Champagne Flashcards
What part of France is Champagne located in?
The north-east, just south of the 50th parallel and directly east of Paris
What is the CIVC? What does it do?
The Comité Interprofessionel du Vin du Champagne, also known as the Comité Champagne. It is responsible for ensuring that wines labelled ‘Champagne’ are made in the traditional method from grapes grown in the Champagne region.
What are the styles of Champagne?
Non-vintage Vintage Rosé Blanc de Blancs Blanc de Noirs Grand Cru Premier Cru Prestige Cuvée Late Release/Recently Disgorged
In what style is the majority of Champagne produced in?
White, non-vintage, fully sparkling, and brut from the three principle Champagne varieties
What are the three main Champagne varieties? Are they black or white grapes?
Pinot Noir (black)
Meunier (black)
Chardonnay (white)
What is the typical character of the majority of Champagne?
Brut
High acid
Medium alcohol
Medium intensity green apple, lemon, and biscuity autolytic notes
What is the typical quality and pricing of Champagne?
Good to outstanding quality
Mid- to premium priced
What is the usual pricing for Vintage and Prestige Cuvée Champagne?
Premium and super premium
Describe non-vintage Champagne.
A fully sparkling wine made from multiple vintages that adheres to a house style.
Why is non-vintage Champagne a viable product? What does it allow Champagne producers to achieve?
The blending of multiple vintages of wine helps to smooth out vintage variation, allowing Champagne houses to deliver a product with consistent aroma and flavor components. The consistency offers market security and product identity.
Describe Vintage Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method wine that comes entirely from the declared vintage.
How are vintages determined in Champagne?
Each producer decides if the vintage was good enough to declare. Some vintages are universally declared, while most are left to each producer’s discretion.
What are two vintages of the 21st century that were universally declared in Champagne?
2002 and 2008
Describe Rosé Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method rosé wine made by blending red and white wine (rosé d’assemblage) or, far less often, through short maceration (rosé de saignée
What is rosé de saignée? What is its significance in Champagne?
A rosé wine made by short maceration. In Champagne, this method is rarely used and requires a great deal of expertise as yeast absorbs color pigments.
What is rosé d’assemblage? What is its significance in Chanpagne?
A rosé wine that is made by blending red wine with white wine. This is the typical process of producing rosé styles of Champagne.
Describe Blanc de Blancs Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method white wine made entirely from white grapes.
Describe Blanc de Noirs Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method white wine made entirely from black grapes
What is the popular opinion on the ageability of Blanc de Blancs versus Blanc de Noirs produced in Champagne?
Blanc de Blancs are believed to age slower than Blanc de Noirs
True or False
Blanc de Blancs are fuller bodied than Blanc de Noirs.
False
What aromas do Champagne Blanc de Blancs typically develop from aging?
Biscuit and hazelnut
Describe Grand Cru Champagne.
A fully sparkling trarditional method wine with grapes that have grown within one of the Grand Cru villages.
How many Grands Crus of Champagne are there? What are they?
17
Ambonnay Avize Ay Beaumont-sur-Vesle Bouzy Chouilly Cramant Louvois Mailly Champagne Le Mesnil sur Oger Oger Oiry Puisieulx Sillery Tours-sur-Marne Verzenay Verzy
Describe Premier Cru Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method wine made from grapes grown within Premier Cru and/or Grand Cru villages.
Describe Prestige Cuvée Champagne.
Usually the top wine made by a producer. A fully sparkling traditional method wine made from top-quality grapes with meticulous winemaking rechniques from a single vintage or multiple vintages.
True or False
Some producers specialize in making a range of Prestige Cuvée Champagne
True, such as Krug
Describe Late Release/Recently Disgorged Champagne.
A fully sparkling traditional method wine that has extended lees aging and was disgorged close to release for immediate market consumption.
How do late release or recently disgorged Champagnes compare to other Champagnes?
They initally seem more youthful and have a different flavor profile, but they age quicker than standard vintage wines.
What are two prominent examples of recently disgorged wines?
Louis Roederer R.D.
Dom Perignon P2
Why is it believed that Late Release/Recently Disgorged wines age faster than other Champagne?
The disgorgement process, specifically the oxygen and the disturbance of the liquid, more profoundly affect older wine.
What terms for sweetness are used in Champagne?
The EU standard
True or False
The area within AOC Champagne can only grow grapes for the production of sparkling wine
False.
There are appellations for the production of still wine, such as AOC Rosé des Riceys (for still P. Noir rosé) and AOC Coteaux Champenoise (any color of still wine, but generally light bodied, high acid, pale ruby P. Noir)
What is AOC Coteaux Champenoise?
An appellation within the Champagne region for still white, rosé, and red wines. The wines are generally a high acid, light bodied, pale ruby wine made from Pinot Noir
What is AOC Rosé des Riceys?
An appellation withing the Côtes des Bar sub region of Champagne that produces still rosé wines from Pinot Noir
What was the historic style of Champagne?
Still rosé made from Pinot Noir
Why were the first sparkling ines from Champagne becoming sparkling wines?
In the cold winters, fermentation of the wine would be stopped due to cold weather. The wine was then bottled and in the spring, fermentation would resume.
What technological advancement permitted Champagne to be bottled at higher pressures?
Glass produced in England using coal-fired ovens.
What was Dom Pierre Perignon’s contribution to winemaking in Champagne?
The first to produce white wine from black grapes
The inventor of the Coquard press, still widely used today
The first to blend wines from different areas of Champagne
Pioneer of the use of English glass bottles
He reintroduced cork stoppers to France
What advancements were seen in Champagne during the 19th Century?
Controlled second fermentation in the bottle
Riddling by using pupitres
Disgorgement following the freezing of the bottle neck in an ice cold salt bath
Establishment of dry Champagne
What is the French word for ‘riddling’?
Remuage
Who invented remuage in Champagne?
Madame Cliquot
The use of ice cold salt baths for disgorgement facilitated Champagne production in what way?
It allowed mass production of Champagne
What major developments in Champagne occurred during the 20th century?
The AOC boundary was determined in 1927
The concept of eschelles des crus (‘ladder of crus’) that used to determine Champagne prices
The ‘blocage’ system, which later became reserve wines
What effect did the 1927 definition of Champagne’s borders have on the product?
It enabled the defences of Champagne’s geographical indication, specifically that all Champagne must come from the region
What effect does the eschelles des crus have on today’s prices for Champagne?
Very little. The market defines the prices, but the ladder of crus helped define the Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages
What is the ‘blocage’ system in Champagne? Describe its use.
An old system of storing portions of young wines to use in case a future disaster reduced yields. It is no longer in use, but it inspired reserve wines that reduce vintage variation and improve quality and consistency of NV Champagne.
How large is Champagne?
An area that extends 150km north to south and about 120km east to west
How many sub regions are there in Champagne? What are they?
5
Montagne de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Côte des Blancs
Côte des Sézanne
Côte des Bar
What is the climate in Champagne?
Cool continental with oceanic influences
How much rain does Champagne receive during the growing season?
700 mm
How does the climate affect the ability to produce table wine in Champagne?
There would only be two vintages a decade in which grapes would ripen enough to be made into table wine
What is the average annual temperature in Champagne?
11⁰C (51.8⁰F)
What factors in Champagne give the grapes freshness and crispness associated with the region’s wines?
Moderate sunshine and consistent annual rainfall
What has been the effect of climate change on Champagne over the past 30 years?
Harvest dates are 18 days earlier on average
Acidity has dropped
Potential alcohol has risen .7%
Grapes ripen more consistently
There are fewer poor vintages
What type of soil can be found in Champagne and the greater Paris basin? Why?
Chalk, due to the presence of an old seabed
What part of Chmpagne is the most valuable for growing high quality grapes? Why?
The hills in the northern part of the region due to the chalky soils there. Chalk is believed to be important for high quality Chardonnay production
What are the most common soils in Champagne?
Chalky soils with limestone subsoils or simply chalk
What is the structure and water retention of chalk? Why is this important?
Porous with high water retention. This allows water to drain away from the vines but be retained in the soil during dry periods
True or False
Water logging poses a problem on Champagne
False. The soils are well draining and vineyards are planted on slopes
At what altitude are Champagne’s vineyards planted?
90-300m ASL
What grapes are Montagne de Reims known for?
Black grapes, though some important Chardonnay vineyards are located here
What Grand Cru villages in Montagne de Reims are known for the production of black grapes?
Ay Mailly Verzenay Verzy Ambonnay Bouzy
True or False
Montagne de Reims can most accurately be described as a mountain with most of the top villages facing south
False. It is more of a plateau with some of the top quality villages facing north
What are the benefits and risks of growing in one of the north facing villages of Montagne de Reims?
They are excellent cool climate sites but prone to spring frost
What is the general character of wine from Montagne de Reims?
High in acid and austere in youth
What type of soil is found in Montagne de Reims?
Many types, though the Grand Cru villages are chalky soils
What grapes are most common in Vallée de la Marne?
Meunier and Chardonnay
What types of soil is Meunier planted on in Vallée de la Marne?
Clay, mar, and sandy soils
What is the quality of Chardonnay grown in Vallée de la Marne?
Rich Chardonnay used as a blending component for early-drinking wines
What risks do grapes in Vallée de la Marne face? Why is Meunier suitable for viticulture there?
Meunier is a late-budding and early-ripening variety, making it reliable in the frost-prone Vallée de la Marne
What important locations are within the Vallée de la Marne?
Epernay
Ay-Champagne
What grapes are grown in Côte des Blancs?
White grapes
95% of plantings are Chardonnay
What type of soil is located in the Côte des Blancs? What is the quality there compared to other parts of Champagne?
Chalky soils which are purer than other chalk sites in Champagne
Where does the Côte des Blancs get its name from?
The large plantings of white grape varieties
Which Grand Cru villages are located in the Côte des Blancs?
Cramant
Avize
Oger
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
Are the wines of the Côte des Blancs Grand Crus as aromatically generous in their youth as they are after aging?
No. These wines are generally more austere, developing intensity after longer periods of aging
What grapes are the Côte de Sézanne known for?
Chardonnay, the dominant planting in the area
What type of soil is found in the Côte de Sézanne?
Clay and clay/silt soils with some pockets of chalk
Where is Côte de Sézanne located in comparison to the rest of the Champagne AOC subzones?
South of Vallée de la Marne on a continuation of the hill line from Côte des Blancs
What is the quality of grapes grown in Côte de Sézanne compared to the Côte des Blancs? Why?
The grapes are riper and fruitier due to being planted farther south on southeast facing slopes with less chalk soil. The quality is considered lower.
What grapes are the Côte des Bar known for?
Pinot Noir
Where is Côte des Bar located in comparison to the rest of the Champagne AOC subzones?
100 km south of Epernay and closer to Chablis than to the other Champagne subzones
How much of Champagne’s vineyard area is within the Côte des Bar?
Nearly 25%
What soils are found in Côte des Bar?
Kimmeridgian calcareous marls with stony limestone elements on the slopes
What characteristics of the terroir in Côte des Bar help Pinot Noir to ripen fully?
Exposure and excellent drainage from the steep slopes and Kimmeridgian soils with stony limestone elements
Why is Côte des Bar important for Champagne production?
There is a lack of Pinot Noir production in the other Champagne subzones and Côte des Bar is responsible for producing full-flavored, ripe Pinot Noir used across the region
How many hectares of vineyards are covered by Champagne AOC?
35,000
What percentage of Champagne AOC plantings do Chardonnay, Meunier, and Pinot Noir comprise?
99%
What percentage of Champagne plantings is comprised by Meunier?
31%
What percentage of Champagne plantings is comprised by Chardonnay?
30%
What percentage of Champagne plantings is comprised by Pinot Noir?
38%
What other grapes comprise 0.3% of grape plantings in Champagne?
Arbane
Petit Meslier
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
True or False
Meunier is a chimeric mutation of Pinot Noir
True. Its formal name was Pinot Meunier until changed by the Comité Champagne
Is Meunier an early or late budding variety? Is it early or late ripening? How does it compare to Pinot Noir?
Meunier is early budding and early ripening, but buds later and ripens earlier than Pinot Noir
How does the budding and ripening time of Meunier make the grape important in Champagne?
Since it buds later than Pinot Noir, it avoids frosts that might affect that grape
It ripens earlier than Pinot Noir, avoiding fall rains and other hazards late in the season
What soils is Meunier successful on that other varieties in Champagne struggle with?
Heavier clay soils
What disease is Meunier particularly sensitive to?
Botrytis
What does Meunier contribute to Champagne wines? What styles of Champagne is this important for and why?
Softness and fruitiness, valuable for non-vintage wines with short lees aging intended for consumption on release
Is Meunier typically used for Champagne intended for long aging?
No, though it has its champions (Krug, Egly-Ouriet)
What is the legal requirement for vine spacing in Champagne?
0.9-1.5 meters between vines in a row
No more than 1.5 meters between rows
No more than 2.5 meters between any two vines
What is the average vine density in Champagne? How does this affect quality?
8,000 vines per hectare. This encourages competition among the vines, improving quality
Are yields in Champagne generally lower, equal, or higher than in other high quality wine regions?
Higher. Ripe tannins, ripe flavors, and deep color are not required for Champagne, therefore higher yields can be exploited successfully here.
What are the four approved training systems of Champagne? When were they legalized?
In 1938. The four permitted training systems are:
Taille Chablis
Cordon de Royat
Guyot
Vallée de la Marne
Which is considered the best training system in Champagne?
Taille Chablis
What is the maximum number of cordons permitted on vines trained in Taille Chablis method? How many spurs are on each cordon?
The maximum is 5, though most vines have 3-4. There is one spur with five buds at the end of each cordon.
Is Taille Chablis a cane or spur training system?
A spur training system
What aspects of Taille Chablis help to protect the vine from spring frosts?
The system retains a large proportion of permanent wood
How often are spurs in the Taille Chablis system grown? How far off the ground must they be trained and why?
Annual growing intervals and training 0.6m off the ground to ensure sunlight access and heat reflected from the soil for the grapes.
Which approved training system in Champagne is used for Pinot Noir and Meunier?
Cordon du Royat
How many cordons and how many spurs are present on Cordon du Royat trained vines?
1 each
True or False
Cordon du Royat is a VSP training system
True
Is Guyot a spur or cane training system? Does it use vertical shoot positioning
Replacement cane with VSP
For which varieties is Guyot permitted in Champagne? In which vineyards?
Guyot is an acceptable training system for all three varieties in lesser-rated vineyards
True or False
Of the Guyot systems, only Single Guyot is permitted in Champagne
False. Both Single and Double Guyot are allowed, but only in lesser-rated vineyards for both
What is the trend in Champagne for the use of the Vallée de la Marne training system?
It is not as widely used as in the past
Which training method approved for use in Champagne is Vallée de la Marne most similar to? How is it different?
It is similar to Guyot but has more buds
What is the maximum number of buds permitted per square meter in Champagne based on the training system used?
18 buds per square meter regardless of training system
What are the main climactic dangers in Champagne?
Occasional severe winter frosts that can kill or damage vines
Spring frosts destroying buds and reducing yields
Cold and rainy June weather that disrupts flowering and/or fruit set, reducing yields or creating unevenly ripe bunches
Downy mildew which significantly reduces yields
Violent summer rain and hail storms that can damage vines and reduce yields
Hot and humid summer weather that increases Botrytis risk, especially after heavy rains
Are downy and powdery mildew a threat to vines in Champagne?
Yes
Is the dagger nematode a threat in Champagne? Why or why not?
Yes, as it spreads Fanleaf Virus
Who was responsible for promoting sustainable viticulture in Champagne? Do they operate on the regional level?
The Comité Champagne. Yes, they are regional and Champagne was one of the first regions to advocate for sustainable viticulture at the regional level
Has the use of pesticides increased or decreased in Champagne? Why?
Decreased due to the rise in sexual confusion techniques used to control pests in vineyards
What soil protection methods, if any, are being used in Champagne?
Groundwater management on slopes
Cover crop planting to improve biodiversity
What sustainability practices are employed in wineries in Champagne?
Water management schemes
Recycling of waste and by-products
What did the Comité Champagne introduce in 2010 to further reduce the ecological profile of Champagne?
A lighter bottle for producers to use when bottling non-vintage cuvées. It is 60g lighter while producing 8,000 metric liters less CO2 than the previous bottle.
Who decides when to harvest grapes in Champagne?
The Comité Champagne. They measure 450 control plots across Champagne starting at véraison. They measure the rate of color change, average cluster weight, sugar accumulation and acidity, and incidence of botrytis.
What is the minimum permitted yield and minimum ABV for Champagne?
They are both floating numbers determined by the Comité Champagne when measuring grapes in its control plots
True or False
The harvest dates set by the Comité Champagne are recommended start dates, not a uniform mandate, on when producers should start picking grapes.
True. Producers may pick up to several days after the proposed start date or apply for derogation to start earlier
What is derogation relative to Champagne?
A process of applying to the INAO for a particular village in Champagne to begin harvesting earlier than the harvest date established by the Comité Champagne. Reasons supporting derogation may include disease pressure, inclement weather, etc.
Why does the Comité Champagne establish yield levels each year?
To control quality by preventing over cropping
To regulate supply and demand for the protection of prices
Why are reserve wines set aside? Is this practiced every year?
A portion of a vintage may be set aside to provide additional wine for use in poor vintages or future crop failure. Only wines in good vintages are typically set aside.
Who is responsible for managing yields in Champagne? What are those yields?
The EU and the INAO. The EU limit is 15,500 kg/ha (only achieved in 2006 and 2007).
The fixed harvest yield by INAO is 10,400 kg/ha which is revised up or down based on vintage quality
How are grapes harvested in Champagne? How are they pressed?
Hand harvested, whole bunch pressed
How long does harvest last in Champagne? How many people does it require?
It lasts around 3 weeks, requiring a believed 100,000 people per year
How large is the bin used to collect grapes in Champagne?
50 kg
What helps to reduce transportation time in Champagne?
1,900 pressing centers located throughout the region
Describe the harvesting workforce in Champagne.
A mostly loyal group that travels annually to Champagne, working at the same houses every year. They harvest exclusively by hand.
What method is used to produce Champagne?
The traditional method
Describe how grapes are pressed in Champagne. Why is this important?
Grapes are pressed in whole bunches by a gradual increase in pressure. This reduces the phenolics extracted from the skin’s, seeds, and stems and allows white wine to be made from black grapes.
What weight of grapes was traditionally loaded into grape presses in Champagne? What is the term for this volume and are these presses still used?
4,000 kilograms, also known as a marc. The basket presses are still in use
What types of presses are used in Champagne?
Basket press, the traditional tool
Pneumatic press
Other types
What happens to the juice in Champagne when it is pressed?
It is separated into two fractions. The cuvée, which comprises the first 2,050 liters per 4,000 kilograms of grapes, and the taille, an additional 500 liters
In Champagne, how much of the traditional 4,000 kilograms of grapes are pressed into juice? Why?
2,550 liters. This is to protect the quality of the juice and prevent over-extraction
In Champagne, what is the cuvée as it relates to grape pressing?
The free run first pressing of juice that is typically limited to 2,050 liters per 4,000 kilograms of grapes. It is rich in acid, offers great finesse, and has the longest aging potential.
In Champagne, what is the taille as it relates to grape pressing?
The second pressing of the grapes that is typically limited to 500 liters per 4,000 kilograms of grapes. It is lower in acid and higher in phenolics and coloring agents, but produces shorter lived wines
How is the taille typically used in Champagne?
As a blending agent to add expressiveness in wines intended to be drunk young. It is usually added to non-vintage wines as opposed to other styles
Is chaptalization permitted in Champagne?
Yes, up to a minimum ABV of 11%
What is the maximum ABV permitted in Champagne wines? Who established it?
EU wine law requires Champagne to be 13% max ABV
What type of vessel does the initial fermentation of Champagne occur in?
Many use stainless steel, though an increasing number of quality conscious producers are using large oak foudres.
Why are quality conscious producers in Champagne increasingly using oak foudres for primary fermentation?
To add texture and mouthfeel to the wine
Is malolactic conversion permitted in Champagne wines? Why or why not?
It is at the discretion of the producer based on their style or on the vintage. Cool vintages may require softer acidity.
What is the purpose of blending wine in Champagne?
To create a product that is greater than its parts
What is the French term for blending?
Assemblage
In Champagne, what types of wines are included in assemblage?
Wines from different vineyards, different vintages, and different varieties
Who is responsible for blending wines in Champagne? What makes the process difficult?
The chef de cave, who must make decisions affecting he final product before second fermentation and maturation have begun.
For what style of Champagne is blending most critical? Why?
Non-vintage Champagne, as the product must be consistent each year. Vintage variation must be reduced and house style must be maintained
What makes blending non-vintage wine easier for the chef de cave in Champagne?
A supply of base wine which helps to maintain the house style in the blend
Why do large Champagne houses have an advantage in creating non-vintage wines?
They have the financial strength and physical capacity to store large volumes of base wine (often more than 100)
How much reserve wine is added to non-vintage blends in Champagne? What do these wines offer?
10-15 percent is typically used in many of the large brands. Some premium brands may use 30-40 percent. The more that is used, the more complexity and depth that is offered. Reserve wine usage also defines the style of a house.
What methods are used to store reserve wines in Champagne?
Stainless steel
Oak barrels
Perpetual reserve
Magnum bottles
What effect does stainless steel have on the storage of reserve wines and their use in final Champagne wines?
It is reductive and makes a small but important difference in the final product
What effect do oak barrels have on the storage of reserve wines and their use in final Champagne wines?
They add mildly oxidative notes to the final wine
What is a perpetual reserve and how is it used in Champagne?
A barrel or other source of reserve wine that is withdrawn from and added to each year. Complexity is added in the barrel as well as through blending the barrel’s contents into the final product
True or False
Rosé Champagne may be blended during reserve wine storage.
True. Though the wines cannot be co-fermented, red wine may be added to white wine either in the bottle or in storage vessels.
How are most Rosé Champagne wines made?
By adding red wine to base white wine, then initiating a second fermentation in the bottle
What do producers seek when blending to make Rosé Champagne?
Desired color and aromatic notes
In what method is a small amount of Rosé Champagne produced?
By saignée, or minimal skin contact with black grape skins
What introduces the toasty brioche character of Champagne wines?
Yeast autolysis achieved through lees aging in the bottle
What is the minimum aging for non-vintage Champagne?
15 months in cellar with 12 months on the lees (in bottle)
What is the minimum aging for vintage Champagne?
Three years in the cellar after tirage with minimum 12 months on the lees
(Most producers use longer lees aging for additional complexity)
What may lead to finer, smaller bubbles in Champagne wines?
A slow, cool second fermentation
What determines sweetness in Champagne wines?
Liqueur d’expedition
True or False
The wine used in liqueur d’expedition for Champagne is only a conduit for sugar and does not add any character to the wine
False. Young wine can add light fresh flavors while older wine offers baked apple and dried fruit, and can also be used to correct color in rosé wines
What are the labeling requirements for Champagne corks?
The region and vintage (where appropriate) must be placed on the cork
What system was created in Champagne to establish the prices for grapes in the region? When was it started? Is it still in place?
The échelles des crus in the early 20th century. It no longer exists due to pressure from the EU
How did the échelles des crus establish prices for grapes in Champagne?
It rated the villages of Champagne on a percentage scale. The 17 grand cru villages were 100%, the 44 premier cru villages were 90-99%, and the 257 other villages were 80-89%
How are prices of grapes in Champagne determined today?
By the market, though the largest purchaser of grapes (Moët and Chandon) largely determines the prices
In Champagne, does Grand Cru and Premier Cru refer to villages as a whole or to specific vineyard plots?
Villages, provided all grapes in the wine come from a village that receives such a designation. Grand Cru and Premier Cru Champagne may come from multiple villages receiving such a designation
Why do Champagne houses tend to emphasize vintages, prestige cuvées, or house styles over Cru designations?
The cru designation does not highlight specific terroir, even if the village name is appended in the label (e.g. Grand Cru Cramant)
How many growers in Champagne own 90% of the vineyards and 320 houses?
16,000
What is the relationship between growers and houses/cooperatives in Champagne?
The majority of growers sell to Champagne houses and cooperatives that are responsible for the majority of wine production, but only own 10% of vineyards
How much vineyard area in Champagne is owned by the 320 houses there?
10%
What is the role of brokers in Champagne AOC?
They play an important role in securing wine for the larger houses, serving as a go-between for growers and large producers
What are the domestic and export sales numbers in bottles from Champagne houses in 2017?
88 million domestic
134 million export
What are the domestic and export sales numbers in bottles from Champagne cooperatives in 2017?
16 million domestic
12 million export
What are the domestic and export sales numbers in bottles from Champagne grower/producers in 2017?
50 million domestic
7 million export
What Champagne brands are owned by LVMH?
Moët and Chandon
Dom Perignon
Mercier
Veuve Cliquot
Ruinart
Krug
What Champagne brands are owned by Vranken Pommery Monopole?
Vranken
Pommery
Monopole Heidseick
Charles Lafitte
Bissinger
The top five groupings of Champagne brands by ownership comprise what amount of sales by value?
Two thirds
How can you tell the type of producer (house, grower, cooperative) made a specific bottle of Champagne?
A two letter code required to be placed on Champagne labels
What does ‘NM’ mean if it is placed on a Champagne label?
Négociant Manipulant. It indicates a producer who has purchased grapes, grape must, or wine in order to make wine on their property and sell it under their own label.
What does ‘RM’ mean if it is placed on a Champagne label?
Récoltant Manipulant. It indicates a producer who has produced wine from grapes grown and processed exclusively on their own property.
What does ‘CM’ mean if it is placed on a Champagne label?
Coopérative de Manipulation. It indicates a wine cooperative that markets Champagne made from its members’ grapes.
How many of the large Champagne houses must label their wines ‘NM’? How are the houses in this category referred to both individually and as a group?
All of the large houses are Négociant Manipulant. They are referred to individually as négociant or as a group as the négoce.
What percentage of Champagne bottles are exported? What is sold domestically?
About half each.
What are the different strengths of each producer type in Champagne’s domestic and export markets?
The large houses have the biggest sales (73% of all Champagne sales) and are strong in the export market (88% of exports)
The cooperatives have small sales that are evenly split between domestic and export markets
The grower/producers sell most of their wine domestically
What has been the trend in the sale of grapes between the three major types of producers in Champagne?
Cooperatives are diversifying their business model, selling fewer grapes to the négoce and promoting their own brands more.
Large houses are bypassing the cooperatives and buying directly from the growers.
How is the supply of Champagne influenced within the appellation? How are these decisions made?
The establishment of maximum yields in each vintage, as well as the determination of what can be made into base wine and what can be put into reserve.
Current demand, vintage progress, and wine stock levels determine what changes are made
What has been the average yield per hectare in Champagne? Would a 10% change make a significant difference?
10,500 kg/ha. A 10% swing in either direction would make a huge impact on prices, which is why the reserve system exists.
What effect has demand had on domestic prices for Champagne?
The average bottle price for Champagne in France is low due to the high volume of inexpensive producers, however the amount of bottles below €12 is decreasing while the amount of bottles above €20 is increasing.
What are the main export countries for Champagne in order, by volume?
UK
USA
Japan
Germany
Belgium
Which export markets pay the highest price per bottle for Champagne?
USA
Japan
Among the top ten export markets for Champagne, which market has the largest volume and the lowest average bottle price?
UK
What is the price of grapes in Champagne that are not Premier Cru or Grand Cru? Is it high or low?
€6.10 per kg. These are high compared to other regions.
How many grapes are required to make a 750ml bottle of Champagne?
1.2 kg
Why are vintage Champagne considerably more expensive than non-vintage Champagne?
They are likely to be produced from higher rated (Cru) grapes
It requires twice as much aging, leading to storage costs
Does Rosé Champagne production cost less, the same, or more to produce than white Champagne?
It is marginally more expensive because black grape yields must be controlled more stringently to ensure ripening
What is the estimated percentage of marketing cost that is factored into a bottle of Champagne made by one of the large houses?
20%
How does the cost of a bottle of Champagne break down between production and marketing?
50% grape cost
30% production decisions
20% commercialization
What have large Champagne houses done to limit the grey market trading?
Establish their own distribution channels through companies they own in export markets
True or False
Some Champagne houses use agents to distribute their wine, providing them with a budget to promote and market them
True
What amount of Champagne grower/producers distribute to international markets? How do they do it?
A relatively small number who use specialist agents and in-person wine visits to market and sell to specialist wine shops and hospitality sectors.
What categories of Champagne have increased in interest?
Brut Nature and Extra Brut, which have doubled in sales during 2011-2016. Domestic interest had also increased.
Rosé Champagne, which has increased alongside a general interest for rosé
Single vineyard Champagne
True or False
Several Champagne houses offer sweet sparkling wines to be served over ice or in cocktails
True. The trend was started by Moët and Chandon with the demi-sec ‘Ice Impérial’ product
How much has shipments of Rosé Champagne increased since 2000?
By 7%, from 3% to 10%
How has the trend for single vineyard Champagne affected growers in the region?
They are now able to attain higher prices for their grapes and/or wine.
