an impressive history. The products are also awarded with gold and silver medals, and are highly respected and in demand in the consumer market. If we consider all categories of sparkling wines, according to consumer reviews, Russian brut champagne, white sparkling wine, traditionally containing the least amount of sugar, is considered the most popular. Many experts and connoisseurs of the drink believe that sugar can muffle the true taste of champagne. The Moscow company offers all lovers original taste"Cornet" brut.
Champagne category "economy"
"How? - you ask. - Are there good manufacturers of inexpensive champagne?" It turns out there are. The Beslan company Istok has shown itself well, including among international experts. The southern traditions of wine production came in handy. Inexpensive and high-quality raw materials make the products one of the most popular in their segment. The ratio of relatively low prices and excellent southern quality is very fond of buyers. Istok products also received high awards.
Brands that have passed an independent examination
Some brands of sparkling wines have passed an independent examination.
- Russian champagne "Crimean".
- Semi-dry champagne "Russian gold" of the Togliatti company "Rosinka".
- Vladikavkaz semi-sweet "Wintrest-7".
- Petersburg "Venice of the North".
Choose from the best
Now we have learned a lot about how real sparkling wine is made and which leading companies in the country supply products of excellent quality to the market. We will see a fake and low-quality goods with the naked eye. But how to choose your drink from obviously high-quality products?
So let's look at the sugar content. To do this, you do not need to memorize scorecards or look at familiar letters on the label. We just need to understand that Russian white brut champagne has a minimum amount of sugar, and any sweet or semi-sweet sparkling wine has a maximum amount of sugar. In addition, semi-dry and dry champagne is made exclusively according to classical technology, but the increased sugar content indicates an accelerated production method.
The final factor in choosing the perfect drink will be a tight cork. The champagne of our dreams will not allow itself plastic on top.
Domestic champagne for connoisseurs and gourmets
In our country, aged sparkling wines are also produced with an aging period of at least 6 months after the completion of the champagne process. For true aesthetes and gourmets, collectible stamps are produced with an aging period of at least three years from the end of the champagne process.
Alkali is the enemy of bubbles
Sometimes people who have bought a quality brand of champagne are surprised at the absence of characteristic bubbles in the glass. They are indignant: is a fake hidden under a well-known brand? In fact, it is necessary to ask a question to the housewives who wash the glasses before serving the festive table. What means do they use to wash their glasses? If any alkaline solution was used when rinsing the dishes, it will not be possible to completely wash it off with plain water. The remains of alkali inside the glass are capable of giving a chemical reaction, and the bubbles will simply disappear.
On the eve of the New Year, it's time to talk about a wonderful sparkling drink, without which most Russians simply cannot imagine the chiming clock. Of course, we will not in any way diminish the merits of Veuve Clicquot or Dom Perignon champagne, but we will take into consideration products that the average Russian can afford. Our champagne rating will help you choose the best and tell you what ingredients should be present in it.
New World
This is real champagne, made in the Crimea by the bottle method. The first place in our ranking of champagnes is deservedly given to this brand.
More than a century and a half ago, Prince Golitsin himself had a hand in ensuring that Russian champagne could compete with French. These traditions have survived to the present day.
Champagne is produced from Pinot Noir, Aligote, Chardonnay and Riesling grapes, according to the classical canons, with aging from 9 months to 3 years. All processes are done manually. Champagne "Novosvetskoye", "Pinot Franc" and "Crimean Sparkling" have long been loved by customers for their exquisite taste and rich aroma. And it's cheaper than French.
CJSC Sparkling wines, St. Petersburg
CJSC "Sparkling Wines" St. Petersburg
"Russian champagne" has been produced according to classical technologies for more than 80 years. Raw materials are delivered to them from all over the world, including from the Crimea.
All alcohol complies with GOST standards and is made by three common methods, and an innovative recipe for continuous fermentation in a stream was even sold to the French at one time.
The company produces only 3 types of white sparkling wines: brut, semi-dry and semi-sweet.
The brand "Lev Golitsin" was created in memory of an outstanding winemaker. The fame of the prince was so great that the St. Petersburg brand decided to use his name to create a new brand.
Cricova
Moldovan champagne with an optimal price-quality ratio (from 500 rubles). All products are created by the classical method, the drink is aged in oak barrels and stored in cellars.
In "Soviet champagne" there is little foam, bubbles play in the glass for a long time, the aftertaste is wonderful. And there is also “Muscat”, “Rose”, “De Luxe” - the choice of drinks is quite worthy.
Collection drinks are offered in rock crystal bottles.
Golden Beam
Sevastopol company, one of the oldest on the market, occupying a significant segment of the sparkling wine market. All products are created exclusively from our own grapes, harvested by hand.
To date, the tastes of consumers have changed - semi-sweet champagne occupies most of the produced, and the second half is divided among themselves by brut, semi-dry and dry.
The basic collection is made according to the Sharma method (from 350 rubles). They don’t really bother with the names here, so everything becomes immediately clear from the label - white or nutmeg.
The premium line is monovarietal, aged from 6 to 9 months.
Tsimlyansk wines
Tsimlyansk wines
The Don steppes gave birth to this champagne, which is produced mainly in the tank way. But there are also three brands produced according to the classic champagne recipe - Bouquet of Victory, Onegin and Tsimlyanskoye Sparkling.
Today, the vineyards occupy more than 1,000 hectares used specifically for sparkling wines. At one time it was another Russian response to the French.
The main range: a series of "Soviet champagne", aged for at least 6 months and "Tsimlyanskoye Gold" with a high content of nutmeg.
ABRAU-DURSO
Production is located in the Caucasus, at the same latitudes as the famous Champagne province. Sparkling drink is produced in several ways - bottled and in tanks.
The first involves the classics: aging and infusing the drink in glass containers - the Victor Dravigny and Imperial brands (from 600 rubles). But the tank method produces "Russian Champagne" and "Light", which is with a black label (from 500 rubles).
Phanagoria
These are Taman wines of the brand of the same name, including the "Number Reserve" and "Madame Pompadour" lines. Drinks are easy to drink, pleasant enough, and at a ridiculous price (from 200 rubles).
Brut "Madame Pompadour" for lovers of dry unaccustomed seems sweetish, but "Fanagoria", which has the most best reviews, produced by secondary fermentation in tanks and aged in bottles.
Asti
Asti is the territory of the same name in Piedmont (Italy), which served as the name for this fragrant champagne. “Asti Martini” is a light and pleasant drink made only from white nutmeg. It has no sugar at all, just the natural sweetness of grapes.
At its core, Asti is a sparkling wine with one stage of fermentation, since the secondary fermentation takes place in steel vats, and not in bottles. That is the only reason why it occupies the penultimate place in our ranking of champagnes.
Nevertheless, the floral-fruity fragrance is liked by all the fair sex without exception. “Cinzano Martini” and “Mondoro” are famous and popular lines.
The price of the product starts from 700 rubles. for a bottle.
Bosca
Inexpensive sparkling wines from an Italian manufacturer. The brand has more than 15 items, but in the vastness of Russia, white and sweet ones, on which “carbonated wine drink” is written, are especially popular. The alcohol content of the Anniversary brand is 7.5% - due to the fact that sugar is replaced by malt. Foaming is moderate, without carbonic acid hitting the nose. Price - from 300 rubles.
Stronger drinks - "Chardonnay", "Red label", "Asti". They are produced according to classical technology, and the price is correspondingly more expensive (from 400 rubles).
There is also a premium segment - Verdi spumante, Classic, Anniversary double and Moscato.
Semi-sweet sparkling wine (champagne) of 56 brands from Russia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Italy, France and Ukraine participated in the study. The cost of a bottle at the time of purchase ranged from 150 to 6121 rubles.
The samples were tested against 30 quality and safety parameters, including the concentration of carbon isotopes and sulfur dioxide, the compliance of the composition of the drink with the label, compliance with the requirements for sugar content and ethyl alcohol. The experts also discussed the organoleptic characteristics, bouquet and taste of drinks.
For those products that received different interpretations of the experts during the first round of tests, a second study was conducted. Roskachestvo brought together industry experts - certified specialists in the field of sparkling wines - and conducted additional tests.
Manufacturer rating
According to the results of the study, the products of the following brands were recognized as the best:
gold standard
Lev Golitsyn
Moscow
Moscow Elite
Russian champagne
Saint Petersburg
Chateau Tamagne
- "Gold standard";
- "Lev Golitsyn"
- "Moscow";
- "Moscow elite";
- "Premium";
- "Russian champagne";
- "Saint Petersburg";
- "Chateau Taman";
- Marleson.
The test results debunked the popular myth that domestic champagne is worse than imported champagne. All nine best samples are made in Russia. After checking the production, all trademarks were awarded the Russian Quality Mark.
The outsiders include 11 brands of champagne produced in violation of the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union and the law “On Protection of Consumer Rights”. These are products manufactured under trademarks:
Venecian mask
Golden Beam
Crimean sparkling
Russian champagne
Rostov gold
Soviet Champagne
Stavropol
Tsimlyanskoye
Madame Pompadour
Sandiliano Desser Grand Cuvee (Italy)
- "Venecian mask";
- "Golden Beam";
- "Crimean sparkling";
- "Russian champagne";
- "Rostov gold";
- "Firework";
- "Soviet champagne";
- "Stavropol";
- "Tsimlyanskoye";
- Madame Pompadour;
- Sandiliano Desser Grand Cuvee (Italy).
In the course of research, it was found that some of the producers added carbon dioxide to the drink, in fact, passing off the usual “pop” for sparkling wine.
In one of the samples (Madame Pompadour), an excess of the permissible content of sulfur dioxide, a toxic substance and in high doses capable of causing suffocation, poisoning and headache, was revealed.
In the champagne "Crimean Sparkling" and Sandiliano Desser Grand Cuvee, the declared volume of ethyl alcohol does not correspond to reality. In the course of laboratory studies, it was also revealed that in champagne under the trademarks "Venetian Mask", "Golden Beam", "Rostov Gold", "Stavropol" and "Tsimlyanskoye" (semi-sweet white), the mass concentration of the extract, which is responsible for the saturation of the taste of the drink, below the level specified in GOST.
How to choose champagne
Wine or lemonade?
If you want to buy real wine, look for the names "sparkling wine" or "Russian champagne" on the product label. There is none of them? With a high degree of probability, you took the so-called “carbonated wine drink” from the shelf.
“They (drinks - editorial note) usually have beautiful “foreign” names, reminiscent of Italian wine brands. The same shape of the bottle, beautiful multi-colored foil and cork with muzzle wire. It can smell of anything - from peach to strawberry. Only they have a very distant relation to classic sparkling wine,” says Ilya Loevsky, deputy head of Roskachestvo, curator of the Wine Guide of Russia project.
The value of "pop" is doubtful even at its low price. Such a drink can be made at home using a siphon, grape juice, alcohol and water.
A question of price
The cost of sparkling wine made from Russian grapes starts from 300 rubles (about 200 for a promotion). Even in this "budget" price category, you can find very good drinks from large local producers.
Look for the words “Protected Geographical Indication Wine” and “Protected Designation of Origin Wine” on the label. This is a guarantee that the drink is made from grapes grown in Russia in a particular region - according to the law, it must be indicated on the label.
The inscription PGI - it can be found not only on the label, but also on the federal special stamp - serves as confirmation of the payment of preferential excise tax on this wine (it is now lower for wines from Russian grapes, which also helps to make wine cheaper on the shelf).
For the production of wine in large volumes, grapes can be harvested not by hand, but by special combines. It also reduces costs and reduces the cost of the finished product.
What do we pay for
According to the technology, sparkling wines go through two stages of fermentation. Yeast converts grape sugar into alcohol, then “circulation liquor” is added to it, and the second stage of fermentation begins.
Wines made from Russian grapes by the classical method (the drink goes through the second stage of fermentation and aging in the bottle) are much more expensive - their price starts from 1,500 rubles.
Only wine produced by the classical method and aged in the bottle for at least two years can be called "collectible".
How to serve champagne
Sparkling wines are cooled to 6-9 degrees before serving. Expensive collection wines can be cooled down to 10 degrees. This temperature regime helps to fully reveal the complex aroma of the drink.
Inexpensive wines with residual sugar are drunk ice-cold, that is, aged in an ice bucket. Just do not fill it with cubes to the very top. It is better to fill a third of the volume with ice and 2/3 with cold water.
According to the strict rules set by the European Union for the control of the name of the product at its place of origin, only drinks produced in a particular French province are entitled to be called "champagne". It is they who carry on their label a sign of their noble pedigree - the letters DOC. All other drinks, even if they accurately copy the blend and production technology, are called "sparkling wines". In some countries they also have their own names. In Catalonia, it is “cava”, in Italy it is “proseco”, in Languedoc it is “blanket”. And these drinks also carry the elite abbreviation DOC. But often the law is not written for manufacturers. And in the old fashioned way, they are called made, more or less according to the technology that Abbé Pérignon invented. Some drinks are a frank burda from waste materials artificially carbonated. But among domestic sparkling wines there are some worthy to be served for festive table. In this article, we will look at the TOP 10 drinks in the Elite Champagne category.
Veuve Clicquot ("The Widow Clicquot")
As the English say, ladies first. But it is not the courtesy of the gentlemen that compels us to let the lady go first. This drink really deserves to take the first position in the Elite Champagne ranking. Monsieur Clicquot, an unremarkable winemaker, rendered two great services to mankind: he married the young lady Barbe Nicole Ponsardin and died in time to allow the widow to show her abilities.
The lady raised her husband's modest household to unprecedented heights. She invented a method for perfectly cleaning champagne and a bridle on the cork, because the pressure in the bottle is three times higher than in a car tire. In addition, the lady skillfully used natural phenomena for self-promotion. So, in 1811, the inhabitants of the Earth observed a comet. The widow Clicquot immediately sent a ship to Russia (whose troops had recently defeated Napoleon) with a huge shipment of champagne, on the label of which was depicted a tailed star. A gigantic sales market was secured. The whole aristocracy tasted the "wine of the comet", and even Pushkin mentioned champagne in his poems. Now the cheapest products of the Widow Clicquot house cost from two and a half thousand rubles. And the price of some elite bottles is estimated at several tens of thousands of dollars.
Moet & Chandon ("Moet and Chandon")
This company is as old as the "Veuve Clicquot". Who does not know this elite champagne? The photo of a black bow with a gold border, fastened with a round red seal under the neck of the bottle, serves as a standard for the French art of living. Moet and Chandon supplied their champagne to the court of the French king. Louis XV liked it, and Napoleon Bonaparte did not hesitate to pick it up at the wine house himself when he happened to be passing through Champagne. Since the reign of Edward VII, Moët & Chandon have mastered the British market. And now the company is the official supplier of champagne to the court of Elizabeth II. "Moet and Chandon" is not limited to royalty. It is their champagne that is poured into glasses at the presentation of the prestigious award in the Golden Globe cinema. Thanks to large circulations, the company's products are sold at more affordable prices. In Russia, a bottle of "Moet and Chandon" can be bought for two thousand rubles.
Dom Pérignon ("Dom Pérignon")
It's time to talk about the inventor of champagne as such. "House" is not a name, much less a building. Perignon's name was Pierre. Because he was a Benedictine monk, he was respectfully addressed as the clergyman of Dom. Perignon lived in the seventeenth century, and in his spare time from prayer he experimented in his abbey of Ovilliers with young frothy wine. He was the first to think of re-fermenting soft drinks. He kept them in bottles of very thick glass, stoppered with oak cork. Elite champagne of the Ovillier Abbey brand was very quickly appreciated by the French aristocracy. Soon they began to deliver it to the Sun King Louis XIV at Versailles. The firm "Moet and Chandon" bought the vineyards of the abbey. The manufacturer continues to create drinks using the old technology. This brand is called "Dom Perignon". Since the vineyard area is small, this drink automatically increases in price. A bottle of the usual "Dom Perignon" costs from eight thousand rubles. Dom Perignon Oenotheque - the elite brand of the wine house is estimated on the market at twenty-two thousand.
Louis Roederer ("Louis Roederer")
In Russia, this is the most expensive elite champagne. Its name has become known in our country since the reign of Alexander II. And no wonder: "Louis Roederer Crystal" was made in 1876 specifically for the royal court. The word "Cristal" meant not only the maximum purification of the drink. By order of Emperor Alexander II, champagne was supplied in crystal bottles. About sixty percent of all products of the Louis Roederer wine house went to Russia. And now our compatriots have remained true to tradition. Champagne "Louis Roederer Brut Premier" is the most sought after of the French brands. His average price- four thousand three hundred rubles per bottle. The exclusive drink "Louis Roederer Crystal" is much more highly valued. Its cost varies from ten to thirty-five thousand rubles (depending on the year of harvest).
Piper-Heidsieck ("Piper Heidsieck")
The owners of this wine house promote their products through Hollywood stars. Piper Heidsieck Champagne was Marilyn Monroe's favorite. And at all the Oscars, the products of this house are invariably present. The company's PR managers seem to have discovered a "gold mine". Now the names "Piper Heidsieck" and Hollywood are inseparable. In 1965, the company released a bottle 1.82 meters high, in the growth of the Oscar winner actor Rex Harrison (for his role in the film "My Fair Lady", played in tandem with Audrey Hepburn). And last year, Christian Lobutin became the designer of the Piper Heidsieck house. This is how elite brut champagne appeared, released in a gift set with a shoe with a crystal heel. This PR move refers us to the fairy tale of Cinderella. But at the same time, it brings to mind the old wedding tradition, when the groom drinks champagne from the bride's shoes. gift set find in wine boutiques in Russia is not possible. But the usual Piper Heidsieck Brut champagne can be found for one and a half thousand rubles.
G.H. Mumm ("Mumm")
The first owner of the company in the eighteenth century adorned the label of his products with the red ribbon of the Legion of Honor. Now the company advertises itself through sports. The slogan of the wine house is "The desire for accomplishments and courage." The firm is a sponsor of many sports competitions and scientific achievements. In 1904, this elite champagne was uncorked by the crew of the Le France ship in Antarctica. They are watered by the winners of the Formula 1 competition. Mumm is the third largest manufacturer in the world in terms of sales. A bottle of champagne from this company costs an average of two and a half thousand rubles.
Krug ("Circle")
Can sparkling wines be aged? Yes, if they are produced in the Krug cellars. This house initially put on the quality of the drink, and not on the volume of sales. The company has only twenty hectares of its own vineyards! The must of the best blend is fermented in small wooden barrels, and then aged in bottles for at least six years. Thanks to this method, champagne has not only a complex, recognizable taste, but also the ability to “age nobly”. Such an elite champagne can be kept in the cellar for at least forty years, in order to profitably sell it later. Why not an investment? For example, at a Hong Kong wine auction in April 2015, a 1928 bottle of Krug fetched $21,200. But the usual champagne of this company costs about twenty thousand rubles.
It is generally considered that drinks of the Prestige Cuvée category should be dry: ultra, extra, still and sauvage brut. But lately, dessert wines have become more and more fashionable. This trend is also reflected in champagne. They began to produce dessert Prosecco and Cava, German sparkling wine Sekt. Then came the sweet Cremant. This is also, but it was produced outside the elite province. Very famous "Krement" from the Jura and Alsace. Perhaps the most delicious sweet "champagne" can be called "spumati" (sparkling wine) from the Italian province of Asti. It is made from one variety of berries - Moscato.
Domestic brands of champagne
The production of sparkling wines in the Russian Empire began in 1799, when Academician Pallas, on his estate near Sudak, produced the first bottles of a drink made using the champagne method. In 1804, a school was even opened in the Crimea. There they began to conduct experiments on the creation of champagne wines. Prince Lev Golitsyn made a great contribution to winemaking. In 1900, his champagne "New World" received the Grand Prix at the World Exhibition in Paris. Golitsyn worked not only in the Crimea. In 1870, in the royal estate on the banks of the Durso River and Lake Abrau in the Kuban, he, together with French specialists, grew vineyards and equipped a champagne factory. The first batch was released in 1897. But Abrau-Durso and Novy Svet were not the only brands of sparkling wines in Russia. Among the domestic names in the years of the USSR, “Moscow elite champagne” arose and now firmly holds its position.
Is it possible to produce such wine in northern latitudes?
There would be production facilities corresponding to technological process. In the suburbs there are mushrooms, berries, flowers, but not grapes. But the berries of the Pinot, Riesling, Aligote and Chardonnay varieties are delivered to the capital of Russia from the southern regions. At the MKSHV plant, grapes are turned into a drink called Moscow Elite Champagne: brut, semi-dry and semi-sweet. The amount of sugar in wine is regulated not by the addition of crystals, but exclusively by assemblage. The must is aged for about six months. As a result, a drink of saturated light-straw color is born, with a harmonious taste and an interesting bouquet.
