Champagne Quiz Flashcards
In 2018, what percentages of the main 3 grapes were planted in Champagne?
Pinot Noir: 38%
Meunier: 32%
Chardonnay: 30%
What are the two main towns in the champagne region?
Reims and Epernay
In reference to Champagne, what does “The Widow” refer to?
What is she credited with?
- Co-created the Riddling table.
Soils and where they are found in the Champ
- Wider Paris basic has thick layer of chalk, old seabed.
- Chalky hillsides of Champagne in the north have proved most val for growing grapes for base wines
- Montagne de Reims - various soils, Grand Crus on chalky soil
- Vallee de la Marne mostly clay, marl, sand
- Cote des Blancs - purest form of chalk exc balance water retentiona nd drainage primary area for CH - 95% plantings
- Cote de Sezanne pockets of chalk mostly clay and silt
- Cote des Bar Kimmeridgian calcareous marl - excellent drainage hellps PN ripen well. NB area for PN.
Roughly how many independent champagne growers are there in the champagne region
16000
In the champagne region what does RM stand for?
Recoltant Manipulant
A grower-producer who makes Champagne
under own label
grapes from own vineyard
processed own premises
What is the remuage process in champagne making?
Manipulating bottles to move sediment onto the corks ready for disgorgement.
riddling
Which alcohol content is champagne most likely to be - 10.5%, 12.5%, 15.5%
12.5%
Bouzy is associated with which wine/vineyard area?
Champagne, Grand Cru village in Montagne de Reims.
In the champagne region what does NM stand for?
Negociant Manipulant.
A Champagne house that purchases grapes and or base wines from growers and other smaller houses, e.g. the larger houses: Moet et Chandon, Lanson, Veuve-Clicquot, etc.
Which 5 Champagne brands does the conglomerate LVMH own?
Krug
Moet et Chandon (inc. Dom Perignon)
Mercier
Veuve Clicquot
Ruinart
In the champagne region what does CM stand for?
Cooperative Manipulant.
A growers’ co-operative that produces the wine under a coop brand (members’ grapes)
.
In the champagne region what does RC stand for?
Recoltant Cooperateur.
A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label.
In the champagne region what does SR stand for?
Societé de Recoltants.
A firm, not a co-operative, set up by a union of often related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands.
In the champagne region what does ND stand for?
Negociant Distributeur.
A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make.
In the champagne region what does MA stand for?
Marque d’Acheteur.
A buyer’s own brand, often a large supermarket chain or restaurant, that purchases Champagne and sells it under its own label.
What are the 2 Prestige Cuvées of Krug and what grapes are they comprised of?
“Clos d’Ambonnay” = 100% Pinot Noir
“Clos du Mesnil” = 100% Chardonnay
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Gosset?
What grapes are used?
“Celebris”
52% Chardonnay, 48% Pinot Noir
Champagne Charles Heidsieck has 2 Prestige Cuvées, one of which is discontinued.
What are they?
“Champagne Charlie” (discontinued after ‘85 vintage)
“Blanc de Millenaires” (100% Chardonnay)
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Jacquesson?
What is their other famous series of wines?
“Grand Vin Signature”
The 700 Series
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Lanson, and what styles does it come in?
“Noble Cuvée”
Brut, Blanc de Blancs, Rosé
What are the 2 Prestige Cuvées of Laurent-Perrier?
“Grand Siécle” (50/50 PN and Chard)
“Alexandra” Vintage Rosé (80/20 PN and Chard)
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Perrier-Jouët?
“Belle-Epoque”
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Ruinart?
“Dom Ruinart”
(Blanc de Blancs and Rosé)
Rosé: 85% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir
What is the Prestige Cuvée of Jacques Selosse?
What grapes are used?
What is unique about the way this wine is made?
“Substance” NV
100% Chardonnay (Blanc de Blancs)
His top wine, Substance, is created out of a Solera of twelve different vintages.
What is the French name for the mixture of wine/sugar added to a newly-disgorged bottle of Champagne?
Liqueur d’expedition.
When pressing grapes for Champagne production, what are the 2 divisions of juice called?
“Vin de Cuvée” = the first 2,050L
“Vin de Tailles” = the following 500L
What are the 7 steps to making a Traditional Method sparkling wine?
- Making the still base wine.
- Assembling the cuvée.
- Adding liqueur de tirage and 2nd fermentation.
- Sur lie aging / autolysis.
- Riddling (Remuage).
- Disgorgement.
- Dosage / Bottle-aging
With which 2 sparkling wine production methods can you have yeasty, autolysis, flavours?
Traditional Method Transfer Method
What are the “4 C”s and “1 F” of Traditional Method sparkling wine production?
Champagne
Cremant
Cava
Method Cap Classique
Franciacorta
Descirbe the base still wine used for Champagne in terms of:
Color
Alcohol
Acidity
Very light color.
Low alcohol (10-11%)
High acidity.
Why are the best grapes for sparkling wine picked in whole bunches?
When crushed, it protects the juice better from unwanted colour and tannins
Give three reasons why blending is so important with sparkling wines:
- To make a consistent ‘House’ style.
- To improve balance e.g. Chardonnay adds Citrus whilst Pinot Noir adds body and subtle red fruit flavours
- To add complexity e.g. Old reserve wines might bring dried fruit. Some matured in oak would bring toast and spice
What are the 5 ingredients of Liqueur de Tirage? When is it used?
Wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients, clarifying/fining agent.
Mixed with base wine to start the 2nd fermentation
What is the pressure in the bottle after the 2nd fermentation?
5~6 atmospheres
What is the machine that performs automated riddling?
Where was it invented?
How many bottles can it hold?
Gyropalette.
Invented in Spain.
Holds up to 504 bottles.
At what stages might blending be done in making Sparkling wine?
After the base wine is made various parcels are blended before starting 2nd fermentation At the stage of adding Liqueur d’expedition the wine used can adjust the flavours of the final wine.
What is Liqueur d’expedition made from?
Wine and sugar
How is ‘Traditional Method’ shown on bottles?
Methode Champenoise
Methode Traditionelle
Traditional Method
Cremant
Metodo Classico
How are some producers helping retailers and drinkers know the age of Champagne?
Some are showing ‘Disgorgement’ dates on the bottle
Besides the Traditional Method, what are 5 ways to make sparkling wine?
Give a specific example for each method:
Transfer Method / “Transvasage” (Champagne bottles larger than a Jeroboam and smaller than a half bottle.)
Tank/Charmat/Asti/Cuve Close Method (Prosecco)
Methode Ancestral (Bugey “Cerdon” AOP)
Continuous Method/Russian Continous Method (German Sekt)
Carbonation (Cheap sparkling wine e.g. Barefoot)
With which sparkling wine production methods can you get autolysis flavours?
Traditional Method
Transfer Method
Continuous / Russian Continuous Method
What is the main difference between Traditional and Transfer methods of sparkling wine production?
With Transfer method, after 2nd fermentation and lees ageing the bottles are disgorged into a sealed tank under pressure. The wine is then filtered, Liqueur d’expedition is added then the wine is finally bottled
What 3 reasons might cause producers choose the Tank Method to make sparkling wine?
- Cheaper.
- Less labor-intensive.
- Removal of yeast/autolysis flavors, emphasis of primary, fruity flavors.
With the Tank Method of Sparkling wine production, where does 2nd fermentation take place?
In a pressurised tank
Using the French terms list Sparkling wine sweetness from driest to sweetest and their level of residual sugar.
Brut Nature (0-3g/l)
Extra Brut (0-6g/l)
Brut (0-12g/l)
Extra Sec (12-17g/l)
Sec (17-32g/l)
Demi Sec (32-50g/l)
Doux (50+ g/l)
What is the most popular style of Traditional Method sparkling wine and how much sugar can it contain?
Brut 0~12g/L
How much sugar is in the dosage for Brut Nature Sparlking wines?
No sugar can be added but residual sugar up to 3G/L is permitted
How much residual sugar is permitted in Demi-Sec Sparkling wine?
32~50g/L
Define ‘Vintage’ - Champagne - Wine from other countries
Champagne - 100% grapes must come from a single year Other countries - Most grapes must come from a single year but a small % from other years is permitted
How can Rosé sparkling wines be made?
Blending red and white base wines - even permitted in Champagne Short maceration (some countries only allow short maceration) * Colour can be adjusted at final liqueur d’expedition stage
What is ‘Prestige Cuvee’?
Not an official labelling term but sometimes used by producers to denote their flagship offering
What flavours does autolysis bring?
Biscuit, Bread, Toast, Pastry, Brioche, Bread Dough, Cheese
What are the minimum ageing times for non vintage Champagne - In total? - On the lees?
Total 15 months
12 months on the lees
What are the minimum ageing times for vintage Champagne - In total? - On the lees?
Total 36 months
12 months on the lees
What is the minimum lees ageing time for Cremant, Saumur, Vouvray and Cava?
9 months
What are the minimum ageing times for Asti and Prosecco?
None, they are both made to be drunk fresh as soon as possible after making
What is the minimum lees ageing time for South African Method Cap Classique sparkling wine?
Minimum 12 months.
North to South, what are the 5 Champagne grape growing regions and what does each, primarily, grow?
Montagne de Reims. Pinot Noir
Vallée de la Marne. Pinot Meunière
Côte des Blancs. Chardonnay
Côte de Sezanne. Chardonnay
Côte des Bar. Pinot Noir
In Champagne which are the two growing regions for Chardonnay?
Côte de Blancs and Côte de Sezanne
In Champagne which are the two growing regions for Pinot Noir?
Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar
Where, in Champagne, is Pinot Meunière largely grown?
Valée de la Marne
To what is Cru status given in Champagne?
The Village
How many Cru villages are there in Champagne?
42 Premier Cru (technically 44: Chouilly is PC for Pinot Noir; Tours-sur-Marne is PC for Chardonnay)
17 Grand Cru
What does Chardonnay bring to Champagne?
Hi acidity, floral and citrus fruit flavours