Champagne General Flashcards
Tirage:
- Secondary fermentation (prise de mousse) is accomplished in glass bottles
- Tirage may not occur until at least January 1 of the year following the harvest
- Volume of wine may not increase by more than 1.12% per 1% increase in alcohol during secondary fermentation
- Wines may not be disgorged until at least 12 months after the date of tirage
- Finished wines are marketed in the same bottle in which tirage occurred, except for bottle sizes with a - volume smaller than 375 ml or larger than 3 liters. For NV bottlings, up to 20% of 375 ml bottles may also be transferred into new bottles.
Échelle des Crus::
The échelle des crus was established in 1911 to formalize grape prices, with the ranking determining what percentage of the fixed price per kilogram that a village’s grapes would be worth. The grands crus, rated at 100%, would fetch the full price, while everything below that would be awarded a percentage of the full price according to its rank. This transformed into a system where all the villages in Champagne were ranked between 80-100 percent. The échelle des crus was abolished in 2010.
NM
Negociant Manipulant: A producer that purchases grapes, must, or wine to make champagne. A negociant can own wines, too.
RM
Recoltant Manipulant: A producer that makes champagne exclusively from its own vineyards.
RC
Recoltant-cooperateur: A grower that sells grapes to a cooperative and then receives champagne to market under its own label.
CM
Cooperative de Manipulation: A cooperative that sells wine made from its members’ grapes.
SR
Societe de recoltants: A group of growers, usually family members, who make champagne from their own vineyards.
ND
Negociant distributeur: A merchant that buys bottles of finished champagne and markets them under its own label.
MA
Marque auxiliaire or marque d’acheteur: Buyer’s own brand. For example, a supermarket that purchases bottles of champagne and sells it under its own label.
What is this?
Traditional vertical basket press. The most common press producer is Coquard.
What quantity does a standard basket press hold, and what is the term for that quantity?
A standard press holds 4,000 kg (8,800 lbs)–a fixed quantity known as a “marc.”
What is the first 100 liters of pressed juice known as?
“Autopressurage.” It’s discarded, as it can contain dust and impurities from the surfaces of the grapes.
What is a “serre”?
Each action of the press going down is called a “serre.” Three serres constitute the cuvée.
What is the maximum quantity of juice obtained from the cuvée?
The total quantity of juice obtained from the cuvée can be no more than 2,050 liters.
What is the term for the series of serres that follow the cuvée?
The next couple of serres after the cuvée are called the “taille”–a coarser pressing with more skin contact that totals another 500 liters. Beyond that, further pressings are called the “rebeche” and are not allowed to be used for wine. They are sent to the distillery.
