Champagne & Sparkling Wine

Question 1

What are the 3 grapes of Champagne and which has the largest acreage?

Answer 1

Pinot Noir (most acreage)
Pinot Meunier (AKA miller's pinot"
Chardonnay

Question 2

What is dosage?

Answer 2

An addition of sugar and wine blend that determines the wine’s final sweetness level

Question 3

What is the most southerly region in Champagne?

Answer 3

The Aube (Cote des Bars)
Majority of region on the Aube & Seine Rivers

Question 4

What is the most northerly region in Champagne?

Answer 4

Montagne de Reims

Question 5

Where is the Vallee de la Marne?

Answer 5

runs east to west along the Marne river from Epernay

Question 6

Where is the Cote des Blancs?

Answer 6

Champagne region south of Epernay

Question 7

Where is the Cote de Sezanne?

Answer 7

Southwest of Epernay

Question 8

What does “NM” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 8

Negociant Manipulant - house that purchases grapes or base wine from growers or small houses
EX - Veuve, Mumm, Chandon

Question 9

What does “RM” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 9

Recoltant Manipulant - a grower-producer who makes Champagne from 95% estate grown fruit from their own vineyard

Question 10

What does “CM” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 10

Cooperative Manipulant - a grower co-operative that produces wine under a single brand

Question 11

What does “RC” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 11

Recoltant Cooperateur - a grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative but sells the wine under their own label

Question 12

What does “SR” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 12

Societe de Recoltants - a firm (not co-op) set up by a union of related growers who share resources to make wines and market several brands

Question 13

What does “ND” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 13

Negociant Distributuer - middleman company that distributes champagne it did not make

Question 14

What does “MA” on a champagne label indicate?

Answer 14

Marque d’Acheteur - a buyer’s own brand that purchases champagne and sells it under its own label (supermarket or restaurant)

Question 15

Champagne Regions from North to South are:

Answer 15

Montagne de Reims
Vallee de la Marne
Cote des Blancs
Cote de Sezanne
Cotes des Bars (the Aube)

Question 16

Champagne vineyards are best characterized by what type of soil?

Answer 16

Chalk

Question 17

How many grams of sugar in Extra Brut Champagne?

Answer 17

0-6 grams per liter

Question 18

How many grams of sugar in Brut Champagne?

Answer 18

0-12 grams per liter

Question 19

How many grams of sugar in Extra Dry Champagne?

Answer 19

12-17 grams per liter

Question 20

How many grams of sugar in Sec Champagne?

Answer 20

17-32 grams per liter

Question 21

How many grams of sugar in Demi-Sec Champagne?

Answer 21

32-50 grams per liter

Question 22

How many grams of sugar in Doux Champagne?

Answer 22

50+ grams per liter

Question 23

List the types of champagne from sweetest to driest

Answer 23

Doux
Demi-Sec
Sec
Extra Dry
Brut 
Extra Brut

Question 24

What is Tete de Cuvee and list some examples

Answer 24

Prestige Cuvee - finest and most expensive, usually produced in a vintage year
EX: Moet - "Dom Perignon"
Taittinger "Comtes de Champagne"
Louis Roederer "Cristal"
Veuve Cliquot "La Grande Dame"
Pol Roget "Sir Winston Churchill"

Question 25

Method Traditionnelle is what? Where do they use it?

Answer 25

mirrors Method Champenoise - second fermentation in the bottle; best quality outside of Champagne

• used in Franciatcorta (Lombardy, Italy)
• Cava (Penedes, Spain)

Question 26

Methode Ancestrale is what type of production?

Answer 26

oldest and most rudimentary method, single fermentation begins in the tank, secondary occurs in the bottle as the yeast continues to ferment (no tirage or dosage); wine is disgorged, filtered and bottled

Question 27

Charmat Method is what type of production? Where do they use it?

Answer 27

quicker, cheaper and less labor intensive
after primary fermentation wine, liquer de tirage is added to provoke secondary fermentation in the tank, then the wine is filtered and bottled
EX - Asti and Prosecco

Question 28

Continuous Method is what type of production? Where do they use it?

Answer 28

Developed in USSR, similar to tank method but the base wine is pumped through a series of continuous tanks during secondary fermentation and liqueur de tirage is continuously added
EX: German Sekt

Question 29

What is the Carbonation Method?

Answer 29

inject carbon dioxide into still wine - very cheap

Question 30

Where is the sparkling Asti produced? what method is used for production? what grape?

Answer 30

Piedmont, Italy
Charmat method
Moscato d’Asti

Question 31

Where is Prosecco produced? Method? Grape?

Answer 31

Veneto, Italy
Charmat
Glera

Question 32

Where is Lambrusco produced? Method? Grape?

Answer 32

Emilia-Romagna
Charmat Method
Lambrusco Grape

Question 33

Where is Franciacorta produced? Method? Grape?

Answer 33

Lombardy, Italy
Classic Method (closest to Champagne)
CH
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Noir