Champagne Flashcards
What are the Grand Cru villages of Montage de Reims?
- Sillery
- Puisieulx
- Mailly - Champagne
- Verzenay
- Beaumont - sur - velse
- Verzy - added in 1985
- Louvois
- Bouzy
- Ambonney
- Tours-sur-Marne
What are the Grand Cru villages of Côtes de Blancs?
North to South
- Chouilly - white only, added in 1985
- Oiry - added in 1985
- Cramant
- Avise
- Oger - added in 1985
- Le- Mensil-sur-Oger - added in 1985
What techniques did Dom Perignon contribute to Champagne?
Assemblage and viticulture techniques.
When was the first sparkling wine believed to be enjoyed?
In the late 17th century when wine bottles were made stronger and could handle second fermentations.
What is the oldest Champagne house?
Gosset, founded in 1584
What is the oldest sparkling Champagne house?
Ruinart, established in 1729
Before sparkling wine was made in Champagne, what did winemakers do to try and compete with the wines of Burgundy?
They made white wine from red grapes
What are some famous Champagne houses founded in the 18th century?
- Ruinart
- Taittinger
- Moet et Chandon
- Delamotte
- Veuve Cliquot-Ponsadirin
Sparkling Champagne production was problematic until when?
The early 1800s when key discoveries were made.
Which process did Veuve Clicquot pioneer?
Remuage (riddling)
What did smaller individual growers do because they could not afford the process of making Champagne?
They sold off their fruit to the larger Champagne houses.
Which was the first Champagne house to market “Brut” Champagne?
Pommery in 1874
What was the status of many regular Champagne customers?
A lot of them were royalty - this helped with the image of luxury Champagne created
Which year did the French government delimit the
Champagne region?
In 1908.
The Aube was excluded from the region.
When was the Aube reinstated into the Champagne region?
1927
Which is the only AOP/AOC region in France that does not have to include appellation controlee on the label?
Champagne
While war raged on, who cared for the grape harvests?
Women, children, and the elderly.
Despite the war going on, Champagne made one of its finest vintages of the century in 1914
What existing organization was the CIVC created from?
The commission de Chalons
Who created the CIVC in 1941.
Count Robert-Jean de Vogue of Moet et Chandon.
What does the CIVC do?
It acts as a mediator between small growers and large Champagne houses.
In 1921, what prestige cuvee did Moet et Chandon release?
They released Moet et Chandon “Dom Perignon”
After Moet et Chandon released “Dom Perignon”, what happened?
Many other Champagne houses started to release a Prestige or Tete Cuvee.
What are the main grape varieties of Champagne?
- Pinot Noir: 38% of plantings
- Chardonnay: 31% of plantings
- Pinot Meunier: 31% of plantings
What are some other grape varieties permitted in the Champagne AOP
- Pinot Gris
- Arbane
- Petit Meslier
These other grapes are not common and account for less that .3% of total plantings
What is the average annual temperature of Champagne?
50 degrees F
What parallel is Champagne located?
Between the 48th and 49th parallel.
Why do Champagne houses usually make blends?
Because the quality and ripening of grapes vary from year to year.
What are some climate influences that are a threat to growers in Champagne?
- Frost
- Rain
- Fungal disease
What is the soil like in Champagne?
Chalk
What is the top soil and second layer of soil like in Champagne?
Top Layer: Belemnite Chalk made of fossilized cephalopods and limestone that allows the roots to dig deep and helps grapes retain lots of acidity
Second layer:
Micraster Chalk named after extinct sea urchins
Where are the major commercial Champagne houses located?
In the city of Reims and smaller towns of Epernay and Ay.
How many villages are authorized to grow grapes for the Champagne AOP?
357
These villages are split among 5 districts
How many districts are there in the Champagne AOP?
5.
What are the 5 districts of the Champagne AOP?
- Montagne de Reims
- Vallee de Marne
- Cote des Blancs
- Cote de Sézanne
- The Aube
What is cru status awarded to in Champagne?
Entire villages
How many grand cru/premier crus are there in France?
17 grand crus and 42 premier crus
List 10 most marketed Champagne houses and their Tete Cuvees
- Moet et Chandon “Dom Perignon”
- Taittinger “Comtes de Champagne”
- Louis Roederer “Cristal”
- Laurent-Perrier “Grande Siecle”
- Perrier-Jouet “Belle Epoque”
- Pol Roger “Cuvee Sir Winston Churchill”
- Ruinart “Dom Ruinart”
- Veuve Cliquot-Ponsadirin “La Grande Dame”
- Billecart-Salmon “Nicolas Francois Billecart”
- Bollinger “La Grande Annee”
In which Champagne districts is Pinot Noir most common?
- Montagne de Reims
- The Aube
In which Champagne districts is Chardonnay most common?
- Cote des Blancs
- Cote de Sézanne
Where in Champagne is Pinot Meunier most common?
Vallee de Marne
Why is Vallee de Marne great for Pinot Meunier?
The frost prone vineyards cause late budding and early ripening which is prized by the growers.
How are the vineyards split in Montagne de Reims?
- They are split between south and north facing slopes.
- The higher slopes of the region have a warm pocket of air that allows the grapes to ripen.
NM (Negociant Manipulant)
A house that purchases grapes or base wines from other growers and smaller houses.
What type of producers do the large Champagne houses with the most international presence fall under?
NM
Negociant Manipulant
RM (Recoltant Manipulant)
This is a grower or producer that makes their Champagne from their own fruit.
At least 95% of the grapes must come from their own vineyards.
CM (cooperative manipulant)
A growers co-operative that produces wine under a single brand.
RC (Recoltant Cooperateur)
A grower whose grapes are vinified under a co-operative but whose wines are sold under the growers own label.
SR (Société de Récoltants)
A firm set up by a union of growers who share resources to make wine and market it under several brands.
ND (Négociant Distributeur)
A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make.
MA (Marque d’Acheteur)
A buyer’s own brand, often a large supermarket chain or restaurant, that purchases Champagne and sells it under its own label.
List the sweetness levels for Champagne
- Brut Nature
(0-3g/L) - Extra Brut
(0-6g/L) - Brut
(0-12g/L) - Extra Dry
(12-17g/L) - Sec
(17-32g/L) - Demi-Sec
(32-50g/L) - Doux
(50+g/L)
What are the sizes of Champagne bottles starting from the smallest?
- Quarter Bottle 187ml
- Half Bottle 375ml
- Bottle
750ml - Magnum
1.5L - Jeroboam
3L - Methuselah
6L - Salmanazar
9L - Balthazar
12L - Nebuchadnezzar
15L - Solomon
18L
Define: vin de cuvee
The first press juice
2050L
Define: vin de taille
The second press juice, the following 500L after the first press
How is the vin de taille usually used in Champagne houses?
the vin de taille is usually richer in pigment and tannin and because of this it is sold off or used in very small proportions and then sold.
Define: rebeche
The third press juice and by law it is required that this make up 1-10% of the final product
Define: debourbage
The settling of the pressed grape juice
Define: vin clairs
The base wine used to make champagne which is usually high acid and has about 11% alcohol content
What vessels do the base wines usually undergo primary fermentation in for Champagne?
They are usually fermented in used oak but can also happen in stainless steel. A small amount of Champagne houses use new french oak.
T/F:
The base wines for Champagne usually undergo malolactic fermentation.
True, although it is not universal practice
What happens to the base wines after primary and malolactic fermentation is concluded for Champagne?
They are clarified
The clarified base wines for Champagne remain in stainless steel or oak until when?
The February or March following the harvest
How is rose Champagne typically made?
By adding a small proportion of red wine to the cuvee
What is assemblage?
The step in which a cellar master will taste different base wines and decide which ones will be blended together for the final product
Define: Liqueur de tirage
a mixture of still wine, yeasts, and sugar that will ignite the secondary fermentation for Champagne.
What is the second fermentation called for Champagne?
prise de mousse
How long does the secondary fermentation last for Champagne
up to 8 weeks
The alcohol content of the wine during the second fermentation goes up by what percentage for Champagne?
1.2-1.3%
How many atmospheres of pressure is created in the Champagne bottle during the second fermentation?
5 to 6 atmospheres
Define: autolysis
the breaking down of dead yeast cells
How are the Champagne bottles stored during the secondary fermentation?
Horizontally (“sur latte”)
How long must the Champagne be aged on the dead yeast cells (lees) for NV bottles?
at least 12 months
Define: degorgement
The process of transferring the lees and sediment to the neck and bidule through sharp twists and inversions of the Champagne bottle.
What is a pupitre?
two wooden planks fastened in the shape of an A with 60 holes that allowed the bottles to slowly be turned and held in position for riddling
What have most modern Champagne houses replaced the pupitre with?
A gyropalette that hold 504 bottles and takes a week or less, compared to 60 bottles and 8 weeks of the pupitre
T/F: In no case are the Champagne bottles manually riddled.
False,
some prestige cuvee bottles are hand riddled using a pupitre.
Define: Dosage
The addition of sugar syrup and wine used to determine the final sweetness level of the Champagne.
Which sweetness level is the most common and the one which most Champagne houses bottle their prestige and vintage cuvees?
Brut
What is the wire cage used to secure the cork on a Champagne bottle called?
A muselet
How long must vintage Champagne be aged in the cellar prior to release?
36 months
How long must NV Champagne be aged prior to release?
15 months - including the time spent on the lees
What are the 8 French AOP regions for cremant wines produced using the traditional method?
- Crémant de Bourgogne - Burgundy
- Crémant de Bordeaux - Bordeaux
- Crémant de Loire: Loire Valley
- Crémant de Die: Rhone Valley
- Crémant de Limoux: Languedoc
- Crémant du Jura:
Jura - Crémant d’Alsace: Alsace
- Crémant de Savoie: Savoie
What are the still wine appellations of Champagne?
- Coteaux Champenois: red, white, rose
- Rosé de Riceys: 100% pinot noir rose
Which is the oldest sparkling wine method?
Method ancestral
- liqueur de tirage is not necessary
- Dosage is not allowed
- Bugey Cerdon is an example of this
Which method does Prosecco and most Asti appellations use?
Charmat Method
Which sparkling wine method continuously adds liqueur de tirage?
Continuous Method/Russian Continuous Method.
- Less accumulate in the first several tanks making for a more autolyzed flavor
Which sparkling wine method is the cheapest?
Carbonation method
- Co2 is injected into the wine but upon opening, the bubbles go away quickly
What is the Grand Cru Village of Vallee de Marne?
Ay
