CHAMPAGNE PRONUNCIATION
A GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS
There are
many opportunities to relax with friends and family and enjoy a good bubbly.
But how do you say all those tricky words that surround everyone’s favorite
effervescent drink? We’re AWS members, and people expect us to have the
answers! Instead of mumbling, embrace proper pronunciation! Here is a
cheat-sheet to the most common Champagne words.
White
wine from white (Chardonnay) grapes. Simple enough, right? Not so fast. ‘Blonk
de Blonk’ is how you should be reading those words. Forget that ‘s’ at the end,
the French do, so we can too.
Blanc de
Noirs
White
wine from black (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) grapes. Also a simple concept.
Here we follow the same rule as the white grape counterpart. Forget about that final
‘s.’ "Blonk de Nwär"
Pinot Meunier
After
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, people often forget about this grape (maybe because
that second word is harder to say)? Just try and combine a soft ‘Moo’ and a
‘Nyah’.
Reims
The town
where many of the famous Champagne houses are located. This one, when properly
pronounced, sounds like you are trying to clear something from your throat. Say it like you're angry at someone or
imitating a car engine starting up. Make sure to roll the ‘R’ for an excessive
period of time ‘RRRRRRommmz.’
This is one
of the most famous Champagne houses. Their signature orange color can be seen
in almost every wine shop right now in America. The Veuve (Widow) Clicquot
really made a name for herself, but how do we pronounce it? ‘Vove Cleeck-o’!
Négociant
A Négociant
is a wine merchant that takes grapes from small growers to make their own blend.
The big names like Ruinart, Charles Heidsieck, Louis Roederer are all familiar.
The next time that you’re at a party and one of these is being served you can
sound smart by remarking, “Ah, a ‘Ne-go-see-ont’ Champagne…’
Tête de
Cuvée
A
Champagne House’s prestige cuvée, like Moet et Chandon’s “Dom Perignon” or
Krug’s “Clos du Mesnil.” It literally translates to “Head of House,” which
sounds far less impressive than the French version. The trick is to really make
your mouth small and puckered like you’re about to kiss a baby, then, barely
moving your lips, say ‘tet de cuuevay.’
Méthode
Champenoise/Traditionelle
This
means is that the wine was made in a way that follows all the Champagne rules.
That ‘th’ sound we are so fond of in the English language has no place here.
Throw it out. Instead we pronounce this - ‘Me-toad
Chomp-en-wawz/Truh-diss-yu-nell’
Dosage
This
means how much sugar is added before bottling. Next time a Sommelier pours you
a glass of Champagne, taste it and ask, “Hmm.. what’s the ‘doe-saw-j’ here?” A
good Sommelier will know the sweetness range but a newbie will squirm
uncomfortably and turn red, which is always fun.
The
Regions of Champagne:
Montagne
de Reims- ‘Mawn-ton-yuh de RRRRRRommmz.’ (Another chance to say ‘Reims’).
Vallée de
la Marne- ‘Val-lay de la Marn’ (Marn sounds like Barn)
Côte des
Blancs- ‘Coat de Blonck’ (Sounds like Plonk)
Côte de
Sézanne- ‘Coat de Say-zawn’ (It’s like ‘Suzanne’ mixed with ‘Lawn’)
Côte des
Bars (the Aube)- ‘Coat de Bar’ (that is easy enough) and ‘Oh-buh’ is how you
say the more common name for the region. It sounds almost like a sound you
would make when annoyed, which you might be, since this region has two names.
Check the blog often for more tips, wine news, and tasting notices!
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