Blanc de Blancs, or “white from whites”, is a term used in the Champagne region of France to refer to white sparkling wines made from white grapes. In this region, production laws limit the use of grape varieties to two reds (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) and six whites (Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, Arbanne and Voltis). Most of their white wines are made using juice from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier without allowing the reds to have skin contact to prevent color extraction. But when only the white grapes are used the wine can be labeled as a Blanc de Blancs.
Chardonnay is the main grape used to produce this style of Champagne, as is the case with the ones produced by iconic wineries like Laurent Perrier, Delamotte and Tsarine. Family house Drappier produces a very unique “Quattour” Blanc de Blancs, created with equal parts of Chardonnay and the unusual Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbanne. The term has been adopted by many wineries outside of the region, including Napa Valley’s Schramsberg, to refer to sparkling wines made in a similar style. Cheers!
Author: Maytte Rivera
