According to the results of a study by tasters, the champagne “Heritage of the Master” was recognized as the most delicious. Lev Golitsyn” - based on the results of the examination, it scored 85 points. In second place is “Bourgeois” - 80 points, and “Abrau-Durso” closes the top three - 77 points.

“The examination showed that the tested samples of champagne are not counterfeit, since in terms of quality indicators they meet the requirements of the standard specified in the labeling. The markings also correspond to the name. Four out of six samples have good organoleptic properties, and all wines can be considered safe.”

To distinguish one drink from another, look for the corresponding inscriptions on the labels.

Sparkling wine means that you are holding in your hands a wine that is naturally carbonated.

- “Wine drink”, “Carbonated drink”, “Sparkling champagne” and their derivatives - means that this wine is produced using a cheaper technology, when bubbles are obtained by injecting carbon dioxide into the bottle.

The GOST marking, of course, is a good guide, which means that the drink is prepared in accordance with the interstate standard using the traditional tank method.

According to the results of a study by Roskachestvo, in a quarter of cases, wine artificially saturated with gases is sold under the guise of real sparkling wine.

While this is not currently illegal and does not have to be stated on labels, unnatural gases may make you feel unwell.

That is why last year Roskachestvo conducted an examination, as a result of which 10 samples of sparkling semi-sweet wines prepared using the Charmat method received the Quality Mark.

If you haven’t yet decided which champagne to put on the table, you can choose a drink from these dozen:

The price of champagne on a store shelf most often starts from 3,000 rubles, and during promotions or sales you can find real champagne for less money. You can safely buy sparkling wines for around 500 rubles, but I wouldn’t recommend going below 200 rubles per bottle - the chance of running into low-quality products is too high. It is worth noting that now the vast majority of sparkling wines are produced correctly: not artisanally and without adulteration, so it is unlikely to buy a fake in a decent store.

“In each batch of sparkling wine, 2-3% of bottles usually reach the consumer with poor quality for some reason.

Perhaps a separate bottle was frozen, this is especially true now, in December - then there will be a violation of acidity and loss of tartar.

Perhaps the quality of the closure turned out to be poor, a bad stopper. There is no clear answer to what exactly happened; you need to look at the path and history of each bottle. But anyone can feel things at the “pleasant-unpleasant” level.

If you open champagne and it smells like rotten apples, then there is no need to comment. Sparkling wine should have a neat, clean, fresh fruity tone, without any extraneous shades,” advises leading Russian wine critic Denis Rudenko.

Almost four centuries have passed since the French monk Pierre Perignon invented champagne. It’s hard to say how long this beautiful tradition has existed - raising a glass of wine, boiling with cheerful bubbles, in the first minutes of the New Year, but we are almost sure that without it the fateful moment may not come. The President's last words are accompanied by pops of popping corks: as the chimes strike, champagne salutes the coming year. Even those who usually prefer harsher drinks to light sparkling wine do not refuse to sip a glass of champagne “for good luck” on New Year’s Eve.

We are accustomed to calling all sparkling wines without exception champagne, but the name Champagne can only be assigned to wine that is produced in the French province of Champagne using classical technology.

France has been trying to protect this exclusive name for many years, but in some countries, and in particular in Russia, this fact is stubbornly ignored. On domestic shelves there are alcoholic products from different manufacturers called “Champagne”, which we, as usual, will buy for the New Year’s feast.

What is the best champagne?

Different brands of champagne differ not only in price, but also in color and taste. The recognized colors of the drink are white and pink. There is no such thing as red champagne. Pink champagne (rose) It is considered a stronger and nobler wine, is much less common than white wine and costs much more. White champagne (blanc) has a surprisingly delicate taste and aroma. As for taste, we mean not only a complex bouquet of various aromas, in which, in addition to the smells of flowers, fruits and spices, the smell of pine needles or a light smoke of burnt wood can be felt. The smell of alcohol and yeast is a sign of bad champagne. In addition, a decent drink should not smell of chemicals (acetone, sulfur or iodine). Poor quality or spoiled wine may have a rotten and vinegary taste.

Types of champagne wines
They are also divided according to the amount of sugar content. The most dry Brut nature (zero sugar) and Brut (sugar content 0.5 - 1.5%) true connoisseurs appreciate it for its pure taste, which is revealed precisely due to the absence of sugar. However, it is impossible to impose taste, and if you generally do not like dry wines, it is better to choose a different variety for the holiday.

Followed by Extra-sec – dry champagne , which contains from 1.2 to 2.0% sugar, then semi-dry Sec (1.7 - 3.5% sugar. Favorite drink for ladies, semi-sweet champagne , marked Demi-Sec (3.3 -5.0%) and finally, Doux - sweet champagne with more than 5% sugar content.

A cork flying out of the neck of an open bottle of sparkling wine should not make a sound like the revolutionary salvo of the Aurora, but just a delicate, triumphant pop.

Good champagne is distinguished by a beautiful color, purity and transparency, lively sparkling sparkles of bubbles and airy light foam that leaves an openwork “necklace” on the edge of the glass.

Buying good champagne is a tricky business

Of course, among our compatriots there will certainly be those whose financial situation obliges them to have a stream of crystal drink pour into their glasses with the first strike of the chimes, created using technology invented in the 17th century by a monk from the province of Champagne. Bottle of the famous "Veuve Clicquot" which Russian aristocrats fell in love with after the victory over Napoleon, will cost a sophisticated buyer an equally famous price. So, rosé champagne brut "Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame" the 1998 vintage in gift packaging costs 17-18 thousand rubles, and for white brut champagne of the same year you will have to pay 9-10 thousand rubles. The price of this divine drink truly matches its quality. However, in order to get exactly the luxurious Veuve Clicquot for your money, you need to know that it is famous for its exceptional transparency, and a real French wine simply cannot have a vulgar plastic stopper. Several bottles of dry or semi-sweet champagne of a world-famous brand can be purchased for a lower price from 2.5 to 5 thousand rubles, and experts say that the year of harvest has virtually no effect on the quality of the elite drink, as well as the absence of gift packaging.

Other true champagne wines are approximately in the same price range: Dom Perignon , Mumm And Roderer . If you are able to pay a tidy sum for 750 ml of stellar magic, carefully study the label, cork and the bottle itself - it should be perfect, without scratches or circumferential stripes, with foil neatly folded at the neck.

Some Russians, disappointed with the quality of domestic drinks, prefer to accompany the New Year's feast with the so-called “not quite champagne”, or rather, good sparkling wine. The most important thing is that it shoots just as fun, foams and pleases the soul. The Italian brand is especially popular in this regard. Asti . The label of the original Asti certainly bears the letters DOCG, officially confirming its noble origin, as well as the royal coats of arms of three states: Portugal, Spain and Italy. European monarchs appreciated the exquisite floral and fruity bouquet of Asti back in the 19th century, and now we can taste this truly royal drink. Martini Asti It has an excellent sweet taste, which is given to it by the natural sugar of the White Muscat grape. Asti Mondoro , a sparkling white wine in an emerald bottle, has earned the most flattering reviews from Russian consumers.

Asti wines captivate not only with their excellent taste, but also with their price. A traditional 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine from Italy costs much less than famous French champagne (from 400 to 1000 rubles), but Perignon himself would appreciate such a choice.

Sparkling wine, born, so to speak, in nearby vineyards, arrives on domestic shelves in abundance. Moreover, some factories quite deservedly assigned the name “champagne” to their products. Champagne is produced using the classical method from the Crimean plant "New World", a Caucasian plant "Abrau-Durso" And Artemovskoe champagne .

Connoisseurs of natural taste especially highlight the New World brut. It is quite worthy to belong to the classic series of sparkling wines. The peculiarity of this variety is its rather pronounced sourness, which gives a tart and pleasant aftertaste. The color of the famous Crimean champagne is light straw, with a slightly greenish tint. Fans of sweeter drinks will definitely appreciate the unique sparkling fruity aroma, strength and candy taste of semi-dry champagne "New World. Pinot Noir." The price of “Novosvetsky” champagne is approximately from 400 to 600 rubles, although collectible copies can cost about 4 thousand rubles.

Artemovsk champagne is a worthy competitor to Crimean sparkling wine. In the “Best Value for Money” category, this Ukrainian brand rightly deserved a prize from Russian consumers. The Artemovsky collection includes dry, semi-dry, sweet and semi-sweet wines, and the pink semi-dry Muscat, which leaves a stunning taste of rose in the mouth, receives especially flattering praise. One bottle of mischievous sparkling wine will cost 400 – 600 rubles.

Which champagne is better?

Abrau-Durso is perhaps the best of the Russian sparkling wines recommended for the New Year's table. At one time it was called “the star in the crown of the Russian Empire” and was brought to the royal table. Fortunately, professional experience and technology for making champagne wines have not been lost for almost one and a half hundred years. The same pale golden color is considered a truly aristocratic variety. brut with its bright acidity and unique mixed aroma of flowers and grape berries. ABOUT semi-sweet "Abrau-Durso" they say that it is unusually gentle and pleasant, and most importantly, after drinking even a somewhat excessive amount of Russian champagne, the next morning you retain clarity of thoughts and a great mood. The price of a bottle of Abrau-Durso champagne is from 200 to 1000 rubles.

By the way, it was at the plant in Abrau-Durso that our dear "Soviet champagne" , which is also divided by sweetness categories into brut, dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet and sweet. Made by personal order of Comrade Stalin, this wine does not lose its popularity, remaining a constant companion to New Year's snacks. A persistent and somewhat nostalgic commitment to “Soviet Champagne” is maintained by people over 50 years of age, who choose it due to their habit of their native brand and a more than loyal price (70-100) rubles.

Choosing quality champagne

The above quality attributes are characteristic of all good sparkling wines. When choosing a drink for the holiday, be sure to hold the bottle up to the light to make sure it is crystal clear. Champagne is well preserved only in dark glass bottles. A carefully pasted label should contain all the information about the manufacturer, not marred by streaks of printing ink.

If you are expecting guests for the holiday whose taste preferences are unknown to you, it is best to take several different types of champagne, otherwise even the most expensive exclusive drink may cause someone's disappointment.

Whether you choose sparkling wine from the French province of Champagne or shoot democratic domestic champagne in honor of the New Year, we sincerely wish you that only pleasant miracles will happen to you on New Year's Eve!

• Large selection of affordable wines from all over the world
• Leading Russian manufacturers presented
• Proven quality confirmed by certificates
• Great value for money drinks

Inexpensive everyday champagne can be found in the portfolio of every wine-producing country. True, if we use correct terminology, this will not be champagne in the classical sense, but sparkling wine. The fact is that only sparkling wine from the French region of Champagne, made using the traditional Champenoise method with secondary fermentation in the bottle, has the right to be called champagne. Most other sparkling wines are produced using the Charmat method, where fermentation occurs in stainless steel containers.

Good inexpensive champagne

Good sparkling wine is produced by the leading countries in the wine industry. Technologies here are honed to perfection, and the experience of ancestors is carefully preserved and passed on.

• France. They mainly produce dry white sparkling wine, which in quality and taste competes with classic champagne from famous houses. Burgundy sparkling wines from the Crémant de Bourgogne region, as well as products from producers Patriarche, Paul Chevalier, and others, have gained a particularly good reputation.
• Italy. It is this country that can offer a huge variety of delicious and inexpensive sparkling wines for every taste. These include the famous white Prosecco made from Glera grapes and the no less famous Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna, which can be either red or white. Piedmont sparkling wines from the Asti region are the main rivals of French champagne. Wines from producers Zonin, Casa Defra, Martini, and Gancia receive consistently good customer reviews.
• Spain. Among the Spanish sparkling wines, you can choose good examples of pink and red sparkling wine from local grape varieties. Dry sparkling drinks from the Jaume Serra line are highly rated by critics.
• Russia. Russian inexpensive champagne is currently experiencing a real period of revival. Decent quality at an affordable price can be obtained by paying attention to the brands Abrau-Durso, Lev Golitsyn, Chateau Taman, and this also includes the products of the oldest factory Fanagoria.

Russian factories use grapes grown in the Krasnodar region, Crimea, South Africa, Chile, Spain and other countries to produce sparkling wines; production is controlled by leading oenologists from France, so the quality of many sparkling wines is raised to a high level. The Abrau-Durso plant also produces a line of sparkling drinks made using classic champagne technology. This is, for example, Brut Imperial, which compares favorably in price with French champagne.

Of course, champagne wines are one of the most expensive categories of alcoholic beverages. And if you want to try them, you have to choose a decent option. For those who are not very well versed in the range of sparkling wines, this can be difficult.
The list below is a kind of reminder for lovers of champagne wines.

Most people use the term “champagne” to include sparkling wines from other regions. In fact, it is fair to call only drinks from the Champagne region of France “champagne.”
Often, when people talk about “champagne” wines that are not related to the Champagne region, they mean sparkling wines made using the “champagne method” (Méthode Champenoise).

Names of champagne wines

Champagne producers typically produce more than one brand: they are differentiated by price and style. For example, the world-famous premium vintage brand Dom Perignon is produced by the house Moët et Chandon, the same house that produces the quite ordinary White Star and the American sparkling wine Domaine Chandon, which is made using the champagne method, but is not champagne.
Within the brand, various types are created, differing from each other in belonging to a specific harvest (vintage or single), sugar content (for example, brut) and the types of grapes used in production (for example, blanc de blancs or rosé). .
So,

• AR Lenoble (A.R. Lenoble)
  AR Lenoble produces relatively inexpensive champagnes that have fairly high ratings. The line includes both single and vintage drinks, there are pink versions and banc de blanc.
  What to try: Try Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, which is made from Chardonnay grapes. This champagne costs around $35 and generally receives good reviews from critics.
• Krug
  Krug is the name of the most respected producer of sparkling wines in France. This brand of champagne wine is one of the top brands and is distinguished by its high cost. For example, one of the Krug champagnes is included in the Forbes list of the most expensive champagnes: the cost of a bottle of this manufacturer's Clos du Mesnil Blanc de Blancs 1975 is $750.
  What to try: If you decide to celebrate in full, a relatively inexpensive option is the Krug NV (non-vintage) Grand Cuveé, costing just under $200. This expensive wine has the characteristic features of champagne: biscuit aroma, delicate and fresh bubbles.
• Moët et Chandon

  This champagne name is famous primarily for its Dom Pérignon brand. Dom Perignon is a vintage champagne wine that is produced only in years when the harvests are considered good or great. In the mid-price segment, Moet et Chandon produces White Star and NV (non-vintage) champagne wines.
  What to try: If you're dying to try Dom Pérignon but are on a budget, keep in mind that different vintages have different prices: good vintages are cheaper than great years. For example, Dom Pérignon 1998 costs from $150, while the 1996 vintage costs from $350.
  

• Salon
  Salon is a small manufacturer that pays special attention to quality. Salon produces exclusively vintage wines from white grape varieties (blanc de blancs).
  What to try: The 1997 vintage is considered the most famous. The cost of one bottle starts from $250 from the manufacturer. But the 1996 harvest is no longer so valuable. A bottle of this wine will cost you only $30 per bottle.
• Veuve Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot)
  
  The name “Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin” is another one of the most famous brands of French champagne producers. Veuve Clicquot is known for its relatively affordable and high-quality Yellow Label brands, as well as its premium line of La Grande Dame wines, which are produced only in good and great years.
  What to try:“Yellow Label NV Brut” is a very worthy drink, combining the highest level of taste and not too high a cost (for champagne). The cost of this drink is about $50.
• Louis Roederer (Louis Roederer)
  This producer is known for the names of its expensive vintage wines “Cristal”. However, Louis Roederer also produces affordable wines such as NV Brut and NV Rosé (costing about $50)
  What to try:“Louis Roederer Brut Rosé” 2004 is an excellent option for your first acquaintance with excellent high-quality rosé champagne. There are flowers, caramel and notes of fried wheat bread. Cost of pleasure: about $65.
• Perrier Jouet
  Perrior Jouët is a producer known for its Belle Epoque Cuvée (floral bottles) and Fleur de Champagne vintages. The lines also include pink, NV (non-vintage) and blanc de blanc.
  What to try: A very worthy option that will allow you to get acquainted with the wines of this producer is “Perrier Jouët NV Grand Brut”. This drink has good expert ratings, and its cost is about $45. The appearance of a bottle of this drink is in no way inferior to its contents, and the wine itself will not disappoint you.
• Bollinger
  
  Bollinger is a treasure of France. While the major champagne producers have fallen under the influence of large corporations, Bollinger remains independent and is still managed by the descendants of the family that created the brand.
  Bollinger offers both affordable NV wines and premium vintage wines (for example, Vieille Vignes Françaises blanc de noirs).
  What to try: Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée with the aroma of baked apples and orange blossom. Cost from $80 per bottle.

There are many good champagne producers in Russia who perform well at international competitions. New technologies and expanding knowledge in the field of champagne make Russian sparkling products better every year.

So, how is the drink produced in the country? Which manufacturers are the most popular? The main thing is, what is the best champagne in Russia?

The Krasnodar region is the main region for the production of wine materials for the production of champagne. Production plants are mainly concentrated closer to large cities such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov, Tsimlyansk and others.

The drink in this country comes in two types:

• Soviet champagne;
• Russian champagne.

A feature of the second type is the use of wine materials from grape varieties that are not intended for the production of champagne. Imported wine materials are also allowed. The only condition for use is the established level of quality of future products.

There are several types of champagne production used in Russia.

• Classic method. The most labor-intensive, long and expensive process. This is how Russia produces, for example, brut champagne, an aged white champagne from Fanagoria. The process is based on the fact that the drink undergoes repeated fermentation directly in the bottle in which it is then sold. Yeast and sugar are added to the ready-made drink and the bottle is sealed for a certain time. Precipitated yeast is removed from the bottle by ridding or thinning. The longer the yeast sediment remains in the container, the more it affects the flavor, texture and complexity of the final product. Ridling is carried out one more time before the final corking of the champagne. The bottle is turned over so that the dead yeast settles on the cork itself, then the neck of the bottle is frozen, and the cork with sediment comes out due to pressure. The last step is to add the so-called “dose” - a small portion of sugar and wine, and then everything is sealed. This makes the best champagne.

• Reservoir method. It is also called the Charmat method, in honor of its inventor. Compared to the traditional one, it is less expensive, since secondary fermentation occurs in large tanks under pressure. This is how most of the Abrau-Durso champagne is prepared in Russia. The tank method makes the taste of the drink brighter and easier to drink, also emphasizing its fruit component. The best alcohol in the mid-price category is made this way.

• The continuous method was invented in Russia. It is very similar to the reservoir method, but is a little more complicated. The process consists of adding batch liqueur to the base wort - a blend of champagne wine materials with dissolved crystalline sugar, which passes through a series of tanks under pressure. Some of these tanks contain oak chips and sediment, which give the wine a yeasty flavor. In fact, this method is used to prepare champagne of not very high quality and price range.
• Carbonization method. Ordinary saturation of alcohol with carbon dioxide. Russia has the cheapest way to produce the drink. The result is a wine with quickly dissipating bubbles.

Did you know? According to the non-profit organization Roskontrol, the brand “Heritage of the Master” was named the most delicious champagne in Russia in 2017. Lev Golitsyn" from CJSC "Sparkling Wines". The secret to the excellent taste of the drink is its aging for a month. During the aging process, it acquires freshness, piquancy and a slight bitterness.

Rating of Russian sparkling wine producers

Kuban-Vino LLC

Today, Kuban-Vino produces an unprecedented amount of still and sparkling wines - 56 million bottles per year. Since 2015, the plant has been collaborating with the best Italian oenologists from Enofly.

This allows us to expand the boundaries of possibilities for creating new lines of drinks and improving its taste. Premium drinks are made from the tender part of grape juice. The use of modern technologies at the Kuban-Vino plant involves a light impact on the berries, in which the separation of grape juice occurs by gravity.

This preserves the fine structure of taste, which subsequently makes champagne refined and playful. The plant's products are represented by the best brands: Aristov, Chateau Taman Select, Chateau Taman, Kuban-Vino.

OJSC "Moscow Champagne Wine Factory"

The history of the plant begins in December 1980. Currently, the volume of supplied products is about 50 million bottles per year. The production successfully combines both traditional Russian production methods and the latest wine champagne technologies.

The company regularly updates its equipment and reconstructs workshops, which allows it to constantly expand its product range. Only 10% of wine materials are made from the best Russian grapes, the rest comes from abroad - Italy, France, Spain, Chile, Argentina, South Africa.

All raw materials meet high standards and undergo the most careful selection. The products are represented by the brands “Moskovskoe”, “Rossiyskoe”, “Gold Standard”.

CJSC "Abrau-Durso"

The plant produces the best champagne in Russia using tank and traditional methods. The first method produces about 16.5 million bottles per year, the second method accounts for only 1 million.

Today the plant is one of the leading producers of the best sparkling wines. In the Abrau-Durso storage facilities there are samples aged for 20 and even 30 years, which are valued at several thousand dollars.

The main brands are “Victor Dravigny”, “Specific Department”, “Imperial”.

Rostov Champagne Wine Factory LLC

The plant produces about 13 million bottles of champagne per year. The workshops use acratophores for secondary fermentation, as well as continuous champagne tanks.

It was here that for the first time in Russia they began to make champagne and sparkling wines in Frolov-Bagreev’s acratophores. The continuous champagne method, introduced in 1964, is still used today. The best brand of the company that you can find is “Rostovskoye”.

ZShV "New World"

The plant was founded by Prince Lev Golitsyn in 1878. Champagne is created using traditional French technology. The bottles are manually placed for aging in cellars built under the leadership of Lev Golitsyn, where they remain for at least 3 years.

New World champagne received its first Grand Prix at the World Exhibition as the best spirit in Paris in 1900. It was preferred by the royal family itself. It was served at the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II.

The products are represented by the best brands “Novy Svet”, “Crimea”, “Prince Lev Golitsyn”, “Red Sparkling”, “Novosvetsky Carnelian”, Wine&Opera.

CJSC "Sparkling Wines"

The plant was founded on November 28, 1876 under the name “Slavic Brewery and Mead Factory”. The main production was concentrated on beer, honey and porter. Since 1947, the famous “Soviet Champagne” began to be produced here, and then “Lev Golitsyn”.

In 1992, the plant was privatized by JSC Sparkling Wines. All equipment was modernized, as well as a complete reconstruction of production premises. The range of products has expanded significantly.

The plant produces such brands as “St. Petersburg”, “Rossiyskoe”, “Bourgeois”, “Lev Golitsyn”.

Thanks to this small rating, you now know which Russian champagne is the best and most purchased in Russia. So, if you prefer domestic brands to foreign ones, you will have plenty to choose from. Are you familiar with any of the brands presented and do you like the taste of Russian sparkling products? Be sure to share your opinion in the comments.