Champagne COPY Flashcards
What are two terms for Méthode Champenoise produced outside of Champagne?
-méthode traditionnelle (traditional method)
-méthode classique (classic method)
Who was Dom Pérignon? What was his lasting contribution to Champagne?
-cellar master at Abbey of Hautvillers 1668-1715
-contributed technique of assemblage and viticulture but did not invent sparkling wine
What did the English contribute that made intentionally bottling sparkling wine possible?
Stronger, coal-fired glass (improved from wood-fired French glass)
In the 18th C, what were most serious producers still trying to produce?
Red and white still wine to compete with Burgundy
When was the word Mousseux associated with Champagne and when might have been the earliest the Champenoise were intentionally enjoying sparkling wine?
1724, 1700s
What is the earliest Champagne House? What is the earliest sparkling Champagne House?
Gosset (1584) - was making still wine though
Ruinart (1729) - oldest sparkling Champ house
When still in competition with Burgundy, what was a main goal for the Champenois?
Make White wine from Red grapes
-required exacting pressing and harvest procedures
-helped highlight difference in quality with vin du cuvée and vin de taille (1718)
What would they add to red wine to compete with reds of Burg?
Elderberry
Name 5 Champagne Houses founded in the 18th C
-Ruinart
-Taittinger
-Moët et Chandon
-Delamotte
-Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin
Who was the Vueve “Widow” Clicquot?
Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin
What did Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin contribute to winemaking process in Champagne?
Remuage - riddling
Who identified the relationship between sugar and fermentation in 1801?
Jean-Antoine Chaptal - French chemist
-Chaptalization
What did André François identify in Champagne making?
The exact amount of sugar required to induce 2nd fermentation without breaking the bottle
Who put the first brut Champagne on the market? When?
Pommery - “Nature”
1874
When was the Champagne initially delimited by the French Govt?
1908
When did the Vignerons in Aube riot and when was it reinstated as a full region?
1911 riots lead to 1927 reclassification of Champagne including Aube
What was the goal of the Commission de Châlons?
develop quality standards and regulate pricing
1935
When did Champagne receive AOC status and what is unique about their status in regards to labeling?
1936 - only AOC/AOP not required to list AOC/AOP on label
What three things halted progress of Champagne in the last 19th and early 20th C?
Phylloxera - 1890s
Fraud - bc of Phyllox, importing other product and calling Champs
War - German entered Reims 1914 - Western Front of WWI cut through region- constant bombardment - wives/children/elderly made amazing vintage 1914
What happened during Nazi occupation in Champagne?
Nazi appointed Otto Klaebisch “wineführer”
-demanded huge sums of Champagne for Germany
-producers walled up millions of bottles, passing off inferior wines as “Reserved for the Wehrmacht,” a stunt that landed François Taittinger in jail
What formed as a result of Nazi occupation in Champagne? When?
CIVC (Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne) formed in 1941
Who founded CIVC?
When?
Count Robert-Jean de Vogüé of Moët et Chandon
1941
What is the CIVC? (ext)
-Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne
-Founded in 1941
-consortium of growers, producers, shippers to represent Champagne industry and protect interests
-Mediates large Champagne houses and small growers they source from
What is the maximum amount of farmed land owned or rented as per the Contrôle des Structures?
15 ha
How many growers are there in Champagne?
~20,000
(15,800 in 2016)
Who released the first tête de cuvée? When?
Dom Pérignon
1921 vintage, released in 1936
What is a tête de cuvée?
Prestige cuvée - A premier bottling often but not always carrying a vintage date
One in how many bottles of sparkling wine produced today are Champagne?
12
When did the INAO broaden the appellation from 319-357 villages?
2009
How many growers and houses existed in 2016?
15,800 growers, over 300 houses
How many bottles of Champagne shipped worldwide in 2016? 2021?
306 million in 2016
322 million in 2021
What are the 4 largest markets for Champagne?
UK, USA, Germany, Japan
(account for half of Champagne exports)
What parallel is Champagne located along?
48
(Reims is 49)
What is the mean annual temperature of Champagne?
50 F
What are four weather concerns for growers due to cold Atlantic-influenced climate?
frost, rain, fungal disease, hail
What is a bouvreux?
-A 2nd crop that happens due to rain during flowering
-rarely ripens, therefore left on vine
What subsoil is pushed to the surface on the slopes of Champagne?
Belemnite Chalk
Describe Belemnite Chalk
-pourous, provides excellent drainage
-absorbs heat, protects vines at night
-high limestone content, helps acidity
-from fossilized remains of an ancient squid
What is the subsoil that characterizes the valley vineyards in Champagne?
Micraster chalk
-named for extinct sea urchin
Why are the network of cellars carved out of chalk and limestone renowned?
They provide perfect natural storage at 53-54 F for millions of bottles
What soil covers most of the chalk in Champagne?
Sand and clay
What is the dominant soil type in the Aube?
Clay
Is modern organic and sustainable practice common in Champagne?
No, slow to embrace these techniques
What are the bleus de ville? When was practice outlawed?
Remnants of blue plastic bags used to ship composted trash used to fertilize vineyards
-practice outlawed in 1998
What are the percentages planted to PN, Chard, Meunier as of 2016?
Pinot Noir 38%
Chardonnay 31%
Meunier 31%
What does Chardonnay contribute to Champagne?
elegance and longevity
What does Pinot Noir contribute to Champagne?
structure, richness, body
What does Meunier contribute to Champagne?
youthful fruitiness and approachability
What are the 7 authorized grapes for Champagne?
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Meunier
Pinot Blanc Vrai (“true” white Pinot Noir)
Pinot Gris
Arbane
Petit Meslier
What 4 pruning methods are permitted in Champagne?
Cordon de Royat
Chablis
Vallée de la Marne
Guyot (double and single)
What is a marc of grapes?
4000 kg - the amount held in a traditional Coquard Basket Press
What are the pressing limits set by CIVC in 1992?
102 L/160 kg or
2550 L/4000kg (one marc of grapes)
Additional pressed juice is rebêche, or the “end of pressing”
What are the 5 départements of Champagne?
Aisne
Marne
Seine-et-Marne
Haute-Marne
Aube
(N to S)
How many communes of production (villages) are there in Champagne?
357
What is the rebêche?
-the “end of pressing” after vin de cuvèe and vin de taille
-must account for 0-10% of the total
-may only be used for distillation
What three cities are home to many of the major Champagne houses?
Reims
Aÿ
Epernay
(North to south to southwest)
What are the five districts of Champagne? What is the main grapes cultivated in each?
Montagne de Reims - PN
Vallée de la Marne - Meunier
Côte des Blancs - Chard
Côte de Sézanne - Chard
Côte des Bars (the Aube) - PN
Which direction do the slopes face in the Côte des Blancs?
southeast and east
Which district is known for frost and why is the grape varietal there prized?
Vallée de la Marne - Meunier buds late and ripens early, best in frost
How do the slopes face in the Montagne de Reims
North and south