I hope your appetite for champagne has not waned now that New Year has passed. Champagne is much more than just bubbly for celebrations. It is a very interesting wine. It is also a wine region that is undergoing quite a lot of changes even though that is perhaps not so obvious for the casual observer.
The majority of champagnes are sold under the labels of the famous “houses”. They rely on long traditions and well established house styles for most of the champagnes. But today there is simmering in the champagne pot. Independent growers are starting to make their mark. And also, viticultural practices are changing.
Britt writes about three of the recent trends in Champagne in her latest article on Forbes, Three New Trends In Champagne.
Here’s the introduction:
Is Champagne only about tradition, big houses, blending and prestige? No! There is a whole new generation of wine makers that want to show us the other side of Champagne: the terroir champagne. In their eyes Champagne is not only about bubbles. It is first and foremost a wine.
After tasting some of these Champagnes from small artisanal producers you do get the impression of tasting wine instead of Champagne. One grower even told me that he doesn’t really like bubbles… But if you are lucky enough to have land in Champagne, you make a sparkling wine, nothing else.
Organic viticulture is also growing in Champagne, very much thanks to the new generation of small growers. Champagne Person in Vertus is experimenting with biodynamic methods since 2009 and has noticed better ripeness in the grapes since. (“Biodynamic” is a special variation on “organic” that goes a little further.) Champagne Fleury, a pioneer in biodynamic wine growing, notices higher acidity and better balance in the wine. Both producers are excellent.
Read Britt’s full article on BKWine on Forbes.
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