Champagne or sparkling wine question

Hi All,

I had a question regarding Champagne or sparkling wine. I often see that both are made up of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes...does this make them Rosé Champagnes/Sparkling Wines? Are they pink in colour?

hi maria - NO is the short answer. blanc de noir for instance is 100% red skin grapes but is still white. mixed with chard is the same thing. the grapes up that far north don't get the same level of color they do further south - where it would be almost impossible to produce a blanc de noir. to make rose, you either macerate red skin grapes for a short period or blend red with with white. both methods are legal.

[Robin Garr]

Hi All,

I had a question regarding Champagne or sparkling wine. I often see that both are made up of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes...does this make them Rosé Champagnes/Sparkling Wines? Are they pink in colour?

David got it in one, although I would add that <i>blanc de noirs</i> Champagne <i>may</i> show a richer, more golden color than Chardonnay-based bubbly. I love it myself, and generally can rank my Champagne favorites by the Pinot Noir presence in them.

Maria, Always keep in mind the fact that the juice from these grapes is basically clear, regardless of whether they are white wine grapes or red wine grapes. The color comes from the skins. The darker the skins and the longer the skin contact (i.e., the maceration), the darker the resulting wine. -- Clark

Maria, Always keep in mind the fact that the juice from these grapes is basically clear, regardless of whether they are white wine grapes or red wine grapes. The color comes from the skins. The darker the skins and the longer the skin contact (i.e., the maceration), the darker the resulting wine. -- Clark

Thanks everyone...I completely forgot about this.