Choosing a bottle of wine or champagne

People often choose a special bottle for a dinner, or to give as a present.

The label is a good place to start. A few words on it say where the wine was made and whether its grapes came from one year. On a sparkling wine, they also say how dry it is.

What a wine label tells you

When a label names one grape variety, at least 85% of the wine was made from that grape. When it names two or more, those grapes make up the whole wine. They are listed from the largest share down.

A year on the label is the vintage. At least 85% of the grapes were picked in that year.

Many wines carry a protected place name, such as Champagne. A protected name tells you where the wine was made, and that its maker followed that place's rules.

The strength is shown as a percentage, such as 12% ABV. That is the share of the drink that is pure alcohol.

A wine with more than 10mg of sulphur dioxide a litre must say it "contains" sulphites. Wine fined with milk or egg must say so too, when traces can be detected.

The words on a champagne bottle

Champagne is a sparkling wine from one region of France, about 150km north-east of Paris. Its makers start a second fermentation inside each bottle, and that makes the bubbles. Prosecco is the most widely known wine made by the tank method, with the second fermentation in a sealed steel tank.

Brut nature, pas dosé or dosage zéro

The driest style. It has less than 3 grams of sugar a litre, and the maker has added none.

Extra brut

Very dry, with between 0 and 6 grams of sugar a litre.

Brut

Dry, with less than 12 grams of sugar a litre.

Extra dry

Between 12 and 17 grams of sugar a litre. That makes it a little sweeter than brut.

Sec, demi-sec and doux

The sweeter styles. Sec has 17 to 32 grams of sugar a litre, demi-sec 32 to 50, and doux more than 50.

Non-vintage

The most common champagne. Its maker blends wine from several years, so the label shows no year.

Vintage

Made only from grapes picked in the year on the label. Makers choose to make one after an outstanding harvest.

Blanc de blancs

Made only from white grapes, mostly Chardonnay.

Blanc de noirs

Made only from dark-skinned grapes, Pinot Noir or Meunier or both.

RM, or récoltant-manipulant

A grower made this champagne from grapes picked only in their own vineyards.

NM, or négociant-manipulant

A house made this champagne, using grapes or wine it bought in as well as any of its own.

Keeping a bottle at home

Wine keeps well somewhere dark and still, at a steady 10 to 15°C. The kitchen is a poor spot, because its temperature rises and falls through the day. A bottle with a cork lies on its side, so the cork stays damp. A screwcap bottle can stand up.

Champagne is aged before it is sold, so it is ready to drink. It can stand up or lie down.

An opened bottle of still wine, closed again and stood in the fridge, stays fairly fresh for up to five days. A champagne stopper keeps a sparkling wine fizzy for about as long. A teaspoon in the neck does nothing.

Serving it

Champagne's makers suggest serving it at 8 to 10°C. Twenty to thirty minutes in an ice bucket of water and ice will get it there.

To open it, take off the foil and wire cage while you keep a firm hold on the cork. Point the bottle away from everyone. Then turn the bottle slowly, still holding the cork, and ease it out.

WSET suggests serving full-bodied reds at 15 to 18°C, which is cooler than many heated rooms. A rich white, such as an oaked Chardonnay, needs only a light chill.

Choosing for a meal

A wine you already enjoy is the safest starting point. For a present, start from what the other person likes to drink.

Then look at the salt, fat and sharpness in the food. Salt and fat soften a red wine with firm tannin, which is why a salty steak suits one. Wines with high acidity sit well with shellfish, and champagne with oysters is a classic pairing.