Champagne bottle sizes

We are all familiar with the standard sized bottle of champagne, which although quite a bit heavier than a wine bottle is only slightly larger. But were you aware that there are at least 13 other sizes of Champagne bottle that exist, from quarter bottles (just 20cl) to the enormous Melchizedek (a whopping 30L). There are also defunct sizes, such as the 'pint' bottle (568ml) designed originally by Pol Roger for Winston Churchill, and specialist sizes for individual houses.

It is often said that the larger the bottle the better the quality of the wine inside, but this is far from completely true. Most Champagne houses can only produce their Champagne in bottles no larger than a Magnum (1.5L or 2 bottles), or in some cases a Jeroboam (3L or 4 bottles), larger sizes are produced to order by opening standard bottles and filling the appropriate bottle size. This is mainly because the larger sizes are very hard to handle in a cellar, and because the pressures become so great that there is a very real risk of the bottles exploding. There is a perceived raised quality level in the Magnum and Jeroboam, helped by factors including reduced oxygen exposure to volume of Champagne (there's the same amount of air in a standard bottle as there is in a Jeroboam), and greater volume of lees (dead yeast cells) to add complexity of flavour. So it's arguable that Champagne in one of these two sizes will show better characteristics than those much larger examples. But be careful, not all Jeroboams are fermented in a 3L bottle, some Champagne houses can only produce Jeroboams by pouring in 4 standard bottles. So in most cases the Magnum is the safest bet. As Winston Churchill wrote, "The Magnum bottle is just right for two gentlemen, especially if one of them isn't drinking".

So why the different sizes? The history of the different sizes of Champagne bottles is hard to find, but the most likely reason for them is that the different producers competed with each other to sell more magnificent bottles for large parties and celebrations, each time producing them larger and with more glorious names. Whatever your need there is a Champagne bottle size for you, but if your group is small the Magnum is always a perfect choice.

When vines grow too old

The grape vine is a perennial, producing fruit every year. In Champagne these vines can be up to 70 years old or more. As they age their fruit becomes rich and concentrated, but there is also much less of it, so the vines may be producing quality grapes, but not enough of them to be economical, so it becomes necessary to replace the vines.

It begins with ‘grubbing up’, where the vines are literally dug out of the ground with a digger, and piled up for removal. This usually happens at the beginning of the year, before the vines begin to bud and leaf. The naked land then needs to be prepared and rested before planting can begin, which generally happens a year later. When that time comes, the vigneron will plant up to 8,000 plants per hectare, which they will have bought from a regulated provider. After planting, it will take three years before the roots have developed properly and the vine starts to produce useable grapes. So it’s a total of four years that are lost to replanting before the first harvestable fruit appears.

It’s a long and expensive process, one that can cost tens of thousands of euros, but it’s an investment that will hopefully give returns for another 70 years.

Palissage – a task for June in Champagne

In Champagne, June brings the activity of ‘Palissage’ to the vineyards. Also known as trellising, this is when the newly shooting vines are trained to grow in a preferred direction and at a certain height.

There are sets of wires that run the full length of a Champagne vine row. They are strung above one another clear of the ground, and in each set there are two wires. During Palissage the developing shoots of the vines are positioned by hand between each pair of wires and ‘m’ shaped clips are hooked over the wires to keep them together, trapping the shoots in position. Like many of the jobs related to Champagne it’s a painstaking process requiring great patience, as every single shoot needs to be clipped into place by hand.

The reasons for training the vines in this way are numerous, but tightening the canopy to promote extra light and radiant heat onto the developing grapes, reducing the risk of diseases, and making the future harvest simpler are some of the most important.

In the past these clips were made from plastic, and needed to be collected at the end of the season, but many of the more conscientious vignerons are turning to clips made from biodegradable material. They are more expensive, but the bonus is they don't need to be collected at the end of the year.

Protecting vines from frosts

The spring frosts arrive in Champagne just as the buds on the grape vines are ready to burst, and in some years the results have been catastrophic, with almost total loss of the crop. There is one method though that the vignerons use that can save them from disaster, and that is to purposely freeze the vines.

It sounds insane, but deliberately freezing vines during nights of sub zero degree temperatures is a system that is growing in the Champagne region. But how is it different from freezing naturally, and why does it work?

In the spring evenings, while the temperature is still above zero, frequent, successive layers of water are sprayed onto the vines using rotating spray heads. As the temperature drops the outermost layer of water begins to freeze, and is quickly coated with repeated layers of water that also begin to freeze, forming a protective shield around the bud. In this way the frozen layer moves outward from the emerging buds, instead of penetrating inwards. At the same time, a tiny amount of heat is released from the water, as the last remnants of warmth leave the liquid and finally allow the water to become ice. This minute amount of captured warmth, and the ever expanding coat of ice, are what protects the heart of the bud from freezing, cocooning it and ensuring that the starting point for this years fruit is preserved.

It’s also one of the most spectacular sights to be witnessed in the vineyards of Champagne.

Dosage – the sweetness in Champagne

The last significant step in Champagne production is the application of dosage, or liquor d’exposition. Just before the cork is added to the bottle the Champagne is topped up with a liquid made of the same wine as the Champagne mixed (in all cases but Brut Nature) with a little sugar. The amount of sugar added will decide whether the Champagne is sweet, semi-sweet or dry.

Over the history of Champagne there has been a growing shift toward less sweetness. In the early 1900’s it was deemed fashionable to have as much as 100 grams of sugar per litre of Champagne, something todays consumers would find difficult to palette. In fact the move towards less sugar in our diets today, along with an increased interest in purity, has seen a rise in the production of Brut Nature; a Champagne with no added sugar, that allows those exploring the world of Champagne to taste the pure flavour of the wine beneath, displaying the character of the grapes and their terroir unhindered.

Trends will always drive Champagne forward, but sweetness is still a matter of taste, and there are plenty of levels for you to choose from, as the chart below shows;

Brut Nature         
Zero dosage

Extra Brut
0-6 grams of sugar per litre

Brut
less than 12 grams of sugar per litre

Extra Dry
12-17 grams of sugar per litre

Sec
17-32 grams of sugar per litre

Demi-Sec
32-50 grams of sugar per litre

Doux
more than 50 grams of sugar per litre