How to choose good Champagne

The label must say Champagne. “Soviet Champagne”, “Russian Champagne” and generic sparkling wine are different wines made outside Champagne. They may taste good, but they are not Champagne.

For the same method at a lower price, consider crémant, made in France by the traditional method.

Brut is the most versatile festive-table choice. See “Is brut dry or sweet?”.

• No special mention: the classic blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, the most common option.

• Blanc de Blancs: “white from whites”, entirely Chardonnay. Fresh, delicate and citrusy, good as an aperitif and with seafood.
• Blanc de Noirs: “white from blacks”, Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. Fuller, with red-berry notes, good with food.
• Rosé: pink, made by adding a little red wine to white or by briefly macerating on skins. Berry-fruited, for festive dinners and berry desserts.

• Non-vintage, NV: a blend of several years, reproducing the recognisable house style annually. At least 15 months’ ageing.

• Millésime, Vintage: grapes from one successful year, aged at least three years. Usually more complex and expensive.
• Cuvée de prestige: the house’s finest bottle, often vintage.

A small two-letter code appears near the bottom of the label:

Large houses offer consistency: a recognisable brand tastes predictable year after year. RM estates express a particular village and plot. Harder to find, they often provide the surprises.

• Disgorgement date: when sediment was removed, sometimes printed on the back. For freshness, drink non-vintage Champagne within the first year or two afterwards.

• Grand Cru, Premier Cru: grapes from Champagne’s best villages.
• Shop storage: avoid bottles in sunny windows or beside radiators.

• For the group, with snacks: non-vintage brut from a known house or cooperative.

• With seafood and oysters: blanc de blancs or extra brut.
• With poultry or duck: blanc de noirs or rosé.
• With dessert: demi-sec. Brut will taste sour alongside cake.
• As a gift: vintage Champagne or an RM bottle with a story to tell.

Chill to 8–10°C and open without a bang: step by step. For the table, see Champagne food pairings.

Outside France, prices are one-and-a-half to twice as high. Good Champagne below €25–30 is uncommon in France, though RM growers offer excellent bottles at that price.

A village on the label suggests the style: Avize, Cramant and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for Chardonnay; Aÿ, Ambonnay and Bouzy for Pinot Noir.

Each house repeats its recognisable style year after year:

• Light and fresh: a high Chardonnay share, delicate and citrusy, good as an aperitif.

• Round and fruity: plenty of Meunier, soft and approachable, pleasing most guests.
• Powerful and mature: plenty of Pinot Noir and barrel ageing, nuts and brioche, suited to food.

The oldest house is Ruinart, founded in 1729. Many famous houses were established in the 18th and 19th centuries in Reims and Épernay, where their cellars can be visited. See “Reims and Épernay”.

On a limited budget, choose good sparkling wine made by the same method rather than cheap Champagne:

• Crémant from Alsace, Burgundy or the Loire, traditional method, €8–15;

• Franciacorta from Lombardy, Italy’s answer to Champagne;
• Spanish cava, fresh and inexpensive;
• English sparkling wine, with chalk soils like Champagne and increasingly many awards.

See “What is crémant?”.

Since a 2021 Russian law, the Russian word for Champagne is used for sparkling wines made in Russia, while French Champagne is described as “sparkling wine” on its Russian back label. The front label still says Champagne in Latin letters. Follow the French label: real Champagne comes only from Champagne in France.

Champagne is the most common wine gift, and choosing is simpler than it seems:

• For a knowledgeable drinker: grower Champagne, RM, or grand cru blanc de blancs, showing a considered choice rather than the first bottle on the shelf.

• For a large celebration: a 1.5-litre magnum of known-house brut, impressive and shareable.
• For a couple: rosé, attractive, romantic and good with dinner.
• For an anniversary or new baby: vintage Champagne that can keep 10–15 years.
• For someone who likes sweetness: demi-sec, explaining that it is best with dessert.

Add a note describing the wine, its origin and pairings. For someone unfamiliar with Champagne, that is worth more than an expensive box.

• Wine level: near the neck, without a large air gap.

• Cork and foil: intact, with no leakage.
• Label: clean, without sun-faded patches.
• Position: somewhere cool, away from sunny windows or checkout lamps.
• No vintage year: ask when the batch arrived. A fresh non-vintage bottle tastes better than one that has spent three years in the shop.

Champagne is not limited to standard 750 ml bottles. The larger the bottle, the more slowly wine matures and the fresher it remains, which is why connoisseurs love magnums.

A magnum is ideal for a celebration of eight to twelve people: impressive and better tasting than two ordinary bottles. Small bottles are convenient gifts but age faster, so drink them promptly.

Before paying, check five things: Champagne on the label; Brut or Extra Brut for a dry wine; an NM or RM code; storage away from sunlight; and a French price of at least €25 for non-vintage. If all five match, the bottle is very unlikely to disappoint.

1. Buying the cheapest Champagne. Crémant is better at the same price.
2. Buying extra dry thinking it is dry. It is sweeter than brut.
3. Ignoring NM/RM codes.
4. Storing in sunlight or beside a radiator.
5. Giving vintage Champagne without explaining that it can age.

Learn to read a label and discover houses, growers, styles and ageing on a vineyard visit. → Explore Champagne tours

Taste a large house’s Champagne and an RM grower’s in one day. → Champagne wine tour