You'd think Bruno Paillard (of the Champagne house of the same name) when singling out the greatest technological achievement in the history of winemaking in the past half century would make mention of some kind of space-age invention, right? Nope. Paillard tells The Drinks Business that temperature-controlled steel tanks get the nod. It's, as he explains, "...nothing to do with some miracle powder or sophisticated tool.”
This development allows for the holding of more reserve wines, which are part of the reason behind why the amount of sugar in Champagne at the Brut level is lower than it has been in the past. Reserve wines add richness or freshness to a non-vintage blend so that consistency can be maintained without relying as much on sugar.
Champagne seems to be bucking the trend of sweeter wines gaining more popularly. It's surprising that Paillard notes demi-sec used to represent 30 percent of sales.
Do you welcome lower levels of sweetness in Champagne, or do you feel the dosage in necessary to give balance that reserve wines cannot provide alone?
