Champagne Flashcards
Where is Champagne located?
Northern France; 90 miles northeast of Paris.
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What is the climate in Champagne?
- Cool continental
- Northern-most limit of vine growing
- No natural protection from Atlantic
- Cloudy, unpredicatble weather
What is the soil in Champagne?
- Limestone
- Chalk
What are the grape varieties in Champagne?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Meunier
What are the primary viticultural considerations in Champagne?
Persistent threats of rain, frost, hail.
What are the primary vinification aspects of Champagne?
Its all about blends! Most champagne is a blend of:
- Grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier)
- Sub-regions, villages and vineyards
- Vintages
What method is used to make wine in Champagne?
Methode champenoise
What is the method used to make wine in Champagne called outside of Champagne?
Methode Classique
Name the seven steps of the Methode Champenoise.
- Making the base still wine
- Assemblage of the “Cuvee” (assembling the blend)
- Secondary Fermentation (creating bubbles)
- Sur Lie Aging
- Riddling (removal of sediment part 1)
- Degorgement (removal of sediment part 2)
- Dosage
What is Riddling?
After aging, the lees must be removed from the bottle in order to have a clear wine. This is either done by hand (Pupitre) or by machine (Gyropalette).
What is Disgorging?
Once the sediment has collected in the neck of the bottle, it needs to be removed. To disgorge the sediment, each bottle’s neck is frozen in an ice bath, so that the yeast can be ejected. This can be done by hand or, as is more often the case, by machine.
What is Dosage?
After dégorgement , a mixture of wine and sugar called the liqueur d’expédition is added to the bottle. The amount of sugar added determines the sweetness level and, therefore, the style of the Champagne.
List the style categories and corresponding sweetness levels for Champage.
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List the sub-regions in Champagne.
- Valee de la Marne
- Cote des Blanc
- Montagne de Reims
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What are the aging requirements of a non-vintage (NV) Champagne?
Minimum 15 months aging; 12 months on lees.