Champagne grapes don’t make Champagne [reader mail]
Dear Dr. Vino,
I just discovered that champagne grapes are really tasty. I bet they would pair well with champagne…
Do they make Champagne or is that a marketing thing?
Paul
It’s a marketing thing. Those sweet, pea-sized grapes that usually appear as a garnish (or in soft focus on greeting cards next to cheese and a glass of wine) are actually black Corinth grapes. When dried, they produce something confusingly called Zante currants.
Champagne almost always comes from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier grapes. And it comes from the Champagne region, which, as far as Dr. Vino operatives have ascertained, has zero acres of black Corinth grapes.
Dec
30
2009
On December 30th, 2009 at 11:14 am ,Goddess of Wine wrote:
A local supermarket always has grapes labeled as ‘Champagne’ grapes; they’re green, and don’t resemble Chardonnay or any other grape actually used in making bubbly. Makes me laugh every time I see them!
On December 30th, 2009 at 2:01 pm ,castello wrote:
Zante currants are just tiny raisins. Whenever I try to buy currants I end up with these silly little things. They’re ok but not really currants.
On December 31st, 2009 at 10:15 pm ,lily wrote:
what is 12 grapes?
On December 21st, 2010 at 9:53 am ,Champagne fact & fiction | Dr Vino's wine blog wrote:
[…] Champagne made from champagne grapes? No, those are for decoration. The champagne in your glass likely is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and/or Pinot Meunier […]