The Grapes Used in Champagne, Explained.

Champagne is the king of the wine world. It’s also the finest sparkling wine on the planet. Sure, you’ll find winemakers producing fabulous sparkling wine in all corners of the earth, and although lovely, only the finest compare to the authentic French fizz.

Why is Champagne so cool? It’s a combination of a time-worn, expensive and very traditional process and the grapes used. The good news? You don’t need to travel to France to see how fine sparkling wine is made. Take a private winery tour to the Yarra Valley with Chauffeur Drive Melbourne, Yarra Valley and get to know some of the most respected winemakers in the category.

And since Champagne is a luxurious treat, enjoy it as part of your Private Luxury Wine Tour with 3 Course Lunch in the Yarra Valley with Chauffeur Drive Melbourne, Yarra Valley, perfect for couples celebrating your anniversary, birthday gifts and perfect for spoiling each other romantically, think romantic getaway. Here’s all you need to know about the grapes used to make Champagne and why they’re special.

Three Grapes, One Purpose

Champagne makers have three main grapes at their disposal, and each plays a vital role in the noble wine blend we know and love. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Here’s what each brings to the final bubbly wine.

Pinot Noir, the giver of structure.

The Pinot Noir accounts for 38% of the vineyards in Champagne. The red Burgundian grape is one of the most prized for making sparkling wine, as it gives structure, age-worthiness and robustness to the blend. Since the grape is vinified as if it were a white grape, it doesn’t provide colour or noticeable tannins to the mixture. The opposite is true for Rosé sparkling wine. For a fantastic Pinot-based sparkling wine, take a private winery tour to the Yarra Valley, the source for the finest Pinot Noir in Australia.

Meunier, fruitiness and vitality.

Meunier accounts for 32% of the vineyards in Champagne, and it’s primarily grown in the Marne Valley. The red grape rounds up the blend and provides freshness. Still, sparkling wine with higher Meunier contents ages quicker. Wine producers outside Champagne often prefer to omit the grape in their sparkling wine blends or substitute it with others, like Pinot Blanc.

Chardonnay, white fruit, flowers and minerality.

Chardonnay accounts for 30% of the vineyards in Champagne and truly shines in the Côte des Blancs. The Queen of white grapes loves calcareous soils. The versatile white grape gives acidity, fruit-forwardness and floral aromas to the Champagne blend and some hints of minerality as well. Chardonnay is the sole grape in all-white blends known as Blanc de Blancs.

How to Enjoy Champagne Grapes?

Drinking Champagne is a great way to get to know the famous grapes intimately, but competition is fierce. Superb sparkling wine made with the very same grapes all around the world is equally worthy, even right here in our back yard.

The Yarra Valley is the source of superb Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which means producers have all they need to spark their own fizzy wine production. Take a private winery tour to the Yarra and see for yourself.

Chauffeur Drive Melbourne, Yarra Valley private tour experiences abound, see our exclusive tour experiences here www.chauffeurdrive.com.au be guided into a food and wine lovers journey, sample the best Yarra Valley has to offer, allow us to spoil you, your partner, couples, parents, family and friends, visit the most prestigious Yarra Valley estates and meet the lovely people behind them, we can’t wait to see you, give us a call on 1300 48 11 88.

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