Wine 101: Blanc de what??

‘Blanc de Blancs’ (White of White) and ‘Blanc de Noirs’ (White of Black) are French terms, used mostly to describe sparkling wines, but you may find it occasionally used for some regular wines.

These terms represent the type of grapes used to make the wines. ‘Blanc de Blancs’ are ‘classic’ white grapes with ‘white’ skins and ‘white’ juice (they are called so even if colors go from yellow to green. It's a simpler way to term them). Champagnes, for example, that are made solely with Chardonnay grapes.

On the other hand, ‘Blanc de Noirs’ Champagnes are made from black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier mostly). They are produced using grapes with black skins, but white juices! So after harvest, the grapes are directly pressed, extracting the ‘white’ juice. To obtain classic red Pinot Noir, the juices and skins will be macerated together for the color to be extracted from the skins. This is why Pinot Noirs are very often lighter in colour compared to other red grapes (Cabernet, Shiraz), which have a darker colour and more tannins.

Classic Champagnes are a blend of both ‘white’ and ‘black’ grapes, to create a balance of aromas and a recognizable style. Meanwhile, Grand Cru Villages and areas have different soil types, and some are solely planted with a single type of grape. Wines from the Côtes de Blancs sub-region for example with Grand Cru villages like Avize, Cramant or Oger would be made solely from Chardonnay, and would offer fresh, crisp, lighter Champagnes. Wines coming from the Vallée de La Marne sub-region like Ambonnay Grand Crus would be done mostly from black grapes, offering fuller bodied Champagnes. Some white wines are made from 100% Pinot Noir, but they are very hard to come by, as production is very sparse with only a handful of wineries making it rather than ‘classic’ red wines, which would sell more easily.

Check out our range of Champagnes and see if you identify the blancs from the noirs!