Champagne

Fancy a glass of bubbly?

The word Champagne refers to a lot of things. Most people know it as a type of wine with bubbles that is related to special occasions or celebrations. But few know that it is also a place in France where this bubbly wine is made. And even fewer people know that it also represents a series of rules and regulations governing the making and selling of this type of wine and the French take this very seriously. If you want to learn more about this bubbly alcohol, order a bottle of champagne in Hong Kong and get it with the excellent champagne delivery service by Winest.HK!

What exactly is in the bottle? 

Firstly, only wines made in that specific region located approximately 90 miles northeast of Paris can be called Champagne. If anyone or manufacturer, even if they follow all the other rules and regulations listed, use the exact same grapes and ingredients, but make the wine in other areas of France, Europe or anywhere else, they are not allowed to use the word to call this bottle.

Secondly, it must be made following the rules set forth by the Comité Interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC) in France. These rules are very specific regarding many aspects of how it is made. Specifics like how the grapes are pruned, how much yield from the vineyard, how much degree of pressing, and how much time the wine must stay on its lees prior to bottling, are all regulated. The rules also limit the sales to maintain prices. When a bottle is made under these rules, it may be labelled as “Champagne”.

How is Champagne made? 

1st Fermentation: Grapes are harvested just like any other case and fermented. At this point, it is still just wine without bubbles.

Assemblage: Different wines are blended together in order to create a consistent style regardless of the vintage. Unlike other types, the objective here for many producers is to create a stable quality or taste that can be reproduced every year, so that consumers can be confident that the champagne they are buying is similar to what they’ve tasted before.

Liqueur de Tirage: Yeast and cane sugar are mixed into it to start the second fermentation.

Second Fermentation: The sugar and yeast in it is fermented for one to three weeks in this process. Then the bottles have to be laid sideways and allowed to age on their lees. This aging process is how its characteristics come about. A 15-month process for non-vintages, and 36-month process for vintages is the time required.

Riddling: The bottles are twisted to move the yeast sediment towards the cap in order to let them sink to the cap as it is in the reverse position.

Dégorgement: The cap is popped open to allow some of the liquid to be pushed out. As a result, this clears the yeast sediment and leaves only clean liquid inside the bottle.

Addition of the Liqueur d’Expedition: The bottle is topped up with additional Champagne to replace the liquid lost. At this stage, sugar may also be added.

Champagne and delivery in Hong Kong

Champaign is very popular in Hong Kong in an array of occasions and settings. Many online shops sell and provide Champagne delivery too.

By using the fastest, easiest, finest delivery service of Winest.HK, anyone is able to enjoy a glass of bubbles no matter where and when they are needing it. Although it is considered to be reserved for only special occasions, the increasing popularity and availability of Champagne means that you are fine to enjoy a glass of bubbles even when you're alone, with your best friends forever or even if you are chilling on a beach!