• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
GO TO EXPAT LIVING SINGAPORE
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Expat Living Hong Kong HomepageExpat Living Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Hong Kong.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living In Hong Kong
      • Living Here
      • Where To Live
      • Schools
      • For Guys
        • Private tutors in Hong Kong
        • Image of Chinese characters for article on tips for learning Mandarin Chinese languageSix steps to a magical Mandarin Story
        • International Women’s Day: Nominate Someone Special
        • Helping our communities learn to swim
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things To Do
      • What’s On/Calendar
      • Competitions & Offers
        • KidsFest 2023 Hong Kong - Tabby McTatTop 35 Best Things To Do In Hong Kong This Weekend
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
        • Best playgrounds & parks for the kids
        • What to watch this month – Netflix & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Activities & Things To Do
      • Education & Enrichment
      • Health & Wellness
      • Mums & Babies
      • Podcasts
        • Private tutors in Hong Kong
        • We chat with two GSIS families
        • A boarding school with wildlife on the doorstep!
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Décor
      • Readers Homes
        • A New Home in The New Territories
        • Transforming an old Hong Kong junk
        • Image of Altfield home furnishings showroomWhere to get designer home furnishings
        • Hong Kong People: Meet Laura Pezza
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Short Breaks
      • Further Afield
      • Travel News & Offers
        • Sequoia Lodge, AustraliaTravel Tips: Hot hotels for 2023
        • Mount KinabuluClimbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah
        • Son Doong CaveJourney into the world’s largest cave
        • Famous movie locations in Asia - Hong Kong - Gage Street8 Famous Movie Locations in Asia
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Recipes & Groceries
      • Bars & Restaurants
        • Thai food at Monsoon restaurant in Hong KongRestaurant Review: Monsoon
        • 6 super reasons to visit sky100
        • Popcorn Shrimp with Spicy Honey Mayo
        • Indulgent chocolate cake - recipeRecipe: Indulgent Chocolate Cake
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Convertible clothing that can be mix-and-matched
        • where to get botox in hong kongBotox in Hong Kong – All you need to know
        • Where to buy (and sell!) watches
        • Face masks, spa products, body scrubsWe test body scrubs, creams, masks & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Medical & Dental
      • Fitness
      • Wellness
        • dry eye disease - causes, symptoms and treatment for dry eyesDo you suffer from dry eyes?
        • family dental clinics and dentists in Hong KongFamily Dental Clinics and Dentists in HK
        • Children's teeth and bracesKids and braces – all you need to know
        • Safe & healthy eating during pregnancy
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Close

10 champagne types you need to know when celebrating

28 June, 2018 by Melissa Stevens 2 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/10-champagne-types-le-french-grourmay/

How much do you really know about everyone’s favourite celebratory tipple? The annual Le French GourMay food and wine festival in Hong Kong has featured the Champagne region, with the aim of increasing people’s knowledge and enjoyment of different champagne types.

Make sure you know the different champagne types for next time you are celebrating
Make sure you know the different champagne types for next time you are celebrating

It’s well-known that only sparkling wines from the Champagne region of France can bear the name ‘champagne’. But did you know that the reasons for this date back to the formation of the Association Viticole Champenoise (or wine growing association of Champagne) in 1898? This group was instrumental in the formation of rules that stipulated only sparkling wines from the Champagne region which had been created using specific methods could be called ‘champagne’.

Champagne which meets agreed production guidelines can carry the Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) certification. The official website of the Comite Champagne says AOC designation links a product with its geographical origin and makes it subject to rules of production and manufacturing.

In the case of champagne, to achieve AOC certification, it must be made using black pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes and white chardonnay grapes from authorised vine stocks. There are also guidelines controlling yield, minimum alcohol content, press yields and aging. These include that secondary fermentation must occur in the bottle with a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage champagne and three years for vintage. Most of the champagne types produced today is non-vintage, meaning that it is a blended from grapes from two or more harvests. Vintage champagne must be made 100 per cent from the year indicated on the label.

The amount of sugar used in production is one of the identifiers of champagne types
The amount of sugar used in production is one of the identifiers of champagne types

So, you are preparing for a party and have been charged with selecting the champers. What are the different champagne types?

Firstly, the designation relates to the types of grapes used or the amounts of grapes added. The second factor used to describe champagne types relates to its sweetness, which varies depending on the amount of sugar or grape must added after the second fermentation. Called the dosage, it impacts the sweetness of the finished wine.

Champagne types

#1 Blancs de blancs: This means the champagne has been made with 100 per cent white chardonnay grapes and usually ages well.

#2 Blanc de noirs: This is a light-coloured champagne made from the juice of dark-skinned grapes – this is more common for a sparkling wine than a champagne.

#3 Rose: Rose champagne is made by mixing a little red wine, usually less than 20 per cent, with white champagne.

#4 Prestige Cuvee: This is the top of the range offering from a producer, such as Moet & Chandon’s Dom Perignon or Roederer’s Cristal.

#5 Extra-brut: This means the dosage had less than 6g of sugar per litre.

#6 Brut: This means the champagne is dry, and in technical terms that the ‘dosage’ added to the bottle contains very little sugar.

#7 Extra-dry: Extra dry wines actually have a dosage with a small amount of sugar, so they are slightly sweet.

#8 Sec: Sec wines have a dosage of between 17 and 32 grams of sugar per litre.

#9 Demi-sec: Demi-sec champagnes mean the dosage had a fair amount of sugar. These pair well with desserts or wedding cake.

#10 Doux: A doux champagne is very sweet, made with 50 grams of sugar per litre.

This article was brought to you by:

Le French GourMay | frenchgourmay.com

Want to know more? Check out our Wine & Dine section!

Categories: Recipes & Groceries Wine & Dine Tags: Champagne Le French Gourmay Wine And Dine

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our bimonthly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

You May Also Like

Popcorn Shrimp with Spicy Honey Mayo

Indulgent chocolate cake - recipe

Recipe: Indulgent Chocolate Cake

6 super reasons to visit sky100

Primary Sidebar

  • COMPETITIONS & OFFERS
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Expat Living Hong Kong, All Rights Reserved.