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Vintage
 The grapes must be entirely from the year of the vintage. A vintage champagne is usually the result of careful selection of that year's base wines. Non-vintage wines are still produced in vintage years. In fact, to ensure the consistent quality of non-vintage wines, a maximum of 85% of a year's production can be made into vintage champagne. As there are no base wines from other years, a vintage wine usually takes longer to reach its peak than a non-vintage. Typically, they approach their peak between seven and ten years after harvesting, although this is a matter of personal taste. The ageing adds biscuit and toast notes.
Non-vintage (NV)
 Non-vintage champagnes do not have a declared year, although no rule stops them being a single year's wine. They usually contain 5% to 10% of the previous year's wine, although some will be up to 50% older wines, going back fifteen years or more. Non-vintage does not mean that it is bad; the aim is to blend the base wines to produce a consistent product that is typically ready for drinking much sooner than a vintage wine from the same year. They will still often benefit from a year or two in the cellar, particularly if you prefer the toasty aromas, but their immediacy means that they do not usually have good long-term potential.
Blanc de Blancs
This simply means a white wine produced from white grapes; in the case of Champagne wines, Chardonnay. Such champagnes usually possess the greatest aging potential. They open up with age to give a toasty, biscuity and nutty flavour.
Rosé
 Most rosé champagnes are made by adding a small amount of red wine, as the practice of extracting some of the colour from the black grapes at the pressing stage is too imprecise. They are usually made for drinking young, as they are slightly less acidic than white champagne and they have delicate floral aromas that quickly disappear with age.
Demi-Sec
Champagne's sweetness is varied by the amount of sugar present in the dosage. The three main types seen today are brut, sec and demi-sec. Brut is the driest, sec is medium and demi-sec is considered sweet. It is thus most appreciated served with desserts.
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