Associated with luxuary, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world's most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label "Champagne", a sparkling wine must orginate from the eponymous region in northeastern France and adhear to strict qualtiy standards. On the Côte des Blancs subregion, meaning "hillsides of white", lie blankets of Chardonnay vines, the only white grape permited in Champagne production. While Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are valued for their textural body and fruit flavours, chardonnay is prized for bringing elegance, finesse, and longevity.
Beneath a thin layer of clay and sand, limestone and chalky soil define much of the region, lending a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate, allows grapes to retain the considerable acidity necessary for quality, sparkling wine production.
For consistency in style, Champagne houses blend wine from several harvests to produce non-vintage cuvées. When weather conditions are ideal, many houses will release a "vintage cuvée", comprised only of one vintage. Due to these strict production requirements, including aging, champagne is ready to drink on release, but is often matured for complexity.
