champagne

In mixology, we talk about sparkling wines quite differently from how the wine industry does, and it can get confusing. When we talk about ‘champagne’ (little ‘c’) and mixed drinks, we’re talking about sparkling wines produced with the ‘méthode traditionnelle’, a.k.a. ‘methodé champenoise’, a.k.a. ‘metodo classico’ (Italy) process. We use the word ‘champagne’ because we always have, and there’s no reasonable alternative. The central feature of these labor-intensive wines is the yeasty character that results (mainly) from the secondary bottle fermentation they undergo. As a group, champagne (little ‘c’) includes the wines of Champagne (big ‘c’), the Crèmants of various French winemaking regions, the Cava of Spain, the Alta Langa and Franciacorta wines of Italy, and assorted others. Generally, if a recipe calls for ‘champagne’, any example of these ‘traditional method’ sparkling wines could be a candidate. Otherwise (mixologically speaking), sweetness (residual sugars) is the overriding concern with selecting a champagne. When simply “champagne” is called for in a recipe, a brut champagne is generally assumed (today). However, in the 19th Century and early 20th Century, most Champagne (big ‘c’) for the American market was vastly sweeter (as high as 165g sugar/liter) for use as a dessert wine. French market and Russian market Champagne was even sweeter still, whereas English market Champagne was merely at the sweet end of today’s Champagnes. Consequently, your discretion is essential, particularly when interpreting older recipes. Today, Champagne (big ‘c’) comes in six official sweetness levels, some of which have become uncommon due to shifting tastes: Extra Brut (less than 6g sugar/liter), Brut (less than 12g), Extra Dry (12-17g), Sec (17-32g), Demi-sec (32-50g), and Doux (50g). Traditional method sparkling wines that are not from Champagne (big ‘c’) may use different terminology and standards for sweetness, so caveat emptor.