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BEVERAGE, Champagne
How to Read the Label of Champagne 
SEE ALL LESSONS

The packaging of Champagne is called habillage, and is composed of a capsule that covers the cork, a metal cage and a collar. A label is affixed to the body of the bottle, sometimes accompanied by a back label, containing the legal wordings and information for consumers.

The mandatory information is the controlled designation of origin "Champagne", the sugar content, the alcoholic strength (% vol), the nominal volume (in l, cl or ml), the brand, the name of the producer, the municipality in which its registered office is located and France, the professional registration, the identification of the lot, the mention "produit de France".

The wording Champagne

Champagne is an AOC – Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, which exclusively designates a sparkling wine produced in France, in the Champagne wine region, according to a method strictly defined by law. The term AOC (acronym as such or in full) can also be omitted on the label but not the word Champagne. If it is not present it means that we are faced with another sparkling wine.

Quality features

There are three quality characteristics of a Champagne: Grand Cru, Premier Cru and Cru. 

  • 17 municipalities are classified as Grand Cru, 
  • - In the Montagne de Reims: Ambonnay, Bouzy, Louvois, Verzy, Verzenay, Maill, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Sillery and Puisieulx.
  • - In the Vallée de la Marne: Aÿ and Tours-sur-Marne.
  • - In the Côte de Blancs: Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize, Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger.
  • 41 Premier Cru and 255 Cru.

The name of the manufacturer

Usually highlighted in a larger font we find the name of the producer, the commercial brand or Vigneron. In some cases the fictional name of Champagne is present.

The dosage

The sugar content, or dosage, is one of the mandatory mentions on the label of a bottle of Champagne which allows the consumer to identify the wine he has chosen. The quantity of sugar is inserted with the liqueur d'expédition (or liqueur de dosage).

The typology

The production technique and the vintage of the grapes present in the cuvée identify Champagne as:

Blanc de Blancs, obtained from the assembly of only white grapes, even if from different vintages.

Blanc de Noirs, obtained from the assembly of only black grapes.

Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier, together or individually, not necessarily from the same vintage.

Rosé, obtained by blending white wine and red wine (in percentages from 5 to 20%) or by maceration (saignée) Millesimé, Champagne with grapes from a single harvest (made for excellent vintages). The indication of the vintage must also appear on the cap.

BSA or brut sans année, obtained with wines of different vintages.

Monocru, with grapes coming from a single village of origin.

Cuvée de prestige, is the flagship of a producer, the assembly of exceptional wines, usually preserved in a special format. It can also be Millesimated.

Professional category

Each label must indicate some letters and an identification and control number, issued by the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, which correspond to the professional category of the producer:

MA Marque d'Acheteur, products created for large-scale distribution

NM Négociant Manipulant, natural or legal person who, in addition to the grapes produced in his own vineyards - if he owns them - purchases grapes, must or wine and processes them in his own cellar

RM Récoltant Manipulant processes the wines in its own cellar using exclusively proprietary grapes. These are generally high quality and limited production products

RC Récoltant Coopérateur, winemakers who give their grapes to a cooperative that is responsible for carrying out the winemaking; the bottles are returned to the individual winemakers for marketing

CM Coopérative de Manipulation produces wines produced with its members' grapes in its own cellar

SR Société de Récoltants, produces wines from grapes belonging to members of the same family 

ND Négociant Distributeur, a trader who buys ready-to-drink bottles and markets them under his own brand