Champagne Flashcards
Name the grape varieties permitted in this region
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier
Name the main sub regions and their main grape varieties
- Montagne de Reims & Pinot Noir
- Vallée de la Marne & Meunier
- Côte des Blancs & Chardonnay
- Côte de Sézanne & Chardonnay
- Aube/Côte des Bar & Pinot Noir
Name the main styles produced and the difference between them
- Blanc de blancs (100% Chardonnay)
- Blanc de Noirs (light coloured champagne made from the juice of dark grapes, pinot noir & meunier)
- Brut (dry, very little sugar in added dosage)
- Demi-Sec (noticable amounts of sugar in dosage)
- Extra Dry (slightly sweet, small amount of sugar in dosage)
- Rosé (made by blending or skin contact)
What are the key techniques of making Champagne
- Traditional Method
- Charmot/Tank Method
- Transfer Method
- Continuous Method
- Ancestral Method
- Carbonation
Name the main Grand Cru Villages of Champagne
- Ambonnay
- Bouzy
- Mailly
- Verzenay
- Verzy
Explain the Cru system of Champagne
There are 318 villages in the Champagne region and under the historic system called the Échelle des Crus each village is classified based on a rating of a 0-100% scale, however no Cru is ranked less than 80%. Grand Crus are 100%, Premier Cru 90-99% and Autre Cru 80-89%.
A bottle may only use the term ‘Grand Cru’ if 100% of the grapes used are from Grand Cru villages. A bottle labelled ‘Premier Cru’ must be 100% Premier Cru or a mix of both Grand and Premier.
What are the different bottle sizes for Champagne?
- Mini
- Half bottle or Demi
- Standard bottle (750ml)
- Magnum
- Jeroboam
- Methuselah
- Salamanzer
- Balthazar
- Nebuchadnezzer
What is the difference between champagne houses and growers?
Most well-known Champagne houses buy in their grapes from many different vineyards, rather than growing it themselves. In contrast, Grower Champagne is made by a single estate.
Explain the production process of Champagne
