Champagne and Sparkling Wines Flashcards by Henry Piaskowski

What is assemblage?

Blending

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What does mousseaux mean?

Fully sparkling

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What is the oldest champagne house still in operation?

Gosset (1584)

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What is the oldest sparkling Champagne house?

Ruinart (1729)

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What is reumage?

Riddling

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What is dégorgement?

Disgorgement

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Who produced the first brut Champagne?

Pommery (1874)

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Does Champagne need to include Appellation Contrôlée on its label?

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What is the CIVC?

Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne

Mediates between large houses and small growers

Originally set up to combat Nazi influence

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What is the maximum amount of hectares a Champagne producer is allowed to use?

15 (Contrôle des Structures)

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When was the appellation of Champagne expanded?

2009

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Why do Champagne houses blend vintages?

Extremely variable weather in Champagne

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At what latitude is Champagne?

48th

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What is bouvreux?

A second crop

Often found in Champagne

Caused by too much rain and leads to unripened fruit

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What is the primary soil type of Champagne?

Chalk and limestone

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What is the dominant soil type in the Aube?

Clay

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What are rarely used grapes in Champagne that are only authorized in certain areas?

Pinot Blanc Vrai

Arbane

Pinot Gris

Petit Melier

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How often are yields set in Champagne?

Annually

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What is a marc of grapes?

2550 liters of must per 4000 kg of grapes

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How many districts are in Champagne?

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What are the districts of Champagne?

Montagne de Reims

Vallée de la Marne

Côte des Blancs

Côte de Sezanne

Côte des Bars (the Aube)

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What is the dominant grape in Montagne de Reims?

Pinot Noir

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What is the dominant grape in the Aube?

Pinot Noir

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What is the dominant grape in the Côte de Sezanne?

Chardonnay

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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?

How many premiers crus villages exist in Champagne?

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

What is a coopértive manipulant?

A growers’ co-operative that produces the wine under a single brand

What is RC?

Récoltant Coopérateur

What is a Récoltant Coopérateur?

A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label

What is SR?

Société de Récoltants

What is a Société de Récoltants?

A firm, not a co-operative, set up by a union of often related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands

What is ND?

Négociant Distributeur

What is a Négociant Distributeur?

A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make

What is MA?

Marque d'Acheteur

What is a Marque d'Acheteur?

A buyer’s own brand, often a large supermarket chain or restaurant, that purchases Champagne and sells it under its own label

What is vin du cuvée?

The first 2050 liters from 4000kg pressed in Champagne

What is vin de taille?

The next 500 liters pressed from 4000 kg of grapes in Champagne

What is rebêche?

The final extraction from Champagne. Must comprised 1-10% of total/Used for distillate

What is débourbage?

Settling of juice in Champagne after pressing/Done at a cool temperature for 8-15 hours

What are bourbes?

Solids found in must

What is vin clair?

The high acid base wine of Champagne that results from primary fermentation

Is chaptalizatino common in Champagne?

Yes

In Champagne what process usually occurs after primary and malolactic fermentation?

Fining

What is liqueur de tirage?

Mixture of still wine, yeasts, sugar, and fining agents meant to ignite secondary fermentation

What is prise de mousse?

Secondary fermentation

What is a bidule?

Plastic cap that captures sediment

What is sur latte?

Horizontally laying bottles

What is autolysis?

The breakdown of dead yeast cells

What is the minimum aging requirement for non-vintage Champagne sur lees?

12 months

What is pointage?

Briskly shaking a Champagne bottle to precent sedimeng from sticking

What is sur pointe?

When a bottle is in upside-down vertical position at the end of remuage

What is dégorgement à la glace?

Dipping neck of wine bottles in freezing brine solution before dégorgement

What is dégorgement à la volée?

No freezing brine solution and more wine loss

What is dosage?

Also called liqueur d'expédition. Adds sweetness to Champagne (if desired)

What are the sweetness levels of champagne (from driest to sweetest)?

Brut Nature Extra Brut Brut Extra Dry Sec Demi-Sec Doux

What is a muselet?

A wire cage fixed around a Champagne cork with six half-twists

What is the total minimum aging time for non-vintage Champagne?

15 months

What is the total minimum aging time for vintage Champagne?

36 months

How big is a Piccolo?

187ml

How big is a Demi?

375ml

How big is a bottle?

750ml

How big is a Magnum?

1.5 L

How big is a Jeroboam?

How big is a Rehoboam?

4.5L

How big is a Methuselah?

6 L

How big is a Salmanazar?

9 L

How big is a Balthazar?

12 L

How big is a Nebuchadnezzar?

15 L

How big is a Solomon?

18 L

What is another name for a Solomon bottle?

Melchior (called that in Bordeaux)

Can Rosé Champagne be made by blending?

Yes

What wine is made in Rosé de Riceys?

100% Pinot Noir rosé

In which district is Rosé de Riceys?

the Aube

What does pétillant imply?

Lightly sparkling

What are the best regions for sparkling wine in Italy?

Franciacorta DOCG Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico DOCG

What production method is used by all Spanish Cava?

Méthode traditionelle

What production method is used by the highest quality German sekt?

Méthode traditionelle

Describe the méthode ancestrale

Oldest sparkling wine method Single fermentation No liqueur de tirage Yeasts continue fermenting in the bottle No dosage

Describe the Charmat process

Secondary fermentation occurs in autoclaves (pressurised tanks) over several days Wine is then chilled to stop fermentation Minimal lees contact Creates larger bubbles Emphasizes fruit and varietal aromatics over autolysis

Describe the continuous method

Similar to Charmat Base wine pumped through a series of tanks Liqueur de tirage is added continuously More autolysis flavors than Charmat