An ice bucket with a champagne bottle at the back with wine glasses filled with champagne at the front
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Bubbly Champagne Recipe

Strictly speaking, for a wine to be considered champagne, it must be produced in the Champagne region of France with grapes sourced locally. But if you do want to make your own version, this is the basic recipe. 
Maturing time456 d 6 hrs 1 min
Course: Alcohol
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Champagne
Appliance: Wine Barrel
Author: Paromita Datta

Ingredients

  • grapes Arbanne, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or Chardonnay
  • 4-5 different wine varieties
  • Yeast
  • 2 tbsp Sugar per litre

Instructions

  • The grapes are collected and then pressed. Only a thin layer of grapes is pressed at a time to limit the exposure to skins and reduces color change.
  • The juice is added to a tank and allowed to ferment completely.
  • This is then blended with other wine vintages, in a process called assemblage. 
  • This product is then mixed with wine, yeast, and sugar and allowed to ferment for 2 weeks to 3 months. 
  • The champagne is allowed to age for an average of 15 months.
  • The excess sediment is frozen and then ejected from the bottle, and the liquid lost is filled in with liqueur d’expedition.
  • The champagne is then corked and stored for consumption.
    Champagne in multiple glasses

Notes

Although this recipe specifies 4-5 wines for blending, many wine houses use as many as 70 base wines for the assemblage. This requires skill and a nose for the right wine since the blend determines the 'character' of the finished champagne.Â