What actually makes champagne champagne

It has to come from Champagne

Only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of north-east France can be called champagne. Everything else — however good — is prosecco, cava, crémant or simply sparkling wine. The name is protected in UK and EU law, which is why the word on a label is a fact, not marketing.

Our bottle is produced in Hautvillers, the village where Dom Pérignon was cellar master and where champagne's modern method took shape.

The three grapes

Almost all champagne is built from three varieties, each doing a different job.

• Chardonnay: freshness, citrus and the fine, lifted top end.
• Pinot Noir: structure and body, the backbone of the blend.
• Pinot Meunier: fruit and approachability, softening the blend early.

What Brut means

Brut refers to the dosage — the small amount of sugar added after the second fermentation. Brut sits at under 12 grams of sugar per litre, which reads as dry on the palate without being austere. It is the most common style precisely because it suits both a toast and a meal.

NV, or non-vintage, means the wine blends several years to hit a consistent house style rather than expressing one harvest.

How to serve it

Chill to around 8°C — an hour in the fridge, not the freezer. Use a tulip glass rather than a coupe so the aromatics stay in the glass. Pour against the side to keep the bead fine, and do not shake the bottle unless you have just won something.

Buying a celebration bottle

For a keepsake, check three things: that it says champagne, where it was produced, and whether any club branding is officially licensed. Our Champions 25/26 Premium Brut answers all three, at £49.99 for a 750ml bottle.