What is Blanc de Blancs?
Blanc de Blanc Being Poured into Flutes
Blanc de Blancs refers to a sparkling white wine made from white grapes. Translated from French “Blanc de Blancs” means literally “white from whites”.
How Does a Blanc de Blancs Taste?
Typically, a Blanc de Blancs will be crisp and clean with a lively acidity and a touch of minerality, and in some cases a yeasty component developed during fermentation. However, the taste varies widely depending on the specific location the grapes were grown, the winemaker’s style, the dosage (small amount of sugar added to the finished wine), and the amount of time the wine spends on the lees (the yeast). Wines that spend more time on the lees will have more of a creamy, yeasty character.
Is Blanc de Blancs made only in Champagne?
No. Today, sparkling wines are made around the world in all countries where wine is made and that goes for Blanc de Blancs. You can find lovely examples from elsewhere in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, South Africa and of course, here in the U.S. Technically, Blanc de Blancs could be made from any white grape, but they are almost always made from Chardonnay following the French tradition.
Is Blanc de Blancs Sweet?
It’s usually dry. Fine Blanc de Blancs from Champagne and elsewhere in the world are typically on the dryer side, designated as Brut, Extra Brut or Brut Nature. The sweetness is determined by the amount of dosage (a mixture of wine and sugar) that is added to the sparkling wine just before the cork and cage are put on the bottle.
There are several levels of sweetness measured by the number of grams per liter of sugar added.
Doux - more than 50 grams of sugar per liter
Demi-sec - 32-50 grams of sugar per liter
Sec - 17-32 grams of sugar per liter
Extra dry - 12-17 grams of sugar per liter
Brut - less than 12 grams of sugar per liter
Extra brut - 0-6 grams of sugar per liter
Brut nature – 0 – 3 grams of sugar per liter
Pairing Blanc de Blancs with Food
What Foods Pair with Blanc de Blancs?
There are some classic pairings that are always wonderful like briny oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, grilled sea bass, and sole picatta. It is also lovely with hard cheeses, like aged Gouda or Parmesan, or as a counterpoint to soft triple cream cheeses.
It goes equally well with comfort foods, especially fried foods like fried chicken, French fries and Fritto Misto. It's perfect with grilled chicken, garden salads and light pasta dishes like linguine with pesto or fettucine alfredo.
For something more casual, pour a glass and take it to the pool with a bag of potato chips and some crème Fraîche for dipping and you'll be happy. Or have it with freshly popped popcorn with a drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of lemon herb salt.
Karen MacNeil, author of the Wine Bible says, “Blanc de Blancs Champagne is the best wine ever for a hot summer night.” In fact, it could be a Blanc de Blancs from anywhere; it doesn’t have to be from Champagne.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of information about Blanc de Blancs.
Blanc de Blancs – Best Wine Ever for a Hot Summer Night (video – 2:05)