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Sometimes you just need the basics listed out so we wanted to provide 21 of the top descriptors we think everyone should know when drinking Champagne.
Aroma: Refers to the youthful scents of Champagne.
Bouquet: Champagne’s developed scents.
Blanc de blanc: A Champagne made 100% of Chardonnay Grapes mean. It means white of white.
Blanc de noir: A Champagne made 100% of dark grapes. ( Any combination of Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier). It means white of black.
Brut: Very dry
Dry: The opposite of sweet
Demi-sec: Fairly sweet.
Extra Dry: fairly dry - not as dry as a brut
Lees: Grape solids and dead yeast cells, which precipitate to the bottom of a wine following fermentation.
Non- vintage: Champagne that is made from a blend of wines from several vintages or years.
Vintage: The exclusive year all grapes in a bottle grew and were harvested.
Crisp: A textural term for Champagne that is high in acidity. Usually light in body and go well with food.
Body: Refers to the way we categorize wine by intensity level from lightest to richest.
Dosage: This sweetness in wine is called residual sugar.
Residual Sugar: Sparkling wines will add a small amount of sugar usually in the form of concentrated grape must, during the last step of wine making. All sparkling wines have sweetness levels indicated on the bottle.
Brut Nature: 0-3 g/l ( no added sugar
Extra Brut: 0-6 g/l
Brut: 0-12 g/l
Extra Dry: 13-17 g/l
Dry:18-32 g/l
Demi-sec: 33-50 g/l
Doux: over 50 g/l
Depth: Characteristics of Champagne that gives the impression of having underground layers of taste, rather than being flat and one-dimensional.
Delicate: Champagnes that are subtle, refined and light - as opposed to coarse or heavy.
Finish: The final impressions a Champagne gives after you have swallowed it.
Acidity: Is what gives wine its tart and sour taste.
Length: A characteristic of Champagne that gives a sustained sensory impression across the tongue.
Palate: A person's appreciation of taste and flavor.
Hope this quick little overview of the wine descriptors was helpful! Want to discover more about wine and learn about your own palate? Well the best way to do this is drink! Join The Sip Society. The world's first Champagne by the glass wine club. Use Code: FirstSip at check out to get 25% off your first box!
Erica
