Champagne

Question 1

Introduction of Champagne.

Answer 1

• Widely seen as the most prestigious sparkling wine. Cool continental climate + chalky soils have long been considered to provide optimum environment for growing sparkling wine grapes that giving delicate flavors whilst retaining high acidity.
• Besides, generations of experience and expertise in crafting sparkling wines, and the marketing flair of the Champagne houses have created a product which sits perfectly in the premium sector.
• In many wines, this has been an advantage with Champagne being able to command higher prices than other styles of sparkling wines. However, also a disadvantage with more people choosing cheaper, more accessible sparkling wine options for every day consumption and smaller celebrations.
• Cutting Champagne retail prices threaten to tarnish its premium image, and thus planning, innovation and strategic marketing are essential if the Champenois are to keep building consumer demand for their wines in both mature and emerging markets.

Question 2

Location of Champagne.

Answer 2

Delimited region in Northern France, 150 km east of Paris.

Question 3

Climate of Champagne.

Answer 3

Cool continental climate. Frosts and winter freezes are very serious hazards and wet weather can cause problems throughout the growing season.

Question 4

Soils of Champagne.

Answer 4

• Chalk and limestone are widespread but there also important areas of marl and sand.
• Soils need regular applications of fertiliser as they are low in nutrients.

Question 5

Classifications of Champagne.

Answer 5

• There is only one appellation for Champagne but the regions is divided into two parts:

1) Aire délimitée: a wide ranging area within which the wines can be made and aged.
2) Aire production: consists of particular parcels of land within the aire délimitée which alone can be planted with grapes which qualify for Champagne production.

• Review of the aire production: Champagne is planted to capacity, so with a vision to increase supply, the aire production is currently being reviewed. All land that was excluded in the 1927 and 1935 appellation laws is to be assessed to determine if any more land can be brought into the Champagne appellation. Process started in 2003, undertaken by INAO. Villages and plots will have to meet both historical and technical criteria.
• Crus: In Champagne, it is whole villages and not individual sites that are classified. In certain instances this classification is limited to specific grape varieties. Gd Cru: 17 villages; 1er Cru: 44 villages.

Question 6

Grape varieties of Champagne.

Answer 6

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.

Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are all permitted but together only represent 0.3% of plantings.

Question 7

Vineyard of Champagne.

Answer 7

1) The vineyard area is broken into 14 sub-regions. The most important are:
• Vallée de la Marne
• Montagne de Reims
• Cote des Blancs
• Cote de Sezanne
• Cote des Bar

2) Maximum yield: 10.4 tonnes/hectare.
Grapes must achieve a minimum potential alcohol of 9% abv.

3) Pruning: there are 4 approved pruning systems:
• Taille Chablis
•Cordon de Royal
• Guyot (single and double)
• Valle de la Marne (only authorized for Meunier).
These systems (except Guyot) retain significant amounts of old wood. This helps with frost resistance.
Sustainable viticulture is highly encouraged by the Comité Champagne.

4) The Comite Champagne sets the harvest date, the minimum potential alcohol required, and the amount of wine to be kept in reserve each year. The price for grapes are dépendant on market conditions and are no longer fixed by the Comite Champagne.
Grapes must be hand-harvested.

Question 8

Winemaking of Champagne.

Answer 8

1) Juice yields (the number of litres that can be pressed from a specific number of kg of fruit) are set in order to ensure that only soft pressure is used to extract juice.
In Champagne, this is expressed as 25.5hL/4000kg. This weight of grapes is called a marc and is a standard measurement in the region. Using these measurements,
• the best juice = cuvée = the first 20.5hL
• the remainder = taille = the remaining 5hL

2) Rose wine: may be achieved by maceration or as a blend of red and white wines.

3) Vintage wines: can only be made using grapes from the stated vintage.
In any year, no more than 80% of the production can go to Vintage wines. The remaining 20% must be stored as reserve wines.

4) Maturation and storage
• For all wines, minimum lees ageing 12 months.
• For NV wines, minimum of 15 months between tirage and release for sale.
• For Vintage wines, minimum of 36 months between tirage and release for sale.

Question 9

Important styles and labelling terms of Champagne.

Answer 9

• Premier Cru
• Grand Cru
• Non-Vintage: this is not a labelling term, but usually describes wines made from grapes harvested in more than one vintage. Tend to represent the standard offering from the producer and display the house style.
• Vintage
• Rose
• Blanc de Blancs
• Blanc de Noirs
• RD: recently disgorged. This is a trade mark of Bollinger used for vintage wines that have had extended lees ageing. Other producers have to use other terms for this kind of wines.
• Prestige Cuvée: this is not a labelling term but generally describes the best wines in a producer’s range.

Question 10

Important trade structures of Champagne.

Answer 10

1) The Champagne trade can be divided into three parts:
• Growers (16,000) who own the majority of the land.
• Cooperatives (140) who play an important role in wine production.
• Houses (340) who are responsible for the majority of Champagne exports.

2) • Many growers produce their own wine either independently or with the help of a cooperative. The sales of these wines are significant.
• The cooperative movement is very important in the handling and processing of grapes. They sell on either must, vins clairs (base wine) or finished wine within the trade or finished wines to consumers.
• There are also broking companies that buy up finished wines from houses, cooperatives or growers and sell them on under their own brand, or wholesale them to retailers or restaurants who are after own label or exclusive brands for their outlet.

3) Representative bodies
• CIVC: now also known as Le Comite Champagne. It is the trade organisation established by statute to manage the common interests of growers (‘vignerons’) and Champagne Houses (négociants/producteurs’).
• SGV: Syndicat Général des Vignerons. Was established in 1904 to represent all of the growers and cooperatives in Champagne.
• FCVC: Federation des Coopératives Viticoles de la Champagne. Established in 1939.
•UMC: Union des Maisons de Champagne. UMC membership today comprises producers of the grandes marques: literally the ‘big brands’ (in name though not always in output).

Question 11

Producer classifications of Champagne.

Answer 11

• NM = Négociant-Manipulant = a Champagne House
• RM = Récoltant-Manipulant = a grower who produces wine from his own grapes
• SR = Société de Récoltants = two or more growers who share the same winery to produce and market wine from their grapes
• CM = Cooperative-Manipulant = a cooperative wine
• RC = Récoltant-Coopérateur = a grower who sells wine made from his grapes that are made by the cooperative
• ND = Negotiant-Distributeur = a broker who buys and sell finished wines
• MA = Marque d’Acheteur = a brand owned by a retailer or restaurant

Question 12

Key producer groups of Champagne.

Answer 12

• LVMH (Veuve-Clicquot, Moet et Chandon, Dom Perignon, Mercier, Ruinart, Krug).
• Vranken-Pommery (Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsick et Co., Charles Lafitte).
• Lanson-BCC (Lanson, Boizel, De Venoge, Philiponnat, etc.).
• Laurent Perrier (Laurent Perrier, Salon, Delamotte, De Castellanne).
• Pernod Ricard (Perrier-Jouet, Mumm).