Champagne

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

delimited region in northern france

Question 2

Climate

Answer 2

cool continental
frosts and winter freeze hazards
wet weather can cause problems in the growing season

Question 3

Soils

Answer 3

Chalk
Limestone
Important areas with marl and sand

need regular fertilizer, low in nutrients

Question 4

Classification: aire delimitee

Answer 4

widespread area within which wines can be made and aged

Question 5

Classification: aire production

Answer 5

particular parcels of land within the aire deliminee which alone can be planted with grapes which qualify for champagne production

Question 6

Classification: review of the air production

Answer 6

Champ planted to capacity
vision to increase production
land excluded in 1927 and 1935 being re-assessed
started in 2003 by !NOA
historical and technical criteria
- demonstrate that Champ grapes were growing in these plots prior to the delinieation of the appellation and that the site is appropriate (climate, steepness of slope, soil, etc.)
- newly approved vineyard would not be able to produce Champ for several years after approval

Question 7

Classifications: Crus

Answer 7

Villages, not individual sites, are crus
Can be limited to specific grape variety
- eschelle does crus: villages awarded percentage; 100% grand cru, 90-99% premier cru; system swept away with EU anti-competition legislation
- 17 grand cru villages; 44 premier cru

• some want burgundy type system but overhaul unlikely

Question 8

Grape varieties

Answer 8

• char
• PN
• PM
  Permitted, but 0.3% of plantings:
• arbanne
• petit meslier
• Pinot Blanc
• ## Pinot gris

Question 9

Vineyard: sub-regions

Answer 9

14 sub-regions. Most important:

• Montagne de Reims
• Cote des Blancs
• Vallee de la Marne
• cote de Sezanne
• cote des Bar

Question 10

Vineyard: max permitted yield

Answer 10

10.4 Tonnes / ha

Question 11

Vineyard: grape min abv

Answer 11

9%

Question 12

Vineyard: Pruning systems

Answer 12

4 approved:

• taille chablis
• Cordon de Royat
• Guyot (single and double)
• Vallee de la Marne (only Meunière)

— all retain significant amount of wood, besides Guyot

Hand harvest required

Question 13

Vineyard: Comité Champagne

Answer 13

• Created in 1845, “brand manager of champagne”
• highly encourages sustainable viticulture
• sets harvest dates and yield
• sets minimum potential alcohol
• sets amount of wine to be kept in reserve each year
• used to fix price of grapes, but now market dependent

Question 14

Winery: juice yield

Answer 14

• soft pressure extraction
• 25.5 hL/4000kg(Marc)
• best juice = cuvée = 1st 20.5 hL
• remainder = taille = 5 hL

Question 15

Winery: rose

Answer 15

Masceration or blend or red and white

Question 16

Winery: vintage wines

Answer 16

• only grapes from states vintage
• in any year, no more than 80% of production can go to vintage wines.
• remaining 20% must be stored as reserve.

Question 17

Winery: maturation and storage

Answer 17

• lees min 12 Mo
• tirage to sale:
  —

Question 18

Important Styles and Labelling Terms: Premier Cru

Answer 18

Made from grapes that come from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards

Question 19

Styles and Labelling Terms: Grand Cru

Answer 19

Exclusively Grand Cru vineyards

Question 20

Styles and Labelling Terms: Non-Vintage NV

Answer 20

Not a Labelling term

• but describes wines from more than one vintage
• tent to represent the standard offering from the producer and display house style

Question 21

Style and Labelling Terms: Vintage

Answer 21

Wine from single year

Question 22

Style and Labelling Terms: RD

Answer 22

Recently disgorged

• trade mark of Bollinger used for Vintage Wines that have extended lees aging
• other producers have to use other terms for wines that have undergone extensive lees aging.

Question 23

Styles and Labelling Terms: Prestige Cuvee

Answer 23

Not a Labelling term

- generally describes best wines in a producers range

Question 24

Important trade structures general

Answer 24

• 15,000+ growers who own majority of land
• • on average only 2ha land/grower
• 100+ cooperatives wine production
• ~300 houses champ export
• cooperative mvmt important in handling and processing grapes. They sell either must or vin clairs (base wine) or finished wine within the trade or finished wines to consumers.
• growers can produce wine independently or with help of cooperative. Sales of these wines are significant.
• broking companies: buy finished wines from houses, cooperatives, or growers, and sell them under their own brand or wholesale them to retailers or restaurants who are after their own label or exclusive brands for their outlets

Question 25

Important trade structures: Representative Bodies

Answer 25

- Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) - aka Comite Champagne - - represents growers, cooperatives, and houses - Syndicat General des Vignerons de la Champagne - - represents growers - - created in 1919, raising grape prices due to demand - - represents 15,000+ growers now - - defends interest of growers - - provide business support (legal/financial advice) - - economic security and maximize profits - - environmental protection - - promote grower champagnes sold under the "Champagne de Vignerons" umbrella brand, introduced in 2001, represents 5000+ growers - Federation des Cooperatives de la Champagne - - represents cooperatives - - formed in 1939 - - ensure supply of raw materials to cooperatives - - promote cooperative-produced champagnes, ensure representation in the market - - defend interests of members in legal matters - Union des Maisons de Champagne - - represents the houses - - 1882, formed to fight phylloxera, safeguard Champs name - - approximately 100 houses - - rules: - -- have in place a global strategy which guarantees quality - -- actively promote and protect the Champagne appellation - -- actively participate in viticultural and oenological research to further improve the standards of Champagne

Question 26

Producer classifications: NM

Answer 26

Negociant Manipulant - Champagne House/Maison - only producers permitted to purchase significant amounts of grapes, must still wine, or wine sur latte. - wine marketed under house brand - Pol Roger, Bollinger, Louis Roederer: source up to 75% of grapes from their domaine vineyards

Question 27

Producer classifications: RM

Answer 27

Recolant Manipulant - Grower who produces wine from their own grapes - can buy grapes up to 5% of their own crop - responsible for 22% of sales - 20,000 RM landowners, only about 500 produce wine under their own labels

Question 28

Producer classifications: SR

Answer 28

Societe de Recolants - 2+ growers who share the same winery to produce a market wine from their grapes - winegrowers control winemaking - can ask for help from coop

Question 29

Producer classifications: CM

Answer 29

Cooperative manipulant - a cooperative wine, sold under the cooperatives own brands - most famous = Nicolas Feuillatte, Jacquart rising in popularity - success of CM's affects large houses

Question 30

Producer classification: RC

Answer 30

Recoltant-cooperateur | - growers who sells wine to made from their grapes that are made by the cooperative

Question 31

Producer classifications: ND

Answer 31

Negociant Distributeur | - a broker who buys and sells finished wines

Question 32

Producer classifications: MA

Answer 32

Marque d’Archeteur | - brand owned by a retailer or restaurant

Question 33

Key producer groups

Answer 33

LVMH - ruinart - Mercier - Moet and Chandon; Dom Perignon - Veuve Clicquot - Krug Vranken-Pommery - Pommery - Vranken - Heidsieck and Cie. Monopole - Charles Lafitte Landon-BCC - Champagne Boizel - Champagne Chanoine Freres - Champagne Philipponnat - Champagne De Venoge - Champagne Alexandre Bonnet - Maison Burtin - Champagne Lanson Laurent Perrier (Laurent Perrier, Champagne de Castellane, Salon-Delamotte, J. Lemoine) Pernod Richard (G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jouet)