Understanding the Maillard Reaction in Champagne

Nikita Malhotra

March 20, 2024

I remember when I was first instructed on the Maillard reaction, it was in reference to steak, what to look for and techniques in cooking a beautiful piece of meat. It was a very basic introduction, but the association of deliciousness with the Maillard reaction was firmly set for me that day. It also ensured that I would always be mindful when cooking steak. Everything became a bit more intentional because I understood that this reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars in the presence of heat contributed so much to the experience of enjoying a piece of steak. The crust and brown color forming on the outer parts of the meat would delight me as I stood in front of a grill. I continued to hear about the Maillard reaction from bread, beer and coffee; but how the reaction plays out in sparkling wine reignited my interest, and so down the rabbit hole we go!

The Maillard reaction was first studied by Louis-Camille Maillard in the 1910s, and was initially understood through the brown color formations and and flavor contributions in thermally processed foods. These reactions represent a large group of chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars. Now we recognize that this reaction also occurs in low temperature conditions. The conditions under which champagne is produced and stored, at low temperatures, with a low pH, high acidity, and aging for some time on dead yeast cells, allows us to attribute the classic champagne notes of caramel, roasted bread, brioche, and nutty notes to the Maillard reaction. This is of course an over simplification, because champagne has many variables in terms of chemical reactions, but nonetheless, this reaction offers us some insight into Champagne and can be understood as the broad category of biochemical events grouped as Maillard reactions.

Nikita pouring champagne and thinking about Maillard Reactions

One thing that stuck out to me in my review of this relationship between the Maillard reaction and champagne was that I could give a scientific reason as to why I always prefer champagne over sparkling wine made with hybrid grape varieties. There was a study conducted where they tested traditional method sparkling wines produced from V. labrusca hybrid varieties compared to Chardonnay sparkling wines over an 18-month period of lees aging. The sum of amino acids was reportedly lower for all hybrid varieties compared to Chardonnay, which suggests that hybrid grape varieties have less potential for undergoing the reaction. Imagine being able to recite that instead of the ubiquitous ‘I don’t like natty wines’ sentiment uttered when someone tries to engage you with a sparkling wine from Ohio made with Niagara grapes!

The reason why I first got wrangled into researching the Maillard Reaction in relation to champagne production was a question posed about age-ability for zero dosage wines. We know that the type of sugar and concentration used in dosage affect the taste of the wine, and we can surmise on how the Maillard Reaction correlates with dosage. Obviously, sugars introduced as the dosage represent a significant source of reducing sugars- thus sugar percentage of the dosage can impact the series of chemical reactions and thus the aromas. But both the impact of sugar type or even the addition of this dosage on the wine remain unknown in terms of the scientific nature of this reaction.

My research did not deliver a clear cut answer as to whether or not there will be a marked difference in profile in terms of age for zero dosage wines in comparison with champagne with higher dosage levels from decades ago. But as more research and experiments are presented, there might be a reasonable answer not too far on the horizon. All I know is that a glass of champagne, with all its complex aromas, elicits the same joy I had grilling meat and watching the Maillard Reaction unfold before me.