Vintage Champagne, like any fine wine, needs careful storage to preserve its quality and aging potential. Ideally, bottles should be kept lying on their sides to keep the cork moist and airtight. The storage area should be cool, dark, and stable—around 50–55°F (10–13°C) with humidity near 70% to prevent the cork from drying out. Avoid any vibration, heat, or direct light, as these can damage the wine’s delicate balance.

If you don’t have a dedicated wine cellar, a wine fridge or temperature-controlled cabinet is the next best option. Once opened, vintage champagne can be re-corked with a champagne stopper and kept in the refrigerator for a day or two, but the magic of its bubbles and complexity is best enjoyed soon after opening.

Unlike non-vintage Champagne, which is designed for consistency and early drinking, vintage Champagne is made only in exceptional years and intended to develop complexity over time. As it ages, it undergoes slow chemical and flavor transformations: the bright fruitiness softens, while toasty, nutty, honeyed, and biscuity notes emerge. The bubbles also become finer and creamier, adding to a richer mouthfeel.

That said, not all vintage champagnes are meant to age indefinitely. High-quality bottles from renowned houses (like Dom Pérignon, Krug, or Pol Roger) can improve for 10–30 years or more, while less complex vintages may peak sooner. Proper storage—cool, dark, stable, and on their side—is essential to allow these wines to evolve gracefully.Unlike non-vintage Champagne, which is designed for consistency and early drinking, vintage Champagne is made only in exceptional years and intended to develop complexity over time. As it ages, it undergoes slow chemical and flavor transformations: the bright fruitiness softens, while toasty, nutty, honeyed, and biscuity notes emerge. The bubbles also become finer and creamier, adding to a richer mouthfeel.

That said, not all vintage champagnes are meant to age indefinitely. High-quality bottles from renowned houses (like Dom Pérignon, Krug, or Pol Roger) can improve for 10–30 years or more, while less complex vintages may peak sooner. Proper storage—cool, dark, stable, and on their side—is essential to allow these wines to evolve gracefully.

If a 30-year-old champagne has been stored properly and is from a prestigious vintage or producer, it can still be absolutely delightful. Well-made vintage champagnes from houses like Dom Pérignon, Krug, or Pol Roger are known to age gracefully for decades, developing deep, nutty, honeyed, and toasty notes while losing some effervescence but gaining complexity and richness.

Non-Vintage Champagne (NV):
Non-vintage Champagne is a blend of wines from multiple years, designed to achieve a consistent house style. Most Champagne produced falls into this category. NV Champagnes are typically fresher, more approachable, and intended to be enjoyed relatively young, although some can benefit from a few years of aging. They offer reliability and balance, reflecting the signature character of the producer rather than a single year’s harvest.

Vintage Champagne:
Vintage Champagne is made from grapes harvested in a single exceptional year, only when the quality justifies it. These wines are intended to showcase the unique character of that specific year’s climate and terroir, giving them distinctive flavors and complexity. Vintage champagnes generally require longer aging (often many years on the lees) to develop their depth, and they are rarer and often more prestigious than NV bottles.

Vintage Champagne is only produced in years when the harvest quality is exceptional, meaning the climate conditions allowed the grapes to ripen perfectly and develop balanced acidity, sugar, and flavor. While each house may declare a vintage in slightly different years, some generally recognized “great” vintages include:

1996, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2018.

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  1996: A warm, sunny year with very ripe grapes, producing rich, full-bodied wines that have aged beautifully and remain complex today.
  
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  2002: Cooler, balanced conditions led to champagnes with crisp acidity, elegance, and longevity.
  
• 
  2008 & 2012: Both years offered excellent balance of fruit and acidity, ideal for long aging and complexity.
  
• 
  2014 & 2015: More recent vintages praised for their freshness, purity of fruit, and potential to develop depth over decades.
  
• 
  2018: Warm and ripe, producing expressive wines with both structure and approachability, suitable for mid- to long-term aging.
  

Chardonnay (white grape), Pinot Noir (black grape), and Meunier (black grape, formerly called Pinot Meunier)

These are the only grapes permitted in most Champagne production under French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) rules.

“Blanc de Blancs”
Meaning: “White from whites.”
Grapes: 100% Chardonnay (white grape).

Style: Typically lighter, more delicate, and citrus-driven. Known for high acidity, finesse, and aging potential.

“Blanc de Noirs” (White from blacks)
Grapes: Made from Pinot Noir and/or Meunier (both black grapes).
Style: Richer, fuller-bodied, often with red fruit notes.

What is “dosage”?

After Champagne finishes aging, a small mixture of wine and sugar (called the liqueur d’expédition) is added before final corking.

This determines the sweetness level on the label.

Brut Nature - Bone dry, no added sugar

Extra Brut - Very dry, crisp

Brut - Dry but balanced — the most common style

Other (sweeter) styles you may encounter:

Extra Dry / Extra Sec - slightly sweet

Sec- Noticeably off-dry

Demi-Sec- Sweet; often for dessert

Doux- Very sweet which is rare today

Unlike Burgundy (which classifies individual vineyards), Champagne’s cru ranking applies to entire villages.

Each village was historically rated based on the quality of its grapes — particularly their ability to produce balanced wines with the right sugar, acidity, and finesse.

The Grand Gru is the highest classification in Champagne.

Only 17 villages (out of about 319) have this status.

Grapes from these villages can be labeled “Grand Cru” if 100% of the grapes in the bottle come from Grand Cru vineyards.

Known for: exceptional finesse, purity, and potential for aging.

Examples of Grand Cru villages:

– Aÿ, Ambonnay, Bouzy (Pinot Noir focused)

– Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant (Chardonnay focused)

Premier Cru (“First Growth”) is the second tier of Champagne classification.

Around 44 villages are classified as Premier Cru.

Wines labeled Premier Cru must come entirely from those villages, though some vineyards may perform close to Grand Cru quality.

Often excellent value — high quality but slightly less prestigious.

Examples: Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Hautvillers, Vertus, Rilly-la-Montagne.

In Champagne, the difference between a grower Champagne and a négociant comes down to who grows the grapes and who makes the wine. A grower Champagne is produced by the same estate that cultivates the grapes — meaning the winemaker grows their own fruit, harvests it, and bottles the Champagne under their own label. These producers are often small, family-owned vineyards that focus on expressing the character of their specific terroir or village. The result is usually more distinctive, artisanal Champagne with a sense of place. On a label, grower Champagnes are identified by the code “RM” (Récoltant-Manipulant), which appears in small letters, usually near the bottom of the front label.

A négociant Champagne, by contrast, is made by a larger house or brand — such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, or Taittinger — that often buys grapes from many different growers across Champagne. These producers may also own some vineyards themselves, but they rely heavily on purchased fruit to maintain a consistent house style year after year. Their labels bear the code “NM” (Négociant-Manipulant), indicating that the producer buys grapes or base wines to make the final blend.

In short, grower Champagnes (RM) showcase individuality and terroir, while négociant Champagnes (NM) emphasize consistency and the signature style of a large house. Both can produce exceptional wines, but they represent two very different philosophies of Champagne making.