Champagne Flashcards
When was Dom Perignon at the Abbey of Hautvillers?
1668-1715
Who is the oldest Champagne house still in operation? when were they founded?
Gosset. 1584
Who is the oldest sparkling Champagne house? When were they founded?
Ruinart, 1729
When did Jean-Antoine Champtal identify the relationship between sugar and fermentation?
1801
When did the French government first delimit Champagne? What spurred this?
1908, then further in 1927. Widespread fraud post-phylloxera (Champenoise selling other regions’ sparkling wines)
When was the Aube excluded from Champagne?
1911-1927
Why is the 1914 vintage remarkable for Champagne?
1914 was one of the best of the century, despite being made by women, children and elderly during the war, while the vineyards were basically battlefields.
What percentage of Champagne’s vineyards are owned by merchant houses?
~10%
What is the max amount of land that a Champagne firm can farm (own or rented)?
Contrôle des Structures prohibits any firm from farming more than fifteen owned or rented hectares
What major change did the INAO make to Champagne in 2009?
They increased the appellation’s area from 319 villages to 357.
What is a bouvreux?
A second crop (rarely ripens, is left on the vine) that results from rain interrupting flowering
What soil is found on the slopes of Champagne? And in the valleys?
Belemnite (cephalopods) chalk on the slopes. A layer of Micraster (Sea Urchin) sits on top in the valleys. The Aube is more clay.
Why are yields higher in Champagne than in other regions?
Because of juice press extraction restrictions.
What are the juice extraction limits for Champagne?
102 liters of must for every 106 kg of grapes (based on 2550 liters per 4000 kg, a marc)
What is rebeche?
Additional pressed juice after extraction limit is reached. Must be 1-10% of the total, must be distilled.
What are the vine training methods allowed in Champagne?
Cordon de Royat
Chablis
Vallee de la Marne
Guyot (double and single)