Alsace Willm Cremant Blanc De Noirs

Winery: Alsace Willm

Varietal: Champagne Blend

Whilst Champagne sparkling wines are most commonly made with a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grape varietals, there are actually seven fine grape varietals allowed by French wine law for inclusion in the wines of this region. These include Arbanne, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and and Petit Meslier alongside the others, although these four are being used less and less in the modern age. Champagnes are normally blended wines, although the popularity of single variety 'blanc de blanc' Champagnes made solely with Chardonnay grapes, and 'blanc de noir' wines made only with Pinot Noir varietal grapes are becoming more and more popular. The blending process found in most Champagnes aims to take the finest points of each grape varietal and bring them together to produce spectacular, strong yet balanced results in the bottle.

Region: Alsace

Step into any good wine store, and you'll easily be able to recognize the Alsatian wines, due to their slender, Germanic bottles which contain wines made from one or more of the grapes native to the region. The wines of Alsace are well known around the world, and for centuries they have been renowned for their quality and fascinating features. The grapes allowed to be used in Alsace wines are carefully overseen by the French government, and only nine different fine varietals are permitted to be grown within the vineyards of Alsace. Most commonly, wineries process Pinot Noir and Riesling varietal grapes for their wines, although it is also common to see a blend of other Germanic and French native grapes listed on the bottles.

Country: France

France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.