Champagne: Definitions of Terminology and Other Flashcards
What process is considered to be at the heart of Champagne’s character?
Méthode Champenoise - a complicated process involving secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Wines made in the fashion of Champagne but produced elsewhere may be labeled as what?
Traditional Method - Méthode Traditionnelle or
Classic Method - Méthode Classique
Dom Pérignon’s lasting contributions to Champagne lie in the arts of…
Assemblage - blending and
Viticulture
In 1724 what word appeared in Champagne; specifically implying effervescence?
Mousseux
As the logic of making sparkling wine eludes the Champenoise in the 1700s; multiple names for different levels of effervescence became necessary. These names continue to exist in other areas of France. What are they?
Petillant, demi-mousseux (crémant) and grand mousseux.
What is the process that allows sediment to be easily removed during disgorgement called?
Remuage or riddling
Who is the process of chapitaliztion named for?
Jean-Antoine Chaptal - identified the relationship between sugar and fermentation in a seminal 1801 work. A fundamental understanding of the connection between sugar and the second fermentation, coupled with the pharmacist André Francois’ measurement of the precise amount of sugar required it without breaking the bottle.
What is the CIVC?
Comité Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne - An organisation formed in 1941 by Count Robert-Jean de Vogüé of Moet et Chandon. Formed from the existing but limited framework of the Commission de Châlons. The CIVC consists of a broad consortium of growers, producers and shippers to represent the Champagne industry and protect its interest in the face of Nazi occupation. Today the CIVC remains a powerful force in the complex mediation between the large Champagne houses and the numerous smaller growers who they source grapes from.
What is ‘bouvreux’?
Rain often interrupts flowering resulting in a second crop/bouvreux, that rarely ripens and is left on the vine.
Belemnite chalk
Derived from the fossilized remains of millions of extinct cephalopods, has a high limestone content. Allows roots to dig deep and is linked to increased acidity. Typically found on the surface of the appellations slopes.
Micraster Chalk
Named for an extinct sea urchin. This chalk characterizes the valley vineyards.
What is ‘Les Bleus de Ville’?
The Champenoise have a long history of relying on recycled Parisian garbage to fertilize their vineyards. Composting is admirable, but the portion of inorganic and toxic waste grew over time and the practice was outlawed in 1998.
What does the the term “Perpetual Reserve” imply in the Champenois?
As its name suggests, the perpetual reserve in Champagne (sometimes referred to as ‘solera’) is built over time by adding amounts of wine from each harvest to your chosen storage vessel, be it stainless steel or concrete tank of differing size or alternatively, oak barrel or large wooden foudre.
