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Champagne for the Level 1 sommelier exam: a study guide
What the Court of Master Sommeliers' Introductory syllabus asks about Champagne: the areas, the grapes, the traditional method, the sweetness levels, the label terms and the bottle sizes. With a quiz.
Updated October 2026
Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier
6 min read
The short answer: for the Level 1 exam, know Champagne's cool climate and chalk, its four main areas, the three main grapes, every step of the traditional method, the seven sweetness levels from Brut Nature to Doux, the main styles and label terms, and the bottle sizes. That is the Court's Introductory syllabus for Champagne, heading by heading.
Level 1 is the Introductory Sommelier Certificate of the Court of Master Sommeliers. In Europe it is a two-day course with the exams on the morning of the third day: a multiple-choice theory paper and a short service test, with 60% needed in each.
1. Climate
- Cool and northern: around 49°N, east of Paris, with both oceanic and continental influences. Grapes ripen slowly and keep high acidity, the backbone of Champagne.
- Risks: spring frost, rain and uneven ripening from year to year. That is why blending wines from different years matters so much.
2. The appellation and its areas
| Area | Main grape | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Montagne de Reims | Pinot Noir | South of Reims; Grand Crus such as Verzenay, Bouzy, Ambonnay |
| Vallée de la Marne | Meunier (Pinot Noir near Épernay) | Along the river Marne; Grand Cru Aÿ |
| Côte des Blancs | Chardonnay | South of Épernay; Cramant, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger |
| Côte des Bar | Pinot Noir | In the Aube, far to the south |
- Montagne de Reims
- Main grapePinot Noir
- RememberSouth of Reims; Grand Crus such as Verzenay, Bouzy, Ambonnay
- Vallée de la Marne
- Main grapeMeunier (Pinot Noir near Épernay)
- RememberAlong the river Marne; Grand Cru Aÿ
- Côte des Blancs
- Main grapeChardonnay
- RememberSouth of Épernay; Cramant, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
- Côte des Bar
- Main grapePinot Noir
- RememberIn the Aube, far to the south
Champagne is the appellation for the sparkling wine, white or rosé. The same area also makes still wines, sold as Coteaux Champenois. The two towns to know are Reims and Épernay.
3. Grapes
- Pinot Noir (38% of the vineyard): body, structure, red fruit.
- Chardonnay (31%): freshness, citrus, floral notes, finesse.
- Meunier (31%): roundness and supple, fruity wines. Older books call it Pinot Meunier.
- Also allowed, in tiny amounts: Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
4. Soils
Chalk lies under much of the Marne vineyards. It drains well but holds water like a sponge, so the vines rarely go thirsty, and many producers dig their cellars into it. The Côte des Bar, in the south, is on marl, closer to the soils of Chablis.
5. How Champagne is made: the traditional method
- Pressing: whole bunches, gently, so even black grapes give white juice.
- First fermentation: makes a still, dry, high-acid base wine. The malolactic is optional.
- Blending (assemblage): wines from different villages, grapes and years, including reserve wines.
- Tirage: the blend is bottled with the liqueur de tirage: sugar and yeast.
- Second fermentation in the bottle (prise de mousse): it makes the bubbles, about 6 bar of pressure.
- Ageing on the lees: at least 12 months; the bottle can't be sold until 15 months after tirage for non-vintage, 36 months for vintage. This gives bread, brioche and toast notes.
- Riddling (remuage): the bottles are turned and tilted until the lees slide into the neck.
- Disgorging: the neck is frozen and the plug of lees shot out.
- Dosage: the liqueur d'expédition (wine, usually with some sugar) tops up the bottle and sets the sweetness. Then cork and wire cage.
6. Sweetness levels
| Term | Sugar per litre | Taste |
|---|---|---|
| Brut Nature (Pas Dosé) | Under 3 g, no sugar added | Bone dry |
| Extra Brut | 0–6 g | Very dry |
| Brut | Under 12 g | Dry: the classic style |
| Extra Dry | 12–17 g | Off-dry |
| Sec | 17–32 g | Medium sweet |
| Demi-Sec | 32–50 g | Sweet |
| Doux | Over 50 g | Very sweet |
- Brut Nature (Pas Dosé)
- Sugar per litreUnder 3 g, no sugar added
- TasteBone dry
- Extra Brut
- Sugar per litre0–6 g
- TasteVery dry
- Brut
- Sugar per litreUnder 12 g
- TasteDry: the classic style
- Extra Dry
- Sugar per litre12–17 g
- TasteOff-dry
- Sec
- Sugar per litre17–32 g
- TasteMedium sweet
- Demi-Sec
- Sugar per litre32–50 g
- TasteSweet
- Doux
- Sugar per litreOver 50 g
- TasteVery sweet
The classic trap: Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut. The names come from a time when Champagne was much sweeter than today.
7. Styles and qualities
- Non-vintage (NV): a blend of years, made to taste the same every time: the house style.
- Vintage: one year's harvest only, aged at least 36 months, made only in years the producer chooses.
- Rosé: made by blending a little still red wine into the white before tirage, or coloured by skin contact (maceration or saignée).
- Blanc de Blancs: from white grapes only, usually all Chardonnay.
- Blanc de Noirs: white Champagne from black grapes only, Pinot Noir and/or Meunier.
- Prestige cuvée: a house's top wine, such as Dom Pérignon (Moët & Chandon) or Cristal (Louis Roederer).
8. Labelling terms
- Grand Cru / Premier Cru: all the grapes come from the 17 Grand Cru villages, or from the Premier Cru villages. See Champagne Grand Cru.
- NM: a house (Négociant-Manipulant) that may buy grapes. RM: a grower (Récoltant-Manipulant) using only their own grapes. CM: a cooperative. See all seven codes.
- Millésime: vintage. Cuvée: a blend, or the first and finest juice from the press.
9. Bottle sizes
| Name | Volume | Standard bottles |
|---|---|---|
| Half-bottle | 37.5 cl | ½ |
| Bottle | 75 cl | 1 |
| Magnum | 1.5 l | 2 |
| Jeroboam | 3 l | 4 |
| Rehoboam | 4.5 l | 6 |
| Methuselah | 6 l | 8 |
| Salmanazar | 9 l | 12 |
| Balthazar | 12 l | 16 |
| Nebuchadnezzar | 15 l | 20 |
- Half-bottle
- Volume37.5 cl
- Standard bottles½
- Bottle
- Volume75 cl
- Standard bottles1
- Magnum
- Volume1.5 l
- Standard bottles2
- Jeroboam
- Volume3 l
- Standard bottles4
- Rehoboam
- Volume4.5 l
- Standard bottles6
- Methuselah
- Volume6 l
- Standard bottles8
- Salmanazar
- Volume9 l
- Standard bottles12
- Balthazar
- Volume12 l
- Standard bottles16
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Volume15 l
- Standard bottles20
A trick to remember the order: each name after the jeroboam adds the volume of two bottles until the methuselah, then they jump by four. More on why sommeliers love the magnum.
With food and in service
High acidity and bubbles cut through salt and fat: oysters, fried food, sushi, soft cheeses. Serve at 8 to 10°C. In the service exam, hold the bottle low at the base with your thumb in the punt, and keep a thumb on the cork from the moment the cage comes loose.
Quick quiz
Question 1
Which of these grapes is NOT used for Champagne?
- a)Chardonnay
- b)Meunier
- c)Sauvignon Blanc
- d)Pinot Noir
Show answerAnswer
c) Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc is not allowed. The three main grapes are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier.
Question 2
Which area is known above all for Chardonnay?
- a)Montagne de Reims
- b)Côte des Blancs
- c)Côte des Bar
- d)Vallée de la Marne
Show answerAnswer
b) Côte des Blancs. The Côte des Blancs, south of Épernay, is the Chardonnay area.
Question 3
Where does the second fermentation of Champagne take place?
- a)In a stainless steel tank
- b)In oak barrels
- c)In the bottle
- d)In the press
Show answerAnswer
c) In the bottle. The traditional method makes the bubbles in the bottle the wine is sold in.
Question 4
Which is the driest?
- a)Brut
- b)Extra Dry
- c)Brut Nature
- d)Sec
Show answerAnswer
c) Brut Nature. Brut Nature has under 3 g of sugar per litre and no sugar added.
Question 5
Which is sweeter, Extra Dry or Brut?
- a)Brut
- b)Extra Dry
- c)They are the same
- d)It depends on the vintage
Show answerAnswer
b) Extra Dry. Extra Dry has 12–17 g of sugar per litre; Brut has under 12 g.
Question 6
Blanc de Noirs is made from…
- a)White grapes only
- b)Black grapes only
- c)Red wine blended with white
- d)Grand Cru grapes only
Show answerAnswer
b) Black grapes only. Blanc de Noirs is white Champagne from Pinot Noir and/or Meunier.
Question 7
What is the minimum time between bottling and sale for non-vintage Champagne?
- a)9 months
- b)12 months
- c)15 months
- d)36 months
Show answerAnswer
c) 15 months. 15 months, of which at least 12 on the lees. Vintage needs 36 months.
Question 8
How many standard bottles does a jeroboam of Champagne hold?
- a)2
- b)3
- c)4
- d)6
Show answerAnswer
c) 4. A jeroboam is 3 litres: four 75 cl bottles.
For more questions on every region, try my Level 1 practice test. For the next step, see Champagne for the Certified exam, or ask SOMM DIGI AI to quiz you on Champagne.
Questions people ask
What are the three main grapes of Champagne?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier.
What is the traditional method?
Making sparkling wine with a second fermentation in the bottle it is sold in, followed by ageing on the lees, riddling, disgorging and dosage.
What does Brut mean on Champagne?
Dry: under 12 grams of sugar per litre. It is the classic style.
How many glasses are in a bottle of Champagne?
Six glasses of 12.5 cl from a standard 75 cl bottle; twelve from a magnum.
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