Notes & Queries
Alcohol in Champagne
Why is the alcohol content for Champagne always 12%?
Curtis Penfold, London, UK
Anne Krebiehl MW says: Champagne used to be a region at the northerly confines of viticulture – producers thus made a virtue out of necessity: the second fermentation added a degree and a half of alcohol to thin base wines; ageing on lees added creaminess and body; while the final dosage counteracted what used to be strident acidity. Blending wines from various sites and years evened out poor vintages. In fact, an
