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Champagne Study Guide Flashcards

1
Q

What two terms may be indicated on a bottle of sparkling wine produced in the method of Champagne but outside Champagne proper? (not Crémant)

A

méthode traditionnelle (traditional method)

méthode classique (classic method)

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2
Q

Can wines be labeled Champagne outside of the EU?

A

Yes but they are banned from export to the EU.

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3
Q

When did the English begin bottling casks of Champagne in their superior coal-fired English glass for bottling?

A

late 17th century (late 1600s) making them likely the first to enjoy proper Champagne

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4
Q

What house can claim itself as the oldest Champagne house still in operation today? Which house can claim that it’s the oldest house that was founded for the intentional production of sparkling wine?

A

Gosset (1584)

Ruinart (1729)

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5
Q

What was André François’s contribution to Champagne?

A

He identified the measurement of the precise amount of sugar required to induce secondary fermentation without breaking a bottle.

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6
Q

What was Veuve Clicquot’s major contribution to Champagne?

A

Their cellar master pioneered the practice of remuage (riddling)

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7
Q

Who produced Champagne’s first commercially successful dry Champagne? When was this and what was it called?

A

Pommery (1874)

Pommery “Nature”

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8
Q

What is unique to Champagne in regards to AOC/AOP labeling?

A

Champagne AOP is the only AOC/AOP that does not need to include Appellation Contrôlée (or Protégée) on the label

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9
Q

What stimulated widespread fraud in Champagne in regards to production in the late 19th century?

A

The arrival of phylloxera caused unscrupulous producers to import sparkling wine from outside the region and they would attempt to pass the wine off as Champagne.

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10
Q

What caused growers in Champagne to revolt in 1911?

A

Merchant houses were colluding to drive the price of grower’s grapes down while in the meantime were importing fruit from outside the region for production.

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11
Q

What vintage during WWI was considered one of the finest vintages of the 20th century?

A

1914

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12
Q

What is the CIVC, who created it, when and why? What is its role today?

A

Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne is a consortium of growers, producers, and shippers.

Created by Count Robert-Jean de Vogüé of Moët et Chandon in 1941 to represent the Champagne industry and protect its interests in the face of Nazi occupation

Today, remains a powerful force in the complex mediation between the large Champagne houses and the numerous smaller growers from who they source.

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13
Q

What does the Contrôle des Structures prohibit in regards to vineyard ownership of large houses? What does this provide for the growers?

A

They may not own more than fifteen owned or rented ha.

This provides the growers with a strong voice despite selling under a quarter of all wine produced

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14
Q

What was the inaugural vintage of Dom Pérignon? What trend did this start?

A

1921

Starts the trend of houses making a tête de cuvée, or prestige cuvée- a premier bottling often carrying a vintage date.

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15
Q

What trend started in the 1970s as vineyard capacity topped out for production in Champagne?

A

Champagne’s biggest names began establishing sparkling winemaking operations in other countries

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16
Q

What did the INAO decide to do in 2009 regarding villages for Champagne production?

A

They increased the number of eligible villages from 319 to 357

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17
Q

The region of Champagne is located along what parallel?

A

48th

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18
Q

What is the mean annual temperature in Champagne? Because of this what is variable and what practice in regards to production does this facilitate?

A

50F

Due to this the climate is quite variable from year to year requiring houses of Champagne to blend between vintages to achieve a consistency in their house styles.

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19
Q

What are the major concerns in the vineyard year in and year out in Champagne’s Atlantic influenced climate?

A

Frost, rain, fungal disease and hail.

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20
Q

What is rains biggest threat at the beginning of the growing season other than frost?

A

Other than frost rain often interrupts flowering, resulting in a bouvreaux, or second crop, that rarely ripens and is left on the vine

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21
Q

What is a bouvreaux?

A

A second crop on the vine resulting from interrupted flowering. It is left on the vine but rarely ripens

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22
Q

What is the dominant soil type of Champagne’s slopes? What is the most dominant soil type in Champagne’s valleys?

A

Belemnite Chalk on the slopes

Micraster chalk in the valley vineyards

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23
Q

What is Belemnite Chalk and what benefits does it provide for the vineyards?

A

Porous subsoil high in limestone content located in the vineyards on the slopes of Champagne derived from fossilized remains of millions of extinct cephalopods

Allows vine roots to dig deeply and is linked to increased acidity. It also absorbs heat to protect the vines at night and provides excellent drainage in the wet climate.

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24
Q

What is the dominant soil type of the Aube region?

A

Clay

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25
What two soil types are commonly topsoils over the much desired chalk soils in Champagne?
Sand and Clay
26
What are the three principal grapes for Champagne production?
Chardonnay Pinot Noir Meunier (formerly Pinot Meunier)
27
What is the most planted grape in Champagne?
``` Pinot Noir (38%) Chardonnay and Meunier (31%) ```
28
Which grapes are the most commonly used in a producer's NV house style?
Usually a blend of all three of the principal grapes .
29
What does Pinot Noir contribute to a Champagne blend?
Supports the wine's structure, richness, and body
30
What does Chardonnay contribute to a Champagne blend?
Provides elegance and longevity
31
What does Meunier contribute to a Champagne blend?
Youthful fruitiness, early maturing richness and approachability
32
Other than the three principal grapes, which other grapes are permitted in select areas?
Pinot Blanc Vrai Arbane Pinot Gris Petit Meslier
33
What are the four permitted pruning methods in Champagne?
Cordon de Royat Chablis Vallée de la Marne Guyot (double and simple)
34
On average what is the average age of vines in Champagne? Why?
20 years because the productivity of old vines is undesirable to most houses in Champagne.
35
What max yield of juice was set by the CIVC in 1992 for Champagne pressings?
102L of must for every 160kg of grapes or 2550L/4,000kg (a marc of grapes)
36
Why is the max yield for a Champagne pressing for 4,000kg?
This is the amount held in a traditional Coquard basket press.
37
A majority of Champagne houses are located in which three cities?
Reims Épernay Aÿ
38
What are the five districts of Champagne? Main grape in each?
``` Montagne de Reims (Pinot Noir) Vallée de la Marne (Meunier) Côte des Blancs (Chardonnay) Côte de Sézanne (Chardonnay) Côte des Bars /the Aube (Pinot Noir) ```
39
Why is Meunier heavily planted in the Vallée de la Marne?
Because it is late budding and early ripening, Meunier is planted heavily in the frost-prone region.
40
The slopes of the Montagne de Reims face mostly in what directions?
North and South, though the lower plains of the north are too cold for viticulture.
41
How does cru status in Champagne differ from that in Burgundy?
Cru refers to the entire village rather than a specific vineyard or plot of land
42
How many Grand Cru villages are there in Champagne? Premier Cru villages?
17 Grand Cru | 42 Premier Cru
43
What are the CIVC's main responsibilities today? (4)
mediates relations between growers and producers and oversees the production methods and promotion of Champagne. regulates the size of harvest authorizes blocage and deblocage (respectively the reserve and release of wine stocks for use in future vintages) safeguards the protected designation of Champagne
44
Up until 1990, the CIVC set the price of grapes through the Échelle des Crus, a percentile system by which the villages, or crus, of the Champagne appellation are rated. What were the corresponding Echelle des Crus value ranges for each cru level? What did this mean?
``` Grand Cru (100) Premier Cru (90-99) Cru (below 90) ``` The value would indicate the percent of a set price for grapes sold in Champagne for that harvest the producer would be able to sell their grapes for.
45
Which two premiers crus were the only to receive a score of 99 on the Echelle des Crus scale?
Mareuil-sur-Aÿ (Vallée de la Marne) | Tauxières (Montagne de Reims)
46
As of 1990, in regards to pricing for Champagne grapes, what does the CIVC use that departs from the original Echelles des Crus system?
They recommends, rather than regulates pricing, and supervises the exchange between growers and Champagne houses in order to promote fairness.
47
When did the CIVS entirely abolish the Echelles des Crus?
Early 2000s
48
What are the 7 different types of Champagne producers and their initials that are listed on the labels of Champagne they produce?
``` Négociant Manipulant (NM) Récoltant Manipulant (RM) Coopérative Manipulant (CM) Récoltant Coopérateur (RC) Société de Récoltants (SR) Négociant Distributeur (ND) Marque d'Acheteur (MA) ```
49
What is a Négociant Manipulant? What are 5 examples of this kind of producer?
House that purchases grapes and/or base wines from growers and other smaller houses. Some NMs own portions of their own vineyards; others own none at all. Moët et Chandon, Louis Roederer, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Billecart-Salmon, Perrier-Jouët, Taittinger, Pol Roger, Mumm, Lanzen, Laurent-Perrier are all examples of this kind of producer.
50
What is a Récoltant Manipulant?
Grower-producer who makes Champagne from estate-grown fruit. 95% of the grapes must originate in the producer's own vineyards.
51
What is the min % of grapes used in production of Champagne that must come from an RM's vineyards in order to qualify for this distinction?
min 95%
52
What is a Coopérative Manipulant?
A grower's co-operative that produces the wine under a single brand.
53
What is a Récoltant Coopérateur?
A grower whose grapes are vinified at a co-operative, but sells the wine under his own label.
54
What is a Société de Récoltants?
A firm, not a cooperative set up by a union of often related growers, who share resources to make their wines and collectively market several brands.
55
What is a Négociant Distributeur?
A middleman company that distributes Champagne it did not make
56
What is a 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.
57
What are the three parts of a traditional Champagne pressing called? Describe them
Vin de Cuvée The first 2,050L mostly free run and the purest juice Vin de Taille is the next 500L and is usually richer in pigment and tannin. Often sold off in lesser wines by producers. Rebêche is the last part constituting 1-10% of last part of pressing. This is used for distillate or ratafia
58
What is débourbage?
The settling of pressed juice following the press that occurs usually at a cold temperature for 15-18 hours to allow the remaining solids (bourbes) to settle at the bottom of the vat to facilitate a quality racking.
59
What happens after debourbage?
The juice is racked off the solids and the must may be chaptalized and allowed a primary fermentation creating the vin clairs, or high acid base wines with approximately 11% abv.
60
What are vins clairs?
Still base wines that are the product of a primary fermentation to be blended and refermented in bottle in Champagne production.
61
The fermentation of vins clairs occurs in what vessels commonly?
Most commonly stainless steel but sometimes oak, most often used and neutral oak. Though sometime new oak is used.
62
What happens to the newly fermented base wines (vins clairs prior to secondary fermentation?
They are allowed to go through malo though sometimes this is blocked. They are then generally clarified through fining, filtering, or centrifuge.
63
For how long will clarified base wines remain in fermentation vessels prior to secondary fermentation procedures?
Until February or March of the year following the harvest.
64
Following the aging of base wines, what happens next prior to the second fermentation in bottle?
Assemblage. A blender will taste the lots of base wine, and determine a house's hallmark blend, drawing on reserve stocks from previous years to proved complexity and richness
65
What is common in regards to rosé production in Champagne that isn't permitted elsewhere?
Blending of red and white base wines to achieve desired color.
66
What happens after assemblage prior to secondary fermentation?
Blend is cold stabilized and racked then bottled with the addition of liqueur de tirage.
67
What is the liqueur de tirage?
a mixture of still wine, yeasts, sugar, and fining agents that will serve to ignite the second fermentation.
68
What is the secondary alcoholic fermentation commonly called?
prise de mousse
69
What two fixtures are used to close the bottle following the addition of the liqueur de tirage?
crown cap (equipped with a bidule, a plastic capsule that will serve to capture the sediment during remuage) or cork
70
What is the typical duration of the secondary fermentation? What is the approximate increase of abv that results from the completion of the fermentation?
up to 8 weeks abv rises by 1.2-1.3%
71
What pressure inside the bottle does the prise de mousse for Champagne create?
5-6atm
72
How are bottles usually stored during the secondary alcohol fermentation for Champagne?
"sur latte" or horizontally
73
What is autolysis? When does this occur? What does it impart to a finished Champagne?
the breakdown of dead yeast cells that forms sediment, or lees in the bottle as a second fermentation occurs. Imparts creaminess and greater complexity
74
For how long must a Champagne be aged following the initiation of secondary fermentation, or addition of liqueur de tirage before dégorgement? Total aging including on lees and bottle aging?
min 12 months on lees NV: 15 months total Vintage: 36 months total
75
What is pointage?
Traditional, but archaic method for preventing the sediment following secondary fermentation from sticking to the bottle. This is done by briskly shaking the bottles
76
How many holes are in a traditional pupitre?
60
77
How long does traditional remuage take? What modern innovation has replaced the pupitre in many big houses?
8 weeks Spanish invented gyropalette
78
How many bottles can a single gyropalette handle? How long does the process of ridding take using one?
504 bottles | Takes a week or less
79
What is the position a bottle of champagne is kept in following remerge prior to disgorgement?
"sur pointe"
80
What are the two methods for disgorgement?
Dégorgement à la glace more modern technique wherein the neck of the bottle i dipped in a freezing brine solution. The bottle is then turned upright and the crown cap is popped allowing the internal pressure to expel the semi-frozen sediment (and a small portion of wine) Dégorgement à la volée older method that involves the same principles minus the freezing of the yeast. More excess wine is lost in the process of this.
81
Following disgorgement, what is added to the wine?
Liqueur d'expédition, a liquid mixture of sugar syrup and wine. This determines the final sweetness levels of the wine. This is rarely avoided and thus bone-dry non-dosage styles are rarely produced although with more frequency than in the past.
82
What is the most common sweetness level of Champagne used for all styles produced?
Brut
83
What are the values in g/L for Brut-Nature/Non-Dosé Champagne?
0-3g/L
84
What are the values in g/L for Extra Brut Champagne?
0-6g/L
85
What are the values in g/L for Brut Champagne?
0-12g/L
86
What are the values in g/L for Extra Dry Champagne?
12-17g/L
87
What are the values in g/L for Sec Champagne?
17-32g/L
88
What are the values in g/L for Demi-Sec Champagne?
32-50g/L
89
What are the values in g/L for Doux Champagne?
50+ g/L
90
After the addition of dosage (liqueur d'expedition addition) the bottle is secured by what?
cork and six half-twists of a muselet, or wire cage
91
What is the name for the wire cage over a cork on a bottle of Champagne?
Muselet
92
Why is it recommended that a bottle of Champagne be cellared for significant time prior to opening it?
apparent sulfur and youthful austerity can make recently bottled Champagne less rewarding.
93
Transversage is permitted in Champagne for which bottle sizes?
bottles larger than a Jeroboam or smaller than a half bottle
94
Is Remerge necessary for bottles bottled by Transversage? When is dosage added for these?
No, as wine used for this is disgorged into a pressurized tank and filtered. Dosage is added after filtering and bottling into the final bottle used.
95
What is the volume inside a Quarter Bottle (Piccolo)?
187mL
96
What is the volume inside a Half Bottle (demi)?
375mL?
97
What is the volume inside a Magnum?
1.5L (2 bottles)
98
What is the volume inside a Jeroboam?
3L (4 bottles)
99
What is the volume inside a Rehoboam?
4.5L (6 bottles)
100
When was the Rehoboam discontinued?
1989
101
What is the volume inside a Methuselah?
6L (8 bottles)
102
What is the volume inside a Salamanzar?
9L (12 bottles)
103
What is the volume inside a Balthazar?
12L (16 bottles)
104
What is the volume inside a Nebuchadnezzar?
15L (20 bottles)
105
What is the volume inside a Solomon?
18L (24 bottles)
106
What is the description for a Non-Vintage Champagne? What percentage of the total market does this style represent?
Generally brut in style, the NV cuvée represents a house's signature style, and the blender's job is to ensure consistency from year to year. Represents at least 3/4 of the market
107
What is the description for a Vintage Champagne? What sweetness level are these usually? For how long can they age?
100% of the blend must come from the stated vintage, yet a maximum 80% of a year's harvest may be sold as vintage Champagne. The better houses declare a vintage only in exceptional years. Brut is the most common. Can age for a decade or more
108
What percentage of a Champagne house's total annual production may be permitted for the production of a vintage bottling?
max 80%
109
What is the description for a Blanc de Blancs Champagne?
100% Chardonnay is required, but it is not always sourced from the Côte des Blancs. They may be vintage dated or NV. These represent some of Champagne's most age worthy bottlings; while austere and often steely in youth, better examples develop an intense bouquet with maturity.
110
What is the description for a Blanc de Noirs Champagne?
White wine produced solely from black grapes. The wine usually displays richness, intensity, and weight, although it can lack the supreme elegance and finesse of Blanc de Blancs
111
What is the description for a Prestige Cuvée (Tête de Cuvée)?
Usually the finest and most expensive bottling that a house offers, the prestige cuvée is typically (but not always) vintage-dated and aged for a number of years prior to release. Usually only released in superior vintages, and may undergo more traditional vilification procedures, such as barrel fermentation, riddling by hand, and cork-finishing during the second fermentation.
112
What styles may prestige cuvées be produced in? Is a house only permitted to make one?
Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and Rosé Can make more than one from more than one source though some only make one
113
What is the description for a Single Vineyard Champagne? What does this style represent in regards to traditional production?
produced by a small grower producer or large house and may or may not be advertised as a prestige cuvée. Does not have to be vintage dated but most invariably are. Represents a departure from the traditional practice of blending across many vineyards.
114
When did the "Special Club" concept originate? Why did it materialize?
1971 lacking the marketing budgets of larger houses, this collection of smaller producers banded together to promote their prestige cuvées through identical packaging. Special Club bottlings are estate-bottled, vintage-dated wines that represent the pinnacle of each individual grower's style and production.
115
What are Special Club producers?
``` Paul Bara J. Lasalle Gaston Chicquet Marc Hébrart Pierre Gimmonet ```
116
In what styles may a rosé Champagne be produced? How is the color achieved?
Vintage, NV, and Prestige Cuvée Color is achieved by blending red and white base wines or also by the saignée method.
117
What are the two still wine appellations of Champagne? What's the difference between the two?
Coteaux Champenois Rosé de Riceys Coteaux Champenois is an appellation for still red, white, and rosé wines from the entire Champagne appellation. Rosé de Riceys is reserved for 100% Pinot Noir rosé wines produced in Les Riceys, a cru village in the Aube
118
What river in Champagne joins the Seine giving the region access to Paris for trading purposes?
Marne
119
Where did Dom Pérignon preside over provisions?
Abbey of Hautvillers
120
When was the Aube first considered part of Champagne viticole?
1927
121
What was the precursor of the CIVC?
Commission de Châlons
122
What type of producers supply a majority of Champagne's domestic market?
Growers, cooperatives, and cooperative unions
123
What Champagne houses does LVMH own?
``` Moët et Chandon Veuve Clicquot Krug Ruinart Mercier ```
124
Where is the Aube located in relation to Épernay?
112km south east of the city
125
Due to the soils poverty in Champagne fertilization is added constantly. What are the two most common sources for this?
cendres noires (natural compost found on the region's hilltops until the late 1990s, finely ground household rubbish from Reims or even Paris.
126
What principle grape is the most susceptible to frost?
Chardonnay as it buds early
127
What is the max yield for Champagne vines?
65hl/ha
128
What is the name for the quantity of grapes that fits inside a coquard press? What it's weight?
marc (4,000kg)
129
What is ratafia de champagne? How is it produced
Mistelle made by fortifying the grape juice from the rebeche pressing with marc or grape spirit
130
What is the vin de liqueur appellation of Champagne?
Ratafia de Champagne IGP
131
What were Dom Pérignon's major contributions to Champagne?
First to make clear white wine from red grapes. Severe pruning and limited fertilization to lower yield and concentrate the wine. Championed early morning harvesting to preserve delicate aromas and flavors. Built presses in the vineyards so grapes could be pressed as quickly as possible. First to keep vineyard lots separate and to realize that blending several still wines ultimately leads to more interesting Champagne. First to experiment with glass as a way to preserve Champagne's freshness, instead of leaving it in wooden barrels, where it easily oxidized.
132
Who is responsible for permitting Champagne to be stored in standardized glass bottles? When was this?
Louis XV in 1728
133
When was riddling or remuage pioneered and by who?
1816 by Antoine de Müller, chef de cave of Veuve Clicquot
134
How many villages are designated as simply "Cru" in Champagne?
258
135
Why are vines in Champagne traditionally trained low to the ground?
To absorb warmth that might be reflected from the white soils
136
What is the soil mostly made up of in the Vallée de la Marne?
Marl, clay, and sand
137
What are three Champagne houses that ferment some base wines in old wooden barrels as is tradition?
Krug, Jacquesson, and Louis Roederer

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