Champagne Flashcards
What brought about the emergence of Champagne as a sparkling wine?
During the Middle Ages, Champagne was a crossroad for European merchants. Wealthy textile barons in Reims were gifting their customers with cases of serendipitously sparkling wine which they ended up wanting more than the textiles.
When was the first champagne house founded?
Ruinart - 1729
What did the King’s decree in 1728 allow for?
Champagne to be transported and traded in bottles rather than in casks.
During which period did champagne become the drink of the wealthy?
During the beginning of the 20th century it was the drink of the prosperous belle époque (beautiful age) and the Roaring Twenties.
What is the climate of Champagne?
Continental with maritime influences. Barely achieves enough sunlight to ripen the grapes. Rainall is fairly proportionate all year round.
Describe the seasons of Champagne
Spring - frosts are common & severe.
Summers - warm but maritime influences result in cloud cover
Autumn - often brings frost
Winters - brutal freezes
What are the main soil types in Champagne?
Belemnite and Micraster Chalk
Kimmeridgian Marl (AKA Virgulien Marl)
Sand, clay and marls
Which type of chalk is preferred and why?
Belemnite due to its location on the upper to mid-slope levels
What are Belemnite and Micraster chalk made up of?
Belemnite: fossilised squid
Micraster: fossilised sea-urchins
Where is Kimmeridgian Marl found?
Cote des Bar
What is chalk? What style of wines does it produce?
Type of porous limestone. It produces wines with high acidity and reserved aromatics.
What is meant by dry and wet Champagne?
Dry Champagne: areas where chalk is the subsoil as it drains the moisture from the topsoil like a sponge
Wet Champagne: limestone-rich marls of the Cote des Bar which don’t have good water retention properties
What styles of wine do sand soils produce?
Fruity wines that are open and easy-drinking
What styles of wine do clay soils produce?
Mineral rich wines that need time to age before they express themselves truly.
Why are limestone-rich marls the preferred soil types for Pinot Noir?
Delivers deeply aromatic, earthy wines.
What is the history of the Echelle dus Crus? What was its intention?
Created in 1911 to rank the wine-producing villages and the vineyards that surround them as one entity. It was supposed to help recognise differnent terroirs. Villages were ranked 80-100% with 100% being Grand Cru, 90-99% being 1er Cru, 80-89% being Cru. The historical price for grapes in Champagne was based on the Grand Cru fruit. The lesser rated vineyards got proportionately less money for their fruit (i.e. a vineyard rated 85% would get offered 85% of the price)
What was Dom Pérignon’s contribution to Champagne?
He created the cuvée of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier.
What was Veuve Cliquot’s (Ponsardin) contribution to Champagne?
She invented the process of riddling.
What was Madame Pommery’s contribution to Champagne?
She championed the move from sweeter styles to dry styles.
What are the 4 main sub-regions of Champagne?
The Montagne & Val de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Cote des Blancs & surroundings
Cote des Bar
What were the tradtional grapes of Champagne?
Gouais (Blanc & Noir)
Fromenteau (AKA Pinot Gris)
What are the modern grapes of Champagne?
Pinot Noir (38%) Pinot Meunier (34%) Chardonnay (28%)
What are the 4 ancillary grapes in Champagne?
Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Arbanne & Petit Meslier
Name the dominant grapes of the following terroirs within The Montagne & Val de Reims: Massif de Saint-Thierry Vesle and Andre Valleys Monts de Berru Grande Montagne de Reims
Massif de Saint-Thierry (PM)
Vesle and Andre Valleys (PM)
Monts de Berru (C)
Grande Montagne de Reims (PN)
Name the dominant grapes of the following terroirs within Vallée de la Marne: Grand Vallée de la Marne Coteaux Sud d'Epernay Vallée de la Marne Rive Gauche Vallée de la Marne Rive Droite Condé Vallée de la Marne Ouest
Grand Vallée de la Marne (PN) Coteaux Sud d'Epernay (C/PM) Vallée de la Marne Rive Gauche (PM) Vallée de la Marne Rive Droite (PM) Condé (PM) Vallée de la Marne Ouest (PM)
Name the dominant grapes of the following terroirs within The Cote des Blancs & surroundings: Cote des Blancs Val du Petit Morin Cote de Sézanne Vitryat Montgeux
Cote des Blancs (C) Val du Petit Morin (C/PM) Cote de Sézanne (C) Vitryat (C) Montgeux (C)
Name the dominant grapes of the following terroirs within the Cote des Bar:
Bar sur Aubois
Barséquanais
Bar sur Aubois (PN)
Barséquanais (PN)
Briefly outline the steps of the traditional method of making sparkling wine
Base wine production, blending reserve wines, tirage, prise de mousse, elevage sur lattes, remuage, dégorgement, dosage
How does the ancestral method work? What are potential issues?
One fermentation with a winter pause. Lack of control over the winter freeze and therefore impossible to judge how much sugar would be left for the yeast to metabolise come spring. Cloudy and gritty wines are produced due to the presence of dead yeast cells.
Define the following terms: Cuvée Tirage Prise de Mousse Liqueur de Tirage Remuage Dégorgement Liqueur de Dosage/d'Expédition
Cuvée - blend
Tirage - bottling
Prise de Mousse - 2nd fermentation
Liqueur de Tirage - yeast and sugar added
Remuage - riddling
Dégorgement - disgorgement
Liqueur de Dosage/d’Expédition - sugar and still reserve wine
What role did the Spanish cork play in the developement of the Champagne method?
Prior to the cork, bottles were sealed with wooden plugs that had been wrapped in oil-soaked hemp. The re-discovery of cork in the 17th century allowed for the first air-tight wine bottle closures. The cork has unique compressible and expandable properties.
What role did English glass play in the developement of the Champagne method?
The strength of English glass is attributed to the Admiral of the Royal Navy convincing the king to prohibit the use of wood in glass blowers’ furnaces as the wood was needed to build boats. Coal was the replacement which burned hotter and delivered a more steady source of heat. Prior to this 17th century glass which could withstand 6 atmospheres of pressure, glass bottles would often burst. Cellar workers in France wore fencing masks when working in the cellars.
What are the sweetness levels from driest to sweetest?
Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Sec, Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux
What are the names of the three different shapes a cork goes?
Cylindrical - original shape
Juponé - the mushroom shape as the cork expands over time
Chevillé - the peg shape old corks go when the integrity of the cork faulters
What is the difference between NV and vintage champagne?
NV - 12 months on lees + 3 months in cellar
vintage - 12 months on lees + 24 months in cellar
What is the Tete de Cuvée?
A champagne house’s prestige bottling
Name the 3 AOCs of Champagne
Rosé des Riceys (100% rosé)
Coteaux Champenois (still)
Champagne (sparkling)
What are pupitres?
‘A’ shaped racks used for riddling
Describe the process of disgorgement
The champagne is chilled to 7 degrees to decrease pressure. The neck of the bottle is set into an icy brine solution that freezes the yeast and wine into an ice plug. The bottles are turned upright, the crown cap is removed and the pressure inside the bottle ejects the ice plug.
What is á la volée?
Traditional disgorgement without chilling the wine. In a quick movement, the crown cap is removed whilst the bottle is turned upright.
What is transversage?
The process of decanting 750ml bottles into larger bottles after disgorgement.
What does NM mean?
Producer incorporates grapes purchased from others in the vinification process.
What does RM mean?
Producer vinifying only their own estate-grown grapes.
What does RC mean?
Grape growers who take their grapes to a co-operative to be vinified and then sell the finished wine under a private label.
What does SR mean?
A group of growers who jointly vinify and sell one or several communal brands.
What does CM mean?
A co-operative cellar that vinifies the grapes of its members.
What does MA mean?
Private label registered by an individual, group or society.
What does ND mean?
Wine buyer who purchases finished wines and gives them their own private label.
What does RD mean on a bottle?
Recently disgorged. This means the wine spent an extended period of time ageing sur lie. They taste like an older champagne without the oxidative effects.
Describe the steps of opening a bottle of wine
Ensure the bottle is thoroughly chilled (reducing pressure and less foaming, delivering a livelier mousse with finer beads). Wipe the bottle dry and remove foil capsule. Place a dry towel over the top of exposed wire cage and cork. Your thumb holds the cork whilst your fingers grip the bottle neck. Un-twist the wire cage (6 turns). Loosen the cage but don’t remove. Never take your hand off the cork. Set the bottle to 45 degrees, grip the bottom of the bottle and twist slowly with one hand turning the bottle, not the cork. Gentle pfft as large bang reduces considerable gas.
How long does hand riddling take vs using a gyropallete?
Hand riddling takes 3 months. Gyropallete takes 1 week.
