Does France Have the Best Champagne?

Looking to get your hands on the best champagne out there and wondering where you’ll find it? Well, we’re about to make your quest extremely simple by telling you an interesting story!

The difference between wine and champagne

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes. Sparkling wine is when you add carbon dioxide to wine, making it fizzy. And champagne is sparkling wine, but not just any sparkling wine.

That’s because laws in many EU countries prohibit using the word “champagne” to describe sparkling wine if it hasn’t come from the northeastern region of France, called (you guessed it) Champagne!

Does that mean there are other sparkling wines, which aren’t called champagne? Yes! One example is the Australian sparkling Shiraz. Another would be the Italian Brachetto.

However, unlike champagne, both the Brachetto and Shiraz are red wines. Champagne, on the other hand, is predominantly white.

In the past, Champagne (the region) was a province of France. It’s located around 160 miles east of Paris and is the source of virtually all the champagne in the world.

Within this historical region, you’ll find five districts. These are called the Aube, Côte de Sézanne, Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne.

These districts are grape plantations, and grapes of different sectors vary slightly in their characteristics.

For example, Montagne de Reims' grapes are known for their acidity (which is particularly useful for making sparkling wine). On the other hand, grapes produced in the Vallée de la Marne add full aroma to the wine. However, if you’re looking for some freshness, you’ll have to add grapes from Côte des Blancs to the blend.

Depending on what they’re trying to produce, houses located in the region blend varying proportions of grapes from different districts to create different types of champagne.

So, does France have the best champagne in the world?

Technically, yes! That’s because anything that’s legally labeled as champagne must come from the Champagne region.

However, as we said above, other sparkling wines (like the Italian Brachetto) are also quite popular, and while they don't have the same name, they’re just like it. And depending on your preference, you might find those sparkling wines to be better than champagne.

It’s also interesting to note that while the primary product of the region is sparkling wine, small quantities of non-sparkling wines are also produced (for example, around a village called Bouzy).

The best champagnes in France

Okay, so you now know that all champagne comes from France. But there are many different champagne companies out there — each creates champagne with different features — and choosing the best one can be a little tricky.

A straightforward metric for finding out the best champagnes in France is to see the number of users for each brand.

According to a 2019 survey, France's most famous champagne brand was Moet et Chandon, with around 4.4 million users. This was followed by Nicolas Feuillatte (second place) and Canard Duchêne in third place.

While there were many more brands on the list, we think it’s safe to say that Moet et Chandon will give you the best champagne in France.

So, here’s some information about the top three champagne brands in France.

Moet & Chandon

The only thing you need to know about Moet et Chandon is that it has Scarlett Johansson and Roger Federer as its ambassadors — it’s that good and certainly the most luxurious brand out there.

If you’re looking for something acidic mixed with a tinge of toasted nuts and baked bread, you should try Imperial by Moet et Chandon.

You’ll find a bottle at around $50, but pair it with roasted chicken, dimmed lights, light music, and a lovely partner, and you’ll agree that it was worth every buck.

Nicolas Feuillatte

Nicolas Feuillatte is the brand name for the Centre Vinicole – Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte co-operative, representing around 300 villages in the Champagne region, with more than 5000 growers delivering grapes.

Palmes d'Or Vintage Brut 2004 is an exceptionally famous product of the company, and if you’d like something fresh, full-bodied, and rich, coupled with a lemon aroma, this is the bottle you should go for.

Canard Duchêne

The Russian Imperial Family loved Canard Duchêne so much that they allowed it to adopt their coat of arms as the family emblem, which has appeared on every bottle the company has produced since the 1800s.

The company has been producing affordable bubbly since the nineteenth century, so if you’re looking for a mix of quality and budget-friendliness, pop a bottle of Canard Duchêne, pour out a glass, and enjoy happiness as it permeates through your veins!

Do you drink champagne all year long or only for celebrations?