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OUR resident wine aficionado shares everything you need to know about Méthode Cap Classique🥂

As we’re in the last stretch of summer and it’s starting to get cooler, I think we need to switch the red wines and glühweins for a new winter season drink.

Champagne/ Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) is one of the perfect drinks to pair with winter meals. The toasty, honey, cinnamon and undertones of fruity flavours pair impeccably with every course of your winter menu but it’s even more of a wine experience with fruity desserts such as panna cotta.

The Bon Courage Jacques Bruère happened to be my favourite everyday winter MCC. It’s a beautiful collaboration of Pinot noir and Chardonnay grapes that has a rich and creamy palate with a hint of fresh citrus fruits.

For those who don’t know, Méthode Cap Classique and Champagne are made exactly the same way but because we don’t use French grapes and did not make it in the Champagne region, we are not obliged to call MCC a Champagne.

How to pick the right bottle of Champagne/ Méthode Cap Classique :

Brut

These wines are drier and contain less residual sugar.

Brut Millésimé

‘Millésimé’ refers to a Vintage year or a vintage wine. This means that it comes from a single vintage and is in no correlation to the quality.

Blanc de Blancs

The French term (white from white) means that the wine was made only with Chardonnay grapes or with Pinot Blanc (very rare).

Blanc de Noirs

The French term (white of blacks) means it’s a white wine made from black grapes. This wine is made by obtaining the grape juice from red wine grapes with as minimal contact from the skin, which then produces a slightly yellower colour than wine produced from white grapes.

Demi-sec

This is a semi-dry wine and usually contains between 32 grams and 50 grams of sugar per litre.

Rosé

This is known as “pink champagne” and is occasionally made with a blend of two or more grapes white and red to achieve the pink colour of the wine.

Prestige Cuvée

This is the finest champagne that a winemaker can produce. They choose the finest grapes in the vineyards to make it. In most cases, this can be a premium vintage Champagne but it’s also possible to find a non-vintage prestige cuvée.

We’d love to try your winter MCC/ Champagne suggestions and review them in our magazine, so don’t hesitate to send us your suggestions. Cheers!

I am a 27 year old wine enthusiast who has had a passion for the artistry of wine for the last 7 years. I have turned that passion into a business of reviewing wine estates and vintages and along the way I’ve been able to share it through creating my own wine tasting events and being honoured in the Wine Industry’s 30 under 30. 
Being a column writer for 041online is another chapter of this wonderful journey I’ve been on and I look forward to sharing my thoughts and experiences with you all. 
Lelethu Zondani
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