Champagne is an extremely complex blended wine — not only a blend of grape varieties but also a blend of wines from different vintages and different vineyards throughout the Champagne region of France. We are often asked, "How is Champagne Made?"  It all starts with the harvesting of the grapes and then goes through an exact process called Méthode Champenoise. This refers to wine made in the Champagne region of France using the technique.

The blend, called the cuvée, combines the strengths of each vineyard.  Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion is one of the key factors determining the style of the Champagne. 

The first and most vital part of producing a good Champagne is the harvesting of the grapes.
Harvest is the culmination of the long growing season.  This is a key time of year in the vineyard and for the Champagne region at large where, for two to three weeks, life revolves around the harvests. So nothing must be left to chance, including the date on which the harvests may begin. This is never the same from one year to the next but is usually in late summer September/October. It depends on the ripeness of the grapes and the balance between acidity and maturity is just right. The start of harvest is set on a precise date and grape harvesting can begin all over the Champagne region. This is decided by the Ministry of Agriculture.  

Harvests in Champagne are carried out entirely by hand and no machines can be used. The reason for this is very significant, Champagne is a white wine but includes some black grapes in the mix as well as white grapes. To be able to make white wines from a percentage of black grapes, the grapes must be picked with the utmost care and speed.  They must be taken to the press quickly to avoid prolonged contact between the juice and the skins to avoid the colour of the skin altering the colour of the wine.

There are a limited few weeks in which the grapes are allowed to be picked and it is illegal for anyone to pick outside this time. The quantities picked are also strictly regulated and each vineyard has an annual authorised harvest yield. The aim is to favour quality over quantity.

The harvests represent a truly important time of year for Champagne, Everything hinges on a successful harvest and everything must be choreographed to deliver yields that promise exquisite cuvées in the future.

After dosage, the wine is corked with a cork stopper held in place by a wire cage called a Muselet.
The quality of the cork is paramount because although providing a tight seal the cork does allow for some exchange with the outside air.  This is why the wine continues to age over the years. Once corked, the bottle is shaken vigorously to mix the wine perfectly and last but not least each bottle is carefully inspected to check the clarity and transparency.

The Champagne is then cellared for another few months (or years for finer cuveés and vintages). In practice, most Champagne wines are cellared for much longer: 2-3 years for non-vintage wines and 4-10 years for vintage Champagne.

Sourcing from top producers we pride ourselves on the quality, taste and smoothness of our Champagne.
  Our prestige award-winning Grand Reserve Champagne is shipped directly from France and we supply this to customers under their own brands. 
 We also supply Champagnes from many of the major Champagne Houses and each gift is beautifully presented and comes with its own gift message card.  
 Read more about our Champagnes