Champagne Flashcards
where is Champagne located?
northeast of France
what is Champagne know for producing?
the most prestigious sparkling wine in the world - called Champagne
what is Champagne?
both a protected region and wine style
Which entity has worked to ensure that Champagne honors its name?
Comite Interpreofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) now called Comite Champagne.
What is the true definition of Champagne?
a traditional method sparkling wine from grapes grown within the appellation
What is the style of most CHampagne
white, fully sparkling, NV, Brut wine made of a blend of 3 main varieties (Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay)
General SAT for Champagne
medium intensity aromas and flavors of apple, and lemon fruit with brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes
high acidity
med alcohol
good to outstanding quality
mid to premium priced
vintage and cuvee command premium and super premium prices
List the range of styles of Champagne
NV
Vintage
Rose
Blanc de Blancs
Blanc de Noirs
Grand Cru
Premier Cru
Prestige Cuvee
Late release, recently disgorged wines
Describe a NV sparkling wine in Champagne
wine is blended from a number of vintages
normally follows a house-style
blending different parcels of base wine with some wines from earlier vintages can smooth out vintage variation creating a product with the same base profile every year.
Describe Vintage sparkling wine from Champagne
by law, 100% of wine must come from the year indicated
only produced from best vintages, often some variances due to producers rating vintages differently
in some years season is so favorable that vintage is nearly universally declared (2002, 2008)
will still reflect house style but show characteristics of the year
Describe Rose sparkling wine from Champagne
pink wines in CHampagne that are usually made by blending red wines with white.
known in French as rose d’assemblage
skin maceration of black grapes is also permitted and then the wines are bled off and drained off the skins (known as rose de saignee
Describe Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine from Champagne
white wine made from white grapes only.
These wines can be leaner and more austere in youth but often have an unmatched aging potential
Describe Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine from Champagne
white wine made from black grapes only
wines are fuller in body thank Blanc de Blanc, but generally age more rapidly
Describe Grand Cru sparkling wine from Champagne
used as a quality statement
all grapes must have been grown in vineyards belonging to Grand Cru villages
Describe Premier Cru sparkling wine from Champagne
used as a quality statement
all grapes must have been grown in vineyards belonging to premier cru and/or Grand Cru villages
Describe Prestige Cuvee sparkling wine from Champagne
usually the top wine in Champagne’s producer’s range
some houses specialize in making a range of prestige Cuvee wines
should be product of strict selection of best grapes together with meticulous winemaking techniques
can be vintage or NV
Describe late release and recently disgorged sparkling wines from Champagne
wines that have seen extended aging on the lees and are disgorged just before released to market ready to be consumed immediately
What is the difference between wines that are from the same vintage but are disgorged earlier?
different flavor profile, initially seem more youthful but tend to age more rapidly than standard vintage wines
in what type of wines is the impact of disgorgement greater
older wines
Name two examples of late release recently disgorged styles
Bollinger RD or Dom Perignon P2
Besides Sparkling wines what other kinds of wines are made in Champagne
still rose from PInot Noir (AOC Rose des Ricey’s, tiny appellation in Cote des Bar) and still red,white and rose in AOC Coteaux Champenois
but in practice, they are mainly light in body high acidity pale ruby Pinot Noir
Historically how was wine produced in CHampagne?
pink and still using Pinot Noir
What would occur in the cold winters of the northernly region of Champage
fermentation would halt, but started again when the temp rose which turned it into sparkling wine
In what market did sparkling wine from Champagne first become fashionable?
england
How did England assist with the production of sparkling wine in the mid 17th C?
they produced glass in coal-fired ovens that made the bottles reliable to withstand the pressure
How did Dom Pierre Perignon contribute to the development of Champagne
producing white wine from black grapes, inventing the Conquard basket press, and by blending wines (assemblage) to make a superior wine from different areas of the region
thought have also re-introduced the cork stopper into France and pioneered the use of stronger English glass
What did Dom Perignon consider a fault?
fizziness
What were developments in the 19th C
controlled 2nd fermentation in the bottle using a measured amount of added sugar and yeast to produce a known pressure in the bottle
riddling (remuage) using pupitres which were developed by Madame Clicquot (known as Veuve, “widow”)
Controlled 2nd fermentation and riddling led the way for what?
disgorgement, following the dipping of the neck of the bottle in an ice cold bath of salty water, enabling the rapid production of clear wine on a large scale
When was a dry style of CHampagne created? where did it first appear?
the last quarter of the 19th C
In England next to the sweeter styles
In what century was the vineyard area of Champagne defined?
early part of the 20th C
When was the current AOC boundary in Champagne set? why was this so important
1927
due to the latter defense of the GI stating “Champagne only come from Champagne France
What is echelle des crus ?
rating system used to determine grape prices (market now determines)
literally means “ladder of growths”
mostly used to determine grand cru and premier cru villages
formed after the AOCs were formed
what is the blocage system?
latter called reserve wines, introduced in 20th C
portion of young wines was set aside as an insurance policy against future disasters that might reduce yields
now used to enable reduction in vintage variation and increase of quality by blending NV wines
adds depth and complexity and raises quality of NV Champagne.
Where is Champagne located?
in North east France just south of the 50th parallel directly east of Paris
How big is CHampagne?
large region extending 150 km north to south and nearly 120 km from east to west
how many sub regions are in Champagne
5
What are the sub regions of Champagne and where are they located?
three around Epernay (Montagne de Reims, The Valle de la Marne, and the Cotes de Blancs)
Cote de Sezanne (south of Cotes de Blancs)
Cote de Bar (100 km south and closer to Chablis than to Epernay
What is the climate in Champagne?
cool continental with some oceanic influences
How much rain per year does Champagne get? and at what times of year?
700mm which is adequate for growing grapes
spread throughout the year
What is the temperature in Champagne and what problems does this cause?
average annual temp is 11C which is only possible to ripen wine successfully a couple of years out of a decade
causes low alcohol, acidic-based wines which are ideal for production of traditional method sparkling wines
When can rain reduce yields
flowering or fruit set
during harvest due to fungal disease and dilution of crop
What changes has the climate made over the last 30 years and what impact has this caused?
it has warmed
harvest dates have moved forward on average by 18 days
average acidity has dropped and potential alcohol has risen by 0.7%
What positive has Champagne seen from Climate change?
DUE TO IT BEING A COOL REGION the result is the conditions can more consistently produce ripe grapes and fewer poor vintages
What type of soil is found in Champagne
in the wider region of the Paris basin there is a thick layer of chalk an old seabed
What area of Champagne has proven to be the most valuable for high quality grapes suitable to make base wines
northern part
What soil content is thought to be beneficial in the production of high quality Chardonnay in particular?
high chalk
What are the most common soils found in Champagne?
chalky soils with limestone subsoil and chalk itself.
What type of soil is porous and what is a benefit of that?
chalk
holds water providing steady supply of water even in dry periods
How high are vineyards above sea level in Champagne
most are between 90-300m
How are vineyards planted and how does this benefit them
on slopes and well-draining soils allowing them sufficient water to survive while avoiding water logging
What subregion is know for it’s black grapes and is more of a plateau than a mountain?
Montagne de Reims
what are the grand cru villages of Montagne de Reims
Mailly, Verenay, verzy, Ambonnay, and Bouzy
what is unusual about some of the top villages?
some of them face north providing cool climate sites through they are more prone to frost
what do wines from Montagne de Reims tend to have?
high acidity and austere in youth
what grape varieties are found in Montagne de Reims?
most known for black varieties (Pinot Noir and Meunier, but also has important vineyards of Chardonnay
what are the soils like in Montagne de Reims?
they vary but the grand crus are on chalky soils which provide excellent balance between water retention and drainage
What is the primary plantings in Vallee de la Marne?
Meunier
Where is Vallee de la Marne located?
west of Epernay
what type of soil is found in Valle de la MArne?
clay, marl and sand which produces fruity wines
When is bud break for Meunier compared to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?
Meunier buds later and ripens earlier which makes it well adapted to this frost prone valley
What is Chardonnay used for in Valle de la Marne?
used to blend into early drinking wines
What grand cru village is located in Vallee de la Marne
Ay
which sub region runs at right angles to the Vallee de la Marne?
Cotes de Blancs
Where is Cote de Blancs located
due south of Epernay
Where does the name of the Cote de Blancs sub region come from
the fact that it is almost exclusively devoted to white grape production
What is the soil type in Cote de Blancs?
purest of chalk providing excellent balance between retention and drainage
How much of plantings are of CHardonnay in Cote de Blancs?
95%
What 4 Grand Cru Villages are included in the Cote de Blancs?
Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
What types of wines are produced from the grand cru villages in Cote de Blancs?
great intensity and longevity, that tend to be somewhat austere in youth
What subregion is a continuation of the Cote de Blancs?
Cote de Sezanne
What kind of soils does Cote de Sezenne have?
mostly clay and clay/silt soils with some pockets of chalk
What is the variety most planted in Cote de Sezenne?
Chardonnay
Where are the grapes planted in Cote de Sezenne? why?
on warmer south east facing slopes leading to fruiter riper grapes
How is the quality of grapes in Cote de Sezenne in comparison to the other sub regions (besides Cote des Bar)
lower in quality
Where is Cote de Bar located?
large area in the south of Champagne
How much of the vineyard area in Cote de bar is planted to Pinot Noir? why?
nearly 1/4
steep slopes and soils with limestone elements with excellent drainage help Pinot Noir to ripen well
What are the soils in Cote de bar?
Kimmeridgian calcareous marls, also found nearby in Sancerre and Chablis
What makes Cote de Bar an important region for PInot Noir?
relatively small plantings of Pinot Noir are grown in other sub regions, this region give a full flavored ripe Pinot Noir to blend into NV blends
What three varieties account for over 99% of the grapes grown in Champagne
Pinot Noir (38%)
Meunier (32%)
Chardonnay (30%)
How many ha are planted in CHampagne?
35,000 ha
What are some reasons Chardonnay are being planted more in recent years?
demand for it in big Champagne house
commands slightly higher price per kilo
produces larger yields
What other varieties are grown in very small amounts in Champagne? why?
Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Mesiler, and Fromenteau
to use for blending or to contribute to niche cuvees (ex Laherte’s Les 7 is made of all 7 permitted varieties)
What is another term for Meunier?
Pinot Meunier
How does the Meunier grape compare to Pinot Noir?
it is a mutation of Pinot Noir that has white hairs on its leaves giving it a “floury” appearance (meunier = miller in French)
When does Meunier bud? how does it benefit from this?
It is an early budder, but buds later than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
less prone to spring frosts in cool Vallee de la Marne
What soil does Meunier do best in?
heavier soils like clay where others would not do as well in
What is Meunier susceptible to?
botrytis bunch rot
When does Meunier ripen and how is this beneficial?
ripens earlier than Pinot Noir
helpful in seasons where harvest is interrupted by rain
What does Meunier contribute to a CHampagne blend?
fruity wine
softness
particularly important for NV wines which are often aged on lees for shorter time and drunk on release rather than aged
When is Meunier typically not used?
for wines meant to be aged long
When planting is done in Champagne what do regulations require?
max inner row spacing of 1.5 meters and an intra row spacing of 0.9-1.5 meters with total spacing never reaching more than 2.5 meters
What is the average planting density in Champagne?
8,000 vines /ha
Why can grapes be grown at high yields in Champagne?
not necessary for the tannins to be ripe, and flavors and colors to be concentrated
How many approved training, pruning, and trellising systems are approved in Champagne? name them
4
Taille Chablis
Cordon du Royat
Guyot
Valle de la Marne
When did training systems become regulated in CHampange?
1938
What is the best training system for Chardonnay?
Taille CHablis
Describe the Taille Chablis training system
usually has 3-4 cordons (old wood) but may have a mx of 5. at the end of each cordon is a spur with up to 5 buds. its a form of spur pruuning retaining a large proportion of permanent wood which can protect against frosts
How often are Taille Chablis spurs grown?
at yearly intervals
What is the max that Taille Chablis spurs can be trained above the ground? why?
0.6m
to ensure ripening fruit gets the benefit of solar energy (head and light) reflected from the soil esp on chalk
What training system is used for Pinot Noir and Meunier?
Cordon du Royat
Describe the Cordon du Royat training system
vine has a single cordon that is spur-pruned and the shoots are vertically positioned
Where is Guyot system permitted in CHampagne? and for what varieties?
less rated vineyards for all three varieties
Describe Guyot training system
replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning (Single or Double)
Describe Vallee de la Marne
similar to Guyot but with higher number of buds
being used less now than in the past
What is the average number of fruiting buds per vine for all of the systems used in Champagne?
must not exceed 18 per square meter
What type of pests are a threat in Champagne?
dagger nematodes - spreads fan leaf
What type of diseases are a threat in Champagne?
downy and powdery mildew , botrytis
What are some weather hazards that are a threat in Champagne?
occasional severe winter frosts (kill vines or parts of vines)
spring frosts destroying new buds or reducing yields
disruption of flowering and fruit set due to cold or rainy
weather in June (reduce yields, produce ripe or under rip grapes together)
violent storms and hail in summer damage grapes and vines
hot and humid weather in summer esp after heavy rainfall leading to rapid spread of botrytis
Champagne is one of the first regions to promote what at a regional level?
Sustainable viticulture
How are pests controlled using sustainable viticulture?
reducing use of pesticides and increasing sexual confusion techniques
How are soils protected under sustainable viticulture?
management of groundwater on slope and increased use of cover crops to enhance biodiversity
How are sustainable practices carried over to the winery as well?
water management schemes
recycling of waste and byproducts
Why did CHampange introduce a lighter weight bottle in and when?
for non vintage cuvees to assist with sustainability (new bottle 60 g lighter and estimated reduction of in C02 output in 8,000 tonnes
2010
Who is responsible for setting Harvest dates and yields in Champagne?
Comite Champagne
How are harvest dates and yields set in CHampagne?
taking grape samples from about 450 control plots from the time of verasion and measuring rate of color change, the average weight, sugar concentration, acidity, and incidence of botrytis
The harvest dates are set dates that producers have to start picking. True or False?
False - they are only start dates and producers can pick any time after that date.
When can producers begin picking earlier than the harvest date?
Only after applying to the INAO to start picking earlier
(this may occur if botrytis is beginning to set in
What is the INAO?
Institut national de l’origine et de la qualite
What is the purpose of setting the yields by Comite Champagne?
to protect quality of wine by avoiding over cropping which can dilute fruit flavors. also to protect price and regulate supply and demand
What occurs in good vintages of Champagne?
a portion of the crop are set aside as reserve wines, as a precaution against future crops failure or lower quality vintages
Is Comite Champagne responsible for reserve crops?
yes with the upper limits being controlled by EU (15,500 Kl/ha) yields achieved in big production years of 2006 and 2007 part of which was placed in reserve
What are the CHampagne AOC regulations on harvest and pressing?
hand picked and whole bunch pressed
what does whole bunch picking by hand avoid?
crushing and oxidation and microbial spoilage and preserves fruit quality
How long does harvest last in CHampagne?
about 3 weeks
About how many people are needed for harvest in CHampagne each year?
100,000
How are grapes collected during harvest?
in preforated bins with max capacity of 50 kg
What keeps transportation times to a minimum
there are about 1900 pressing centers located throughout the Champagne regions so the grapes do not have to travel far
Who typically completes the harvest in Champagne
travelling workforce who often return loyally year after year to the same producers. the best who pay pickers premium pay for quality and not just weight.
How is Champagne made and what was it historically known as?
traditional method or methode champenoise
Explain how grapes are pressed in Champagne
whole bunches are pressed with gradual increase of pressure to ensure high quality juice, low phenolic, and to make white wine from Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes
How much is a marc?
4,000 kilos of grapes
How many grapes were loaded traditionally by hand into a basket press>
a marc
What other types of presses are also used now in Champagne besides basket?
pneumatic and hydraulic horizontal press
what is the max yield
normally 79 hl/ha but can be raised to 98 hl/ha and the surplus put into reserves
After the grapes are pressed what is the next step in the winemaking process?
juice is separated into fractions and extracted strictly limited to two parts the cuvee and the taille
what is the cuvee in terms of pressing wine?
the first 2500 liters (per 4000 kilos of grapes) made up of the free run juice and the first pressing
what is the taille in terms of pressing wine?
the second part of the total press fractions of 500 liters
What is the benefit of limiting total wine pressing?
protects wine quality by avoiding over extraction of phenolics and maintains fruit flavor
what are the qualities of tallie
lower acidity, but richer in color pigments and phenolics
can be useful in some blends helping to produce wines that are more expressive in youth but do not have same aging potential
what are the qualities of cuvee
rich in acids and produces wine with great finesse and long aging potential
what type of fraction is used more in NV sparkling wines in Champagne? why?
taille, useful addition to some blends helping to produce wines that are more expressive in youth and but do have some aging potential
Is chapitalization allowed in CHampagne?
yes but only when the natural sugar levels are not high enough to produce a wine with min alcohol level of 11 abv
What is the max alcohol level for Champagne as regulated by EU
13% abv
How do most producers choose to ferment their wines in Champagne?
temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
although an increasing number are re-introducing some oak esp in form of large oak foudres for the first fermentation
Why are some producers returning to the use of oak for 1st fermentation?
introduce more texture richness and mouthfeel
Why would wine producers decide to use malolactic conversion after the first fermentation?
reduce and soften acidity of final wine
some will use it when needed ie in cooler years
why would wine producers decide to avoid malolactic conversion
feel the style of wine is better without this method
with what type of harvests is malolactic conversion normally the choice of the producer?
warmer harvests
what is the aim of assemblage (blending)
create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts
what type of blending may be done?
combining wines from different vineyards, grape varieties and vintages,
who does blending depend on?
the chef de cave (master blender) to predict the development of the wine over time before 2nd fermentation and maturation has even begun
what type of Champange is blending critical for?
NV - as base wines must be blended to achieve a constant style year on year reducing the influence of the vintage and retaining the specific style of Champagne house.
what makes retaining a specific type of NV Champagne easier to do?
if the chef de cave has a number of base wines available
how can the larger houses benefit in terms of retaining base wines
they have the capacity and financial strength - allowing more than 100 base wines can be available for blending
also reduces risk that cannot be made in any one year because of damage caused by disease frost or localised hail
How much reserve wine is used to create particular styles of wine for large brands? premium brands?
10-15% often from one or two vintages
some premium brands have up to 30-40% older wines to add complexity and depth
Explain how storing reserve wines can impact the wine?
if producing large vols = kept in reductively stainless steel container making a small but important difference in terms of complexity of the final wine
Old Oak = adding mildly oxidative notes
Name some more unusual options for aging reserve wines
magnums (Bollinger), or keeping a perpetual reserve where wine is drawn off every year for blending and is replaced with young wine (adds complexity)
how is most Champagne Rose made?
by blending a small proportion of still-dry red (Pinot Noir and Meunier) with the white bases to achieve desired flavor profile
Name an example of a Rose Champagne that is made by leaving the wine in contact with the black skins
Laurent Perrier
What is difficult about making rose by leaving wine in contact with the skins?
yeast absorbs color pigments from the wine during each fermentation so achieving desired color in the finished sparkling wine requires experience and expertise
What is the next step after blending in winemaking in Champagne?
2nd fermentation and blending
What is added to Champagne at the 2nd fermentation stage? why?
liqueur de tirage due to this being made in traditional method
What is one of the most important stages in the production of all traditional method wines? why?
practice of lees aging
during this time the brioche and/or biscuit characters typical of all Champagne wines develop through autolysis
why are biscuit and brioche flavors more prominent in Champagne than other sparkling wines made with traditional method?
it is a cooler climate and therefore has lower intensity of primary fruit present
What is the min time spent maturing for NV sparkling wines?
15 months in the cellar, which includes 12 months on the lees
What are the aging requirements for Vintage sparkling wines?
min 12 months on the lees and cannot be released until 3 years after tirage.
Most will aged must longer than 12 months on the lees
How long does it take for lees to stop making a change to the wine?
DOESN’T MAKE MUCH CHANGE AFTER A DECADE
What can be done to help protect wine from oxidative development? what is a benefit of this?
keeping wine undisgorged and in contact with the lees
can lead to late disgorged and can attract higher prices
What is the sweetness of Champagne determined by?
the amount of sugar in the liqueur d’expedition
Beside the sugar, what else is important in the liqueur d’expedition? why?
the nature of the wine
can be youthful base wine from current vintage giving light fresh aromas or aged reserve wine set aside in cask, barrel or magnum to provide aromas of baked apple and dried fruit
How can liqueur d’expedition be used in rose sparkling wines?
correct color differences
How are Champagne bottles sealed?
with a cork that must display the name Champagne and state the vintage where appropriate
IN terms of Wine Law and Business how is Champagne seen?
One very large appellation
when and why was echelle des crus created?
early 20th C
to establish the prices to be paid for grapes
how did the echelle des crus work?
the 17 villages that became grand cru villages were all rated 100 percent
42 premier cru villages = 90-99%
297 other villages = 80-89%
historically Comite Champagne had fixed the prices then the price paid reflected what was given to the village
HOw did the echelle des crus system end?
with pressure from the EU
How are Champagne prices determined today?
by the market with the biggest buyer of all Moet & Chandon in effect setting the trend
How does grand cru and premier cru designation work?
its established as a village on a whole - if all the grapes come from that village the village can appear on the label
it will be simply “Grand Cru” if the fruit comes from a number of grand cru villages
Why is it a controversy that the grand cru and premier village designations refers to villages as a whole?
there is variation within a village due to aspects, soil and other factors and some villages are bigger than others
What do large Champagne houses focus on instead of promoting the names of individual villages?
blended wines and an emphasis on the quality of vintage or prestige cuvvee
How many growers are found in CHampagne? How much of the vineyards do they own>
15,000
90%
How many Champagne houses do the growers own?
360
What do the vast majority of the grower do with their grapes
sell to either the CHampagne houses or to co-opperatives
What do co-operatives provide to the growers and houses?
a bridging point - the houses sell most of the Champagne but only own about 10% of the vineyard
What role do Brokers play?
important role in finding wine for the houses acting as a go-between
What does NM or Negociant manipulant stand for on a bottle?
businesses referred to as “houses” buy grapes, must or wine, to make Champagne on their own premises and market it under their own label. All big Champagne houses belong to this category (abbreviation is negociant)
group as a whole is the negoce
What does RM or Recoltant manipulant stand for on a bottle?
commonly referred to as “growers” make and market their own label from grapes exclusively sourced from their own vineyards and processed on their premises
What does Cm or Cooperative de manipulation stand for on a bottle?
co-operatives that market CHampagne under their own label from member’s grapes
Who does LVMH (largest grouping) own?
Moet & CHandon, Dom Perignon, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart and Krug
Who does Vranken Pommery Monopole own?
Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsieck, Charles Lafitte and Bissinger
HOw much of sales by value do the top 5 groupings in CHampagne houses account for
2/3
How much of Champagne sales are to the domestic market?
just under half
What was the total shipment of champagne in the decade to 2019
300 million bottles per year
What are the strengths of Champagne houses
biggest sales (73% of all Champagne sales) and relatively strong with export (88% of exports)
What is the strength of Co-Operatives in CHampagne?
overall sales are small and evenly split between domestic and export however, Nicolas Feuillatte is the 3rd biggest Champagne selling brand on its own
What is the strength of growers?
most of their wines are in the home market
What is one of the roles of COmite Champagne
to manage the relationship between CHampagne houses, growers and co-operatives
each group also has their own organization that represents them
What have co-operatives diversified their business to in the recent years in Champagne?
they have moved to making and promoting their own brands
What have Champagne houses diversified their business to in the recent years in Champagne?
to buy their own grapes directly from growers or via agents and deal less with co-operatives
How can the region influence the supply and demand of Champagne
by setting the max yields of grapes (# of kilos per hectare) that can be made into Champagne in the coming Harvest
How many parts are there to the yield setting system in CHampagne? what are they?
two
grapes yield for base wine for the coming year
an allowance for wines to go into reserves
What is setting yields in Champagne done in light of?
current stocks, world demand, and the progress of the season until the decision is made in late July
What is the average yield in Champagne over the last decade
10,500 k/ha
Why is the average bottle price low in CHampagne
due to volume of inexpensive Champagne sold in supermarkets in France
although the average percentage of the cheapest (under 12 Euros) has dropped steadily recently while the percentage of wine over 20 euros has risen steadily
what are the main export markets for Champagne?
UK, USA, Japan, Germany, and Belgium in order by vol (2018)
What are the two markets with highest price paid per bottle for CHampagne?
USA and Japan
What market is the biggest by volume and lowest and also the lowest average bottle price in the top 10 exports destinations
UK
Why is CHampagne repositioning itself away from the volume market?
in light of the mid priced sparkling wine esp Prosecco
What is the focus on now in CHampagne in terms of price
wine at higher price points, vol has dropped 10% but value has risen by 25% in the decade to 2018
what is the price for Champagnes?
they are high (6.10 euros per kilo with around 1.2 kg of grapes needed to produce one 75cl bottle of Champagne and represents a very large proportion of the cost of the product
Is non vintage or vintage champagne more expensive to produce?
vintage because it is more likely to be made with higher rated grapes (grand cru and premier cru)
What is a financial problem with vintage Champagne?
cannot be sold for at least 3 years (15 months for NV) which delays financial return - leading to cash flow problems
What increases costs for Champagne wines?
rose - as red wine is required
using oak
vintage champagne
grand cru and premier crus
How much is spent per bottle on average for marketing? grapes? total production costs? commercialization
20%
How much is spent per bottle on average for grapes? total production costs? commercialization
50%
30%
20%
How do many of the larger houses handle marketing now?
set up particular markets to handle selling their wines which many are part of conglomerates that have the distributor system in place to support several brands
How do some Champagne houses use agents to distribute their wine
houses provide a budget to promote and market the wines
What do a small number of growers use to sell wines internationally
specialized agents who champion growers wine in small specialist shops and private clients and the hospitality sector.
Because they lack money to do large marketing campaigns how do growers promote their wines?
through visits in person to key markets
what two styles of Champagne have gained ground in the market? By how much have they grown in the decade to 2018.
Brut and Extra Brut
by more than 2/3
WHat is the style of Champagne that has become a small niche market of wines sold primarily in specialist wine shops and restaurants
Brut Nature
Explain how sweet Champagnes have become a trend? who started this trend?
they are used to drink over ice and in cocktails
Moet & CHandon
By how much has the rose Champagne shipments increased since the beginning of the century?
from 3% to 10%
What two Champagne brands have made investments in Rose Champagne which have helped to increase the demand
Moet & Chandon
Veuve Clicquot
What type of Champagne has attracted interest in the higher priced category?
single vineyard Champagnes
How has grower Champagnes increased in interests and why?
fruit is grown and a complete wine-making process is carried out by a small company
growers are free to allow marked variations (varieties. blends, vintages, NV) from wines year to year
What are some examples of growers that carry out the entire CHampagne process themself
Domaine Jacques Selosse (Cote des Blancs)
Champagne Jacquesson (Montagne des Reims)
Champagne Drappier (Cote des Bar)
