The Art of the Second Fermentation in Champagne

Champagne bottles stored in Epernay

The second fermentation in Champagne transforms a still wine into the world-renowned sparkling wine. This critical phase is not only about creating the bubbles that Champagne is famous for but also about influencing the flavor, aroma, and overall quality of the final product. The Biochemical Process At its core, the second fermentation is a biochemical…

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Champagne Louis Roederer

Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé

Louis Roederer [Road-ur-ur], a distinguished Champagne producer situated in Reims, France and traces its origins back to 1776 when it began as Dubois Père & Fils. While its early days were marked by still wine production, the focus soon evolved to embrace the art of crafting fine Champagnes. The business underwent a transformation under the…

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Does Champagne Sparkle?

Where do Champagne bubbles come from

It looks almost a too simple question, an open door: Does Champagne sparkle? But if we look at it more deeply we might come to surprising insights. Going back to the word ‘sparkle’ we can retrace it to the Old English 16th century word ‘spearca’ which meant ‘throw off glowing or fiery particles’. This concept…

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Do We All Experience The Same Taste When Drinking Wine?

Who doesn't love a glass of rosé fizz

For most of us drinking wine is a pleasant experience when we taste the various characteristics of it. Sometimes it’s fruity, sometimes it has flowery aromas or even chocolate, mushrooms and vanilla. At the same time it can also challenge our tactile perception, as it can be tannic, sour or very sweet, causing our mouth…

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Can We Taste The Terroir In Champagne?

A mystical belief about Champagne, as with wines in general, is the idea one can taste the terroir in a wine. A first issue then is of course what is the meaning of the concept “terroir”. The problem is then that by trying to define this concept, the describing words each have again their own…

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What Is The Raison D’être Of Champagne?

As a vinosopher my life is a true journey. Every experience pops up its own existential questions which challenge me to think about the mystery of life. One of those moments was the last 15th of the month, the day of each month my wife and I toast on our marriage with a sparkling glass…

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Quality of Champagne from a Philosophical Perspective

How much in a serving of Champagne

When we speak about Champagne we almost always tell each other about the supreme quality of this elixir. But what do we actually mean if we speak about quality? What IS the quality of Champagne? Maybe philosophy can give us the answer. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” (Margaret Wolfe Hungerford) If we…

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