Champagne, Cava, Prosecco Flashcards
What are the regulatory associations Champagne, Cava, Prosecco?
Comite Interprofessinoel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), Consejo Regulador del Cava; None listed for Prosecco, it is an EU PDO.
What is the typical acid of Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco?
Champagne: High / Cava: Med to Med+ / Prosecco: Med to Med+
What is the typical aromas and intensity of Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco?
Champagne: Med intensity, Apple & Lemon, Biscuit Autolytic / Cava: Light to Med intensity Apple, Lemon, Herbal; Light-Pronounced Autolytics / Prosecco: Light to Med Intensity Apple, Pear, (Peach)
What is the typical alcohol & body of Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco?
Champagne: Med alcohol / Cava: no mention (~light to Med) / Prosecco: Low to Medium alcohol
What is the typical quality & price of Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco?
Champagne: Good to Oustanding, Mid to Premium price / Cava: Acceptable to Outstanding (no mention price) / Prosecco: Acceptable to Very Good; Inexpensive to Premium
What is the typical sweetness level of Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco?
Champagne: no mention / Cava: Brut (8-9g/L) / Prosecco: Extra Dry (12-17g/L)
How is Rosé made in Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
Champagne: Rosé d’assemblage (common) or Rose de Saignee / Cava Rosado: min 25% black grapes, by maceration / Spumante Rosé; Glera w/up to 15% PN, Brut Nature to Extra Dry
What are the higher tiered wines in Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
Champagne: Vintage, Prestige Cuvée, Late Release / Cava: Reserva, Gran Reserva, de Paraje Calificado (=de Guarda Superior) / Prosecco: DOCG, Rive (+Place), Superiore di Cartizze DOCG
When did production of Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco start?
Champagne: 1600s / Cava: late 1800s (Trad Method used) / Prosecco: 1880s (Tank Method developed)
What did 5 things did Dom Perignon (died 1715) contribute to Champagne’s history?
1) First white from blk grapes 2) Invented Coquard Press 3) Assemblage to ameliorate 4) Re-introduced cork stopper 5) Use of stronger English glass
What 4 things happened in the 1600s in Champagne?
1) Wine made from PN and was pink 2) Fermentation halted in winter, started again inn Spring, producing bubbles 3) Sparkling fashionable in England 4) Pressure-tolerant Glass produced in England
What 4 things happened in the 1800s in Champagne?
1) Controlled 2nd ferment in botle using measured sugar & yeast for desired pressure
2) Riddling in pupitres developed by Veuve Clicquot
3) Disgorgement via ice bath = clear wines
4) Dry style developed alongside popular sweet style
What 3 things happened in the 1900s in Champagne?
1) Vineyard area of Champagne defined w/current AOC boundary 2) Echelle des Crus devised 3) Blocage System (reserve wines) started
What is the climate in Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco?
1) Cool continental w/oceanic influence, 11 degrees 2) Penedes & Tarragona - Mediterranean; Lleida - Mediterranean/Continental 3) Warm, moderately continental; Altitude influence DOCG
What is rainfall/irrigation like in Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
1) 700mm spread 2) 540mm spread (Penedes); irrigation permitted but strict 3) Moderate
What is the trend in Champagne with harvest in the past 30 years?
Moved up an average of 18 days, acidity has dropped, and potential alcohol has increased by 0.7%, riper fruit
What is the altitude of Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco?
Champagne: most 90-300m / Cava: Penedes - most 200-300m, some 700-800m Lleida, 0-700m; Tarragona, low rolling hills; Rioja Low-425m / Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene 200-320m
What are the general soil type & characteristics in Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
1) Chalky w/limestone subsoil & chalk 2) Alluvial clay @ low alt, Stony-clay/granite @ high alt (Penedes) 3) Vary considerably; more fertile on plains
What are the soil types of each sub-region in Champagne?
Montagne de Reims - Grand Cru on chalk
Cote des Blancs - purest chalk
Vallee de la Marne - clay, marl, sand
Cote de Sezanne - clay & silt w/chalk pockets
Cote des Bar - Kimmeridgian calcerus marl soils w/ stony limesone
What are the 5 Grand Cru villages in Montagne de Reims?
1) Mailly 2) Verzy 3) Verzenay 4) Ambonnay 5) Bouzy
What is the Grand Cru village in Vallee de la Marne?
1) Aÿ
What are the 4 Grand Cru villages in Cote des Blancs?
1) Cramant 2) Oger 3) Avize 4) Le Mesnil-sur-Oger
What varieties are grown in each Champagne subregion?
MDR - Mostly PN & Meunier, with some Chard / CDB - Chardonnay / VDM - Meunier, some Chard / CDS - Chardonnay mostly / CDB - PN
What is the topography/climate of each Champagne subregion
MDR - Wide plateau; some villages facing north / CDB - none / VDM - frost-prone valley / CDS - Warm, SE facing slopes / CDB - Steep slopes w/excellent drainage
What style of wine does each Champagne subregion produce?
MDR - Very high acid & austere
CDB - Intensity & longevity, austere
VDM - Fruity
CDS - Riper, fruitier, lower rated
CDB - Full-flavoured, ripe
What is the varietal % breakdown for Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
1) PN 38%, Meunier 32%, Chard 30% / 2) Macabeo (37%), Xarel-lo (20%), Parellada (19%) / 3) Mostly Glera (must be 85% of wine)
What is the region size of Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco?
1) 35,000ha
2) n/a
3) 34,100ha (DOC: 24,000ha, CV: 8,100ha, AS: 2,000ha)
What are the non-principal permitted varieties in Champagne, Cava, Prosecco?
1) PB, Petit Meslier, Arbanne, Fromenteau 2) Chardonnay, Trepat, Garnacha Tinta, PN, Monastrell 3) Up to 15% of certain varieties
What are 6 characteristics of Meunier?
- Floury appearance - Buds early, ripens early - Reliable on clay - Botrytis prone - Fruity
What are planting densities for Champagne, Cava, Prosecco?
CH: max 8,000/ha (1.5m inter; 0.9-1.5m; max. 2.5m total) intra/ CAVA: 1,500-3,500ha / Prosecco: 3,000 ha
Training systems in Champagne, Cava, Prosecco?
1) Taille Chablis, Cordon du Royat, Guyot, Vallee de la Marne / 2) Bush or single or double cordon / 3) Sylvoz, Double Arched Cane, Guyot
What is a pruning law in Champagne?
Fruiting buds must not exceed 18/sq m
What are 4 characteristics of Taille Chablis?
1) 3-4 cordons (max 5) each with a spur w/ up to 5 buds
2) Permanent wood for frost protection
3) Spurts trained to max. 0.6m for light reflection
4) Best for Chard
What are 2 characteristics of Cordon du Royat?
Single cordon, spur pruned, with VSP; Best for PN & Meunier
When is Guyot used in Champagne?
For lesser rated vineyards, all 3 main varieties
Describe Vallee de la Marne training system?
Similar to Guyot but w/ more buds
What are the pest & disease hazards in Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco?
CH: Downy & powdery, Dagger Nematode, Fanleaf, Botrytis / CAVA: Botrytis, Downy (Humid); powdery (dry), Grapevine moth / PROSECCO: Powdery, downy, millerandage, grapevine yellows
What are climate risks in Cava & Prosecco?
Cava - Misty, humid mornings
Prosecco - Drought, humidity & fog in plains
What are some measures of sustainability Champagne is taking?
- Sexual Confusion 2. Grundwater management on slopes 3) Cover crops 4) Water management, waste and byproduct recycling 5) Lighter wight bottle by 60g in 2010
When does Harvest begin in Champagne, Cava, & Prosecco?
1) When Comité dictates, lasts 3 wks. 2) “Early” - Sugar/Acid 3) No mention
What is the harvest method in Champagne, Cava & Prosecco?
1) Must be by hand into perforated bins, max 50kg 2) 90% by-hand (basic in 25kg crate; premium in 10kg); 10% machine 3) Machine on plains; By-hand on hills; Rive & Cartizze must be by-hand
What does the Comité measure for harvest start date?
450 fruit samples from conttrolled plots from véraison, measuring 1) Rate of colour change 2) Weight 3) Sugar 4) Acid 5) Botrytis