A presentation on different sparkling wines, as delivered to the HEC Paris MBA Wine & Spirits Club. Presentation was accompanied with a blind-tasting and audience interaction and Q&A.

2. Tasting 101 – A Quick Refresher
LOOK SMELL TASTE CONCLUDE
Admire the bubbles
and the color.
It should be bright,
and anywhere from
nearly colorless
(younger) to golden
(older).
Swirl the wine in the
glass and inhale.
Aromas are divided into
5 groups:
Flowers,
fruits,
vegetables,
dried fruit, and
“indulgent delicacies.”
Sip. Let it roll
around in mouth.
You may taste:
Green apple,
citrus,
tropical fruits,
vanilla,
toast, and nuttiness.
Consider the bubble
structure,
weight and/or
viscosity too.
After you swallow,
contemplate
the aftertaste
that lingers on your
palate.
The longer the
finish, the
better the
quality.

3. Marilyn Monroe once took a champagne bath. It took 350 bottles to fill the tub.
Bottle 1

4. Champagne Demi-Sec
The Wine ALAIN BAILLY
DEMI-SEC RESERVE
The grapes
Pinot Meunier (60%)
Chardonnay (20%)
Pinot Noir (24%)
The color Light yellow.
The smell Like pears in syrup.
The taste
Same aromas with a note of
almond paste. Sweet but fresh
& balanced.
Pairing Fruit tart.

5. Champagne Demi-Sec
The Wine ALAIN BAILLY
DEMI-SEC RESERVE
The grapes
Pinot Meunier (60%)
Chardonnay (20%)
Pinot Noir (24%)
The color Light yellow.
The smell Like pears in syrup.
The taste
Same aromas with a note of
almond paste. Sweet but fresh
& balanced.
Pairing Fruit tart.
€20

6. What is Champagne?
The Wine ALAIN BAILLY
DEMI-SEC RESERVE
The grapes
Pinot Meunier (60%)
Chardonnay (20%)
Pinot Noir (24%)
The color Light Yellow
The smell Like pears in syrup
The taste
Same aromas with a note of
almond paste. Sweet but fresh
& balanced.
Pairing Fruit tart
This is Champagne.

7. What is Champagne?
The Wine ALAIN BAILLY
DEMI-SEC RESERVE
The grapes
Pinot Meunier (60%)
Chardonnay (20%)
Pinot Noir (24%)
The color Light Yellow
The smell Like pears in syrup
The taste
Same aromas with a note of
almond paste. Sweet but fresh
& balanced.
Pairing Fruit tart
This is Champagne. This is also Champagne.

8. What is Champagne?
All “Champagne” is,
by definition, from
Champagne.
Any other sparkling
wines are called
something else,
such as
Cava (Spain),
Prosecco (Italy), or
Cremant (France).

9. “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars! ” – Dom Perignon
What is Champagne?

10. What is Champagne?
Bubbles actually meant bad wine.
Dom Perignon actually spent much of his career trying to rid
champagne of its iconic bubbles.
These bubbles caused bottles to explode until British
glassworkers designed the now-ubiquitous
champagne bottle.

11. What is Champagne?
In the 19th century, Veuve Cliquot leads the
development of large-scale champagne production.
Many grande maisons are founded during this period.
Artists including Manet, Cezanne, Toulouse- Lautrec
and Mucha incorporate champagne into their works.
During the Belle Epoque (1871-1914),
champagne gained popularity,
appearing in art, literature and
advertisements.

12. How Sweet is Champagne?

13. Pol Roger, the renowned Champagne house, made a special 1-pint bottle of champagne for Winston Churchill to be served daily at 11 a.m.
Bottle 2

14. Prosecco
The Wine CANTINE MASCHIO
EXTRA DRY (Region: Treviso, north of Venice, Italy)
The grapes Glera
The color Light straw yellow with a lively mousse.
The smell Pronounced candied fruit and sweet flowers.
The taste Attractive with an aromatic nose.
Pairing Best as an aperitif, or through meal.
This is Prosecco.
It is NOT champagne.

15. Prosecco
The Wine CANTINE MASCHIO
EXTRA DRY (Region: Treviso, north of Venice, Italy)
The grapes Glera
The color Light straw yellow with a lively mousse.
The smell Pronounced candied fruit and sweet flowers.
The taste Attractive with an aromatic nose.
Pairing Best as an aperitif, or through meal.
REMEMBER:
All “Champagne” is, by
definition, from Champagne.
This prosecco is from
Treviso.
It’s a region north of
Venice. In Italy.

16. Prosecco
The Wine CANTINE MASCHIO
EXTRA DRY
The grapes Glera
The color Light straw yellow with a lively mousse.
The smell Pronounced candied fruit and sweet flowers.
The taste Attractive with an aromatic nose.
Pairing Best as an aperitif, or through meal.

17. Prosecco
The Wine CANTINE MASCHIO
EXTRA DRY
The grapes Glera
The color Light straw yellow with a lively mousse.
The smell Pronounced candied fruit and sweet flowers.
The taste Attractive with an aromatic nose.
Pairing Best as an aperitif, or through meal.
€5.50

18. Sparkling Wine Regions

19. Legend tells us that the form of the Champagne coupe glass was modelled on the shape of Marie Antoinette’s breast, which was adapted from a wax mould.
Bottle 3

20. Crémant
The Wine KRITER BLANC DE BLANC
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay
The color “Brilliant”.
The smell Citrus fruits & dried fruits.
The taste Fresh and balanced with floral notes.
This is Crémant.
Still NOT champagne.

21. Crémant
The Wine KRITER BLANC DE BLANC
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay
The color “Brilliant”.
The smell Citrus fruits & dried fruits.
The taste Fresh and balanced with floral notes.
REMEMBER:
All “Champagne” is, by
definition, from Champagne.
This Crémant is a mix of
appellations.
But it has been
aged in Burgundy.

22. Crémant
The Wine KRITER BLANC DE BLANCS
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay
The color “Brilliant”.
The smell Citrus fruits & dried fruits.
The taste Fresh and balanced with floral notes.

23. Crémant
The Wine KRITER BLANC DE BLANCS
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay
The color “Brilliant”.
The smell Citrus fruits & dried fruits.
The taste Fresh and balanced with floral notes.
€5

24. The Wine KRITER BLANC DE BLANC
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay
The color “Brilliant”.
The smell Citrus fruits & dried fruits.
The taste Fresh and balanced with floral notes.
So: What does this mean?
KRITER BLANC DE BLANCS
BRUT

25. Sometimes, champagne
(and some sparkling wines)
are pressed from only one
kind of grape
Blanc de Blancs
Made exclusively from
Chardonnay
(white) grapes
Blanc de Noirs
Made exclusively from
Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier
(black) grapes

26. There are approximately 49 million bubbles in a standard sized bottle of Champagne.
Bottle 4

27. Champagne Rosé
The Wine MOËT & CHANDON
ROSÉ IMPERIAL
The grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier &
Chardonnay
The color Pink with amber highlights.
The smell Red fruits, rose, pepper.
The taste Juicy berries, peach, subtle menthol.
Pairing Red meat, game, goat cheese, mozzarella,
mascarpone, red fruits, olives, morels.
This is NOT
Champagne.
(From Epernay, to be precise.)

28. Champagne Rosé
The Wine MOËT & CHANDON
ROSÉ IMPERIAL
The grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier &
Chardonnay
The color Pink with amber highlights.
The smell Red fruits, rose, pepper.
The taste Juicy berries, peach, subtle menthol.
Pairing Red meat, game, goat cheese, mozzarella,
mascarpone, red fruits, olives, morels.

29. Champagne Rosé
The Wine MOËT & CHANDON
ROSÉ IMPERIAL
The grapes Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier &
Chardonnay
The color Pink with amber highlights.
The smell Red fruits, rose, pepper.
The taste Juicy berries, peach, subtle menthol.
Pairing Red meat, game, goat cheese, mozzarella,
mascarpone, red fruits, olives, morels.
€39

30. How Are Sparkling Wines Made?
Methode
Champenoise
(Bottle Fermentation)
Small, persistent bubbles
6-7 atm of pressure
Champagne, Cremant, Cava
Charmat
Method
(Tank Fermentation)
Mid-sized, spritzy bubbles
2-4 atm of pressure
Prosecco, Lambrusco
How Champagne is Made
(6 minute video)

31. There is about 90 pounds per square inch of pressure in a bottle of Champagne. That’s more than triple the pressure in an automobile tire.
Bottle 5

32. Cava
The Wine CODORNIU SELECCION
RAVENTOS
The grapes Chardonnay (50%), Xarel-lo,
Macebo
The color Pale lemon-golden color.
The smell Citrus, peach and lemon.
The taste Creamy texture & good body, refreshing
mouth-feel.
Pairing Apertif, pastry, fish.
This is Cava.
This cava is from
Catalonia.
In Spain.
(Can you guess
what it’s NOT?)

33. Cava
The Wine CODORNIU SELECCION
RAVENTOS
The grapes Chardonnay (50%), Xarel-lo,
Macebo
The color Pale lemon-golden color.
The smell Citrus, peach and lemon.
The taste Creamy texture & good body, refreshing
mouth-feel.
Pairing Apertif, pastry, fish.

34. Cava
The Wine CODORNIU SELECCION
RAVENTOS
The grapes Chardonnay (50%), Xarel-lo,
Macebo
The color Pale lemon-golden color.
The smell Citrus, peach and lemon.
The taste Creamy texture & good body, refreshing
mouth-feel.
Pairing Apertif, pastry, fish.
€12

35. (*Most expensive ones I could find online.)
With sparkling wines,
prices vary drastically
Prosecco*
$60
Crémant*
$35
Cava*
$65
But Champagne
can easily go in to the $1000s
New World wines can also be expensive.
Ex: Australia’s Tasmania Arras is sold at around $200

36. The longest recorded flight of a Champagne cork is over 177 feet (54 meters).
Bottle 6

37. Champagne
The Wine RUINART
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Pinot Meunier.
The color Shimmering yellow and golden hues.
The smell
Delicate and fruity
(white pear, dry fruits, white flower notes)
Second nose: Viennese pastry and buttery brioche
The taste Balanced, rounded and full-bodied with ripe fruit scents.
Long finish with characteristic freshness of Chardonnay
Pairing Aperitif, starters like oysters & scallops, mains like
sole meuniere. Creamy cheeses.
Yep, we’re ending with
more Champagne.

38. Champagne
The Wine RUINART
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Pinot Meunier.
The color Shimmering yellow and golden hues.
The smell
Delicate and fruity
(white pear, dry fruits, white flower notes)
Second nose: Viennese pastry and buttery brioche
The taste Balanced, rounded and full-bodied with ripe fruit scents.
Long finish with characteristic freshness of Chardonnay
Pairing Aperitif, starters like oysters & scallops, mains like
sole meuniere. Creamy cheeses.

39. Champagne
The Wine RUINART
BRUT
The grapes Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Pinot Meunier.
The color Shimmering yellow and golden hues.
The smell
Delicate and fruity
(white pear, dry fruits, white flower notes)
Second nose: Viennese pastry and buttery brioche
The taste Balanced, rounded and full-bodied with ripe fruit scents.
Long finish with characteristic freshness of Chardonnay
Pairing Aperitif, starters like oysters & scallops, mains like
sole meuniere. Creamy cheeses.
€38

40. Thank You & Goodnight.