CHAMPAGNE - the champagne buyers's guide / FAQ
The complete FAQ for Champagne buyers - all your questions answered
Buying champagne can be a complicated affair, so here's our FAQ to explain the
jargon, puncture the hype and make buying this great wine as simple as humanly possible.
What are the different champagne bottle sizes?
The table below shows the common champagne bottle sizes. Believe it or not, there
are bigger bottles available but they're so rare I haven't bothered to list them.
Magnums make a real statement for a party, but bear in mind that anything bigger than
a Jeroboam is exceedingly difficult to pour.
| Champagne Bottle Sizes |
| Bottle |
Size |
Origin of the name |
| Half |
37.5cl |
|
| Bottle |
75cl |
|
| Magnum |
2 bottles |
Origin unknown. The cartridges are named after the bottle not vice-versa |
| Jeroboam |
4 bottles |
Biblical king who reigned over teh ten tribes of Northern Israel for 22 years. |
| Rehoboam |
6 bottles |
Named after the Biblical King of Judah; son of Solomon, grandson of David. |
| Methuselah |
8 bottles |
Named after the oldest person in the bible. 969 according to Genesis 5:27 |
| Salmanazar |
12 bottles |
Ancient king(s) of Assyria. Five of them in all. |
| Balthazar |
16 bottles |
Named after one of the three wise who visited teh baby Jesus. Generally accepted as being African. |
| Nebuchadnezzar |
20 bottles |
Ancient king(s) of Babylonia. Four of them in all. |
What are the pressings?
When the grapes have been picked, they are quickly pressed in batches of 4,000kg. The first pressing, la cuvée produces 2,050 litres and is the best. The second
pressing, la taille produces 410 litres, and the third pressing, la deuxième
taille produces about 200 litres. The best champagne houses use primarily the first
pressing, with perhaps
a little of the second or third pressing used for blending. This is all very strictly
regulated and the quantities produced and how much of each can be used or must be
vatted for future use vary from year to year.
What is Rosé Champagne?
Rosé is quite simply ordinary Champagne to which a small quantity of
red wine is added at the point where the champagne is blended. The red wine
must of course be from the Champagne region.
What is Crémant?
Crémant is Champagne with half the normal sparkle. Ideal for people who find
Champagne too fizzy. Quite unusual to find nowadays,
though the Loire is producing some marvellous Crémants, though they are of course
just sparkling wine, not Champagne.
Which is the best brand?
The oldest, best established producers are known as the 'Grandes Marques'. These
are the flagships of Champagne, and you can guarantee that none of their products
will disappoint. The best known are probably Bollinger, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Lanson,
Mumm, Louis Roederer (Cristal).
What's the right temperature to serve champagne at?
Champagne should always be served cool, not cold - imagine the temperature of a deep
cellar and that's about right. Abou 60 to 90 minutes in the fridge is about right, or
20-30 minutes in an ice bucket. If you're serving very cheap stuff, then double the
above times as serving too cold can help disguise the taste of a weak product.
Are other sparkling wines any good?
Absolutely. Champagne has the cachet and the name, but other sparkling wines are definitely
a match nowadays, especially at the lower to middle end of the market. They certainly deliver better value for money,
but unfortunately tend to be looked-down upon. Australian sparkling wines offer excellent value, as do Spanish and Italian,
but do try and avoid the very cheapest end of the market.