Champagne and Sparkling Wines Flashcards
What is assemblage?
Blending
What does mousseaux mean?
Fully sparkling
What is the oldest champagne house still in operation?
Gosset (1584)
What is the oldest sparkling Champagne house?
Ruinart (1729)
What is reumage?
Riddling
What is dégorgement?
Disgorgement
Who produced the first brut Champagne?
Pommery (1874)
Does Champagne need to include Appellation Contrôlée on its label?
No
What is the CIVC?
Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne
Mediates between large houses and small growers
Originally set up to combat Nazi influence
What is the maximum amount of hectares a Champagne producer is allowed to use?
15 (Contrôle des Structures)
When was the appellation of Champagne expanded?
2009
Why do Champagne houses blend vintages?
Extremely variable weather in Champagne
At what latitude is Champagne?
48th
What is bouvreux?
A second crop
Often found in Champagne
Caused by too much rain and leads to unripened fruit
What is the primary soil type of Champagne?
Chalk and limestone
What is the dominant soil type in the Aube?
Clay
What are rarely used grapes in Champagne that are only authorized in certain areas?
Pinot Blanc Vrai
Arbane
Pinot Gris
Petit Melier
How often are yields set in Champagne?
Annually
What is a marc of grapes?
2550 liters of must per 4000 kg of grapes
How many districts are in Champagne?
5
What are the districts of Champagne?
Montagne de Reims
Vallée de la Marne
Côte des Blancs
Côte de Sezanne
Côte des Bars (the Aube)
What is the dominant grape in Montagne de Reims?
Pinot Noir
What is the dominant grape in the Aube?
Pinot Noir
What is the dominant grape in the Côte de Sezanne?
Chardonnay
What is the dominant grape in the Côte des Blancs?
Chardonnay
How is cru status awarded in Champagne?
To entire villages
How many grands crus villages exist in Champagne?
17
How many premiers crus villages exist in Champagne?
42
What is blocage?
Portion of a vintage set aside for future use. Regulated by the CIVC
What is deblocage?
Release of wine stocks held from previous vintages. Regulated by the CIVC
What is the Échelle de Crus?
Percentile system by which the crus of Champagne are rated/Stopped being used in 1990
What is NM?
Négociant Manipulant
What is a Négociant Manipulant?
A house that purchases grapes and/or base wine from growers and other small houses. Most international houses are in this category
What is RM?
Récoltant Manipulant
What is a Récoltant Manipulant?
A grower-producer who makes Champagne from estate-grown fruit. 95% of the grapes must originate in the producer’s own vineyards
What is CM?
Coopérative Manipulant