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Step 1
First off is that if a wine has Champagne on the label then that Champagne can only come from the Champagne region in France. Any other type of wine is called Sparkling wine, or Prosecco (from Italy), Cava (from Spain) etc. Sparkling wines may have methode champenoise on the label but this means that the wines were made in the same fashion as Champagne, the wine is not actually Champagne.
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Step 2
The terms blanc de blanc, blanc de noirs, and rose refer to what grapes were used to produce that particular style. The three types of grapes used in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. A wine that is labeled blanc de blanc is only made from Chardonnay. A Blanc de noirs Champagne is made from Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. Rose can contain any of these grapes. The color comes from either blending in some still Pinot noir wine or from letting the juice rest with the Pinot noir or Pinot meunier skins for a short amount of time, thus extracting color from the grape skins (Chardonnay grapes have white/yellow skins).
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Step 3
The majority of Champagnes are non-vintage or NV. This means that the Champagne is comprised of grapes and wine from more than one year. A vintage Champagne is from a specific year. Vintage Champagnes are rare and only released on exceptional years. According to French law vintage Champagnes must be aged for 3 years.
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Step 4
Each Champagne bottle will carry information about the producer. NM - negotiant manipulant is a firm that buys grapes, juice or wine a completes winemaking at their premises. RM - recoltant manipulant produces wine from their own estate grapes, so the process from growing grapes to producing a finished wines is done within the company/premises. RC - recoltant cooperateur makes wine using grapes from it memebers, so multiple producers will be included in each finished wine. SR - Societe de recoltant is a family business that produces wines specifically from its family members (not necessarily the same winery/vineyard). ND - negociant distributeur is a merchant who buys the finished wine and then labels it on its own estate with its own label. MA - Marque d'Acheteur is a buyer's own brand. The wine is made in Champagne but a brand name that appears on the bottle belongs to a client.
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Step 5
The Level of dosage, addition of sweetness when the yeast is disgorged after the second fermentation, will determine the sweetness of the wine. The dosage will appear on the Champagne label. Extra-Brut Champagne is the driest type of Champagne available it contain 0-6grams/liter of sugar. Next is the most popular form of dosage, Brut - less than 15 grams/liter of sugar. Extra Dry, 12-20 grams/liter, tastes slightly sweet. Sec, 17-35 grams/liter, demi-sec, 33-50 grams/liter, and sweet, more than 50 grams/liter, will all taste very sweet and are many times used as dessert wines.
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Step 6
The sweeter wines, from extra dry to sweet dosage, will have fruitier aromas. Brut and extra-brut traditionally have more yeast, toast, bread characteristics though extra dry can also contain these aromas.
