Champagne (France) Flashcards
Where is Champagne located?
Northern France, 90 miles northeast of Paris.
What kind of climate does Champagne have?
Cool continental.
Hovers at the northern-most limit of vine growing (49th).
Often cloudy, unpredictable weather, and is one of the coolest wine regions in the world.
What kind of soil is found in Champagne?
Limestone and chalk.
Why is the limestone/chalk soil important for Champagnes vineyards?
The vine roots can dig deep which provides good drainage, moisture retention, and the soil remains a constant temperature.
What are the main grape varietals of Champagne?
Chardonnay (white)
Pinot Noir, Meunier (red)
What are the threats do the vineyards often face in Champagne?
Rain, frost, and hail.
A majority of champagnes made are _____ ?
Blends of grapes
Blends of regions/villages/vineyards
Blends of vintages
What method is Champagne made in?
Méthode Champenoise
Traditional Method
What is the name of the method of sparkling wines made outside of Champagne?
Méthode Classique
What are the steps of ‘The Traditional Method’ of making sparkling wine?
- Make the Base Still Wine
- Assemble the ‘Cuvee’/blend
- Secondary Fermentation/Bubbles
- Sur Lie Aging
- Riddling (Removal of Sediment, Part 1)
- Disgorgement (Removal of Sediment, Part 2)
- Dosage
Why are grapes pressed gently when making the still base wine for Champagne?
To avoid retaining color from the skins and prevent oxidation.
Where does primary fermentation happen for Champagne wines?
In either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels.
What is the ‘liqueur de tirage’?
A syrupy mixture of yeast and sugar added to the wine in order to prompt secondary fermentation (bubbles).
What is ‘autolysis’?
The gradual breaking down of yeast cells.
By law, how long must Champagne spend on the lees?
12 months on lees, 15 months total aging.
What flavors/aromas are a result of Sur Lie aging?
Yeast, dough, fresh baked bread.
What does the word ‘remuage’ refer to?
Riddling
What is a ‘pupitre’?
A wooden A-frame wine rack created by famed widow Clicquot used to riddle champagne bottles.
Each rack holds 60 bottles and the process takes 8 weeks (by hand).
What is a ‘gyrapalette’?
A large machine that can hold 504 bottles and takes 8 days to completely riddling.
What is the ‘liqueur d’expédition’?
A mixture of wine and sugar added to the bottle - a dosage - to determine the sweetness level of the Champagne.
What are the Champagne sweetness levels?
Brut Nature (Bone Dry) Extra Brut (Very Dry) Brut (Dry) Extra Dry (Off Dry) Sec ( Sweet) Demi Sec (Sweet) Doux (Very Sweet)
Brut Nature (Non dose)
Bone Dry
Extra Brut
Very Dry
Brut
Dry
Extra Dry
Off Dry
Sec
Semi Sweet
Demi Sec
Sweet
Doux
Very Sweet
What are the important sub-regions of Champagne?
Montagne de Reims (north)
Vallée de la Marne (center)
Côte des Blancs (south)
What are the Champagne age designations?
Non-vintage (NV)
Vintage Champagne
Age designation for non-Vintage (NV) Champagne?
Aged a minimum of 15 months, with at least 12 months on the lees.
Many producers exceed the minimums.
Age designation for Vintage Champagne?
Aged for a minimum of 36 months.
Many producers exceed the minimums.
What are a few different styles of Champagne?
Rose
Blanc de Blancs
Blanc de Noirs
Blanc de Blancs Champagne is made from what types of grapes?
100% Chardonnay
Blanc de Noirs Champagne is made from what types of grapes?
Only dark grapes, Pinot Noir/Meunier
What are examples of Champagne Special Cuvees/bottlings?
Single Vineyard
Clos or Mono Parcel
Cuvée Prestige or Tête de Cuvée
What is a Cuvée Prestige or Tête de Cuvée?
The top-end bottling of a particular Champagne house or producer.
What is a Clos or Mono Parcel?
A noted single parcel in a vineyard under a single
ownership.
What causes quality variation from season to season/year to year in Champagne?
Weather extremes.
What are the top recent vintages for Champagne?
Blanc de Blancs:
2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
Blanc de Noirs:
2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015
What are the advantages of the Méthode Champenoise?
Extended lees contact
Intense lees flavor
What are some examples of wines made in the style of Méthode Champenoise?
Champagne
Crémant
Cava
Franciacorta
What are the basic steps of Méthode Champenoise?
Base wine is bottled Sugar and yeast added Second fermentation Yeast autolysis Disgorgement Dosage
(All steps happen in the same bottle)
What are the steps of the Transfer Method?
Base wine is bottled Sugar and yeast added Second fermentation Yeast autolysis Bottles emptied into large tanks under pressure Filtered Dosage Rebottled
What are the advantages of the Transfer Method?
Lees contact
Eliminates the need for riddling
What are some examples of wines made with the Transfer Method?
Large- and small format bottling of Champagne and other sparkling wines.
What are the steps of the Tank/Charmat Method?
Base wine is sealed in pressurized tank Sugar and yeast added Second fermentation in tank Filtered under pressure Dosage under pressure
What are some advantages of the Tank/Charmat method?
Saves time!
Fermentation finishes in 4-5 days
No costly riddling or disgorging
Best process for aromatic varieties
What are some examples of wines made with the Tank/Charmat method?
Prosecco
Moscato d’Asti
Lambrusco
What are three types of Crémant wines?
Crémant de Bourgogne (Burgundy)
Crémant d’Alsace (Alsace)
Crémant de Loire (Loire Valley)
