What is the first step in Champagne production?

• A. Harvesting grapes, picked early to preserve acidity
• B. Fermenting
• C. Aging in oak
• D. Filtering

Answer: (A)

Harvesting grapes is the first step because Champagne’s signature freshness and structure come from the acidity in the grapes. In the cool climate of the region, grapes are picked early to retain high acidity and relatively low sugar, which helps the resulting base wines stay bright and age well through the long process that follows. Harvest is typically done by hand and quickly moves the fruit to the press to preserve quality and minimize damage.

After harvest, the grapes are pressed to extract juice for the base wines, which then undergo fermentation to become still wines, followed by blending, a second fermentation in the bottle for the bubbles, and aging. The other steps—fermenting, aging in oak, and filtering—occur later in the production sequence and are not the initial action of making Champagne.