How to Identify Vintage Krug Champagne

Pour yourself a vintage glass of bubbly to celebrate.

True champagne is made only in the Champagne region of France, according to "Wine for Dummies" by Ed McCarthy. Anything else is considered a sparkling wine. Champagne is made using three types of grapes, two black grapes and one white. A typical blend includes Pinot Noir, Pinot Muenier and Chardonnay grapes. Krug is considered one of the leading champagne houses in the world and develops both vintage and non-vintage NV champagnes.

Instructions

1. Check the label. All Krug champagnes are accurately labeled as vintage or NV to symbolize a non-vintage variety. Look on the label to find the vintage status and year it was made. Each champagne house develops vintage and non-vintage champagne in each year. Vintage champagnes embody the particular characteristics of the grapes for that growing year, while non-vintage champagnes are mixed with aged wines from previous years. A non-vintage wine may contain grapes from 30 different villages.

2. Check the year of the champagne. It is not advised to drink champagnes from before 1971, since they have already reached their prime. All Krug wines are aged for at least six years. Reference a vintage champagne chart to ascertain whether you should drink or hold on to the bottle. Champagne charts have a grade and a drink/hold margin. For instance, a vintage bottle of champagne from 1988 has a "excellent" taste rating and is ready to be consumed.

3. Speak to a knowledgeable champagne connoisseur if you are still uncertain whether your Krug champagne is vintage.

Tips & Warnings

• Note that there are "prestige cuvée" champagnes that are steps above vintage champagnes in terms of taste and price.

References

• "Wine for Dummies"; Ed McCarthy; 2006
• Krug: Aging
• IntoWine.com: Champagne Chart
• Champagne Gold: Hold to Indentity a Good Champagne