An exclusive look behind the scenes of the most renowned Champagne houses. From the chalk cellars to the art of disgorgement.
Champagne is more than a region – it's a promise. About 150 kilometers northeast of Paris lies an area that stands like no other for luxury and celebration. Here, on chalky soils under a cool climate, the world's most famous sparkling wines are created.
The history of Champagne is inseparable from the name Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk who perfected the art of assemblage in the 17th century. Contrary to popular legend, he did not invent sparkling wine, but his methods laid the foundation for the quality we know today.
Beneath the streets of Reims and Épernay stretch over 200 kilometers of chalk cellars – an underground labyrinth where millions of bottles mature at a constant 10-12 degrees Celsius. These natural cathedrals, some dating from Roman times, provide perfect conditions for the slow, complex development of Champagne.
The Méthode Champenoise is an elaborate process. After the first fermentation, the base wine is combined with yeast and sugar and filled into bottles, where the second fermentation takes place. Over months, sometimes years, the wine matures on the lees, developing its characteristic fine bubbles and complex aromas of brioche, almonds, and citrus.
Disgorgement – removing the lees – is an art in itself. Traditionally, bottles are slowly turned and tilted over weeks until the sediment collects in the neck. This is then frozen, and the lees plug is expelled by pressure. In a fraction of a second, the dosage must be added and the bottle corked.
The great houses – Krug, Dom Pérignon, Salon, Bollinger – preserve these traditions while remaining innovative. Their prestige cuvées, often from the region's best sites, represent the quintessence of what Champagne can be: a wine of unparalleled elegance and complexity.
