Champagne ratafia

This is a traditional alcohol that you've probably already heard of but never tasted: Champagne ratafia. This sweet wine from Champagne was long overshadowed by its big brother with bubbles and its worldwide fame. Winegrowers still take great pride in their wines, but are sometimes reluctant to talk to you about their Champagne ratafia. And yet they often reserve this alcohol for their own consumption, proof of a quality that has nothing to envy to their sparkling beverage.

Today, the Champagne Terroir team invites you to rediscover this traditional alcohol through a selection of the best Champagne winegrowers.

Champagne ratafia, a not so confidential drink

It was in the 13th century that this alcohol first appeared in the history books. At the time, it was mainly used as a means of preserving grapes at a time when drinking water was not commonplace. Over the centuries, it has retained its traditional aspect, becoming a drink reserved for personal consumption by winegrowers.

Since the Second World War, the volume of grapes intended for the elaboration of ratafia has been declining due to champagne popularity. This low production no longer made it possible to promote this alcohol, which was only consumed in the Champagne region itself.

Nevertheless, for a few years now, Champagne ratafia has been given a new lease of life. A new generation of winegrowers, supported by chefs and passionate wine merchants, is campaigning for the rehabilitation of this little-known alcohol. This is demonstrated by the recognition in 2015 of a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) "Ratafia de Champagne" or "Ratafia champenois".

After discussions with our winegrowers, Champagne Terroir decided to offer you a selection of the best Champagne ratafias, while remaining true to our promises: 100% wine shop selection and direct from the estate!

How is Champagne ratafia made?

Now that you know more about the origins of Ratafia, let's look at how it is produced and what distinguishes it from Champagne.

Each producer makes his ratafia in line with his own preferences and family traditions, but still following the PGI specifications.

Champagne ratafia is a wine obtained by mutage. This means that the winemaker adds Champagne pomace (a neutral-tasting Champagne brandy) to the grape must (unfermented grape juice obtained after pressing). The brandy pomace is itself produced from the distillation of champagne pomace. The same grapes used to make Champagne are used to make Champagne ratafia.

The extraordinary originality of ratafia stems from the mixture of these two types of grapes, each having undergone a different treatment. Thus, by blending unfermented grapes and brandy, we obtain the Champagne ratafia, a 17° wine, particularly rich in aromas.

How and when to serve Champagne ratafia?

Unlike its bigger brother, ratafia is a naturally sweet flat wine. Its soft, unctuous, and very expressive flavour makes it an ideal aperitif wine to be served between 7 and 9°. Alternatively, it can be served at the end of a meal to accompany cheese. Cocktail lovers use it as a base to produce surprising and always original mixtures.

Champagne ratafia is also very popular with some cooks for flavouring pancakes, spicing up a fruit salad or deglazing a sauce, for example to accompany foie gras escalopes.

If you are a fine cook and love creativity, you can experiment with Champagne ratafia to give your cooking a unique touch.

Ratafia is undoubtedly one of those alcohols with great potential that you will probably hear more about. But it is sometimes difficult to find a ratafia to your taste. That's why Champagne Terroir offers you its selection of 100% winegrowers' ratafias, directly from the estate and selected by us to give you the best possible foretaste on the potential offered by Champagne winegrowers!