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    Notes & Queries

    Dec 02, 2020 3 minutes

    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

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