Chapter 1 - History Flashcards
What three things did the Romans bring to the area under their rule?
Viticulture
Chalk quarries
Protection for the Remi tribe.
Name two ancient grape varieties.
- Gouais Blanc
- Fromenteau (Pinot Gris)
What happened to viticulture after the fall of Rome?
It fell into the hands of the clergy who filled the power void.
Who baptised King Clovis and where?
Bishop Remi in Reims in the 5th century.
What and who had a major role in the development of viticulture in the 5th and 6th centuries?
The church and monasteries (Benedictines). Wine was needed for mass and a source of income.
Who was the first coronation ceremony held for in France?
King Pepin the Short in Soissons in 752
For how many years did coronations take place in Reims?
600 years. 27 French kings.
What were the wines of Champagne known as in the 9th century?
- Vins de la montagne
- Vins de la revière
Which dynasty had armed conflict in the Champagne region in the 9th century?
The Carolingian Dynasty. Descendants of Charlemagne.
What is the name of the city that became the capital of Champagne.
Troyes. In the Aube.
What was the reason for Troyes becoming the capital of Champagne?
The Counts of Troyes becoming the Counts of Champagne and clashing with the Bishop of Reims.
What was happening in Champagne in the Middle Ages?
Trade fairs twice a year (Foires de Champagne). Hosted in Troyes, Bar-sur-Aube etc.
When were the first wine brokers appointed in Reims?
1323
What war took place between 1337 and 1453?
The Hundred Years War.
What colour were the wines of Champagne in the Middle Ages?
Almost clear to onion skin, and from pale to pale red.
What happened to the wine during the Middle Ages.
The winter cold interrupted the fermentation process and then the spring warmth restarted it. The wine had a slight effervescent quality.
What was the climate like between the 1300’s and 1800’s ?
The mini ice age.
When did viticulture become established in the Champagne region?
The end of the 4th or beginning of the 5th century.
What is the name of the next conflict (after The Hundred Years War) to hit the Champagne region?
The Thirty Years War - 1618-1648
When was Gosset established?
- As a wine House not a champagne House.
Who was making effervescent wine in the 16th century?
The monks at the Abbye Saint Hilaire in Limoux. 1531.
What is Dom Pérignon credited with?
- White wine from black skinned grapes.
- Focusing on the blend.
- Shallow champagne basket press.
- Experimenting with verre anglais and cork stoppers.
What is the name of a wooden plug wrapped in oil soaked hemp?
Broquelet
What was the name of the sparkling wine from the village of Aÿ called?
Tocane
What three developments occurred by the end of the 17th century?
- Uniform bottle neck openings
- Cork reintroduced as a seal.
- Strong glass bottle production method from the English.
Who was the Royal Navy Admiral who convinced King James I to prohibit the use of wood in glassblowers furnaces?
Sir Robert Mansell
What is a pontil?
A wooden device for holding newly formed glass bottles
What were the wines of Champagne called at the end of the 17th century?
Vins de Champagne
Name some of the grapes in use at the end of the 17th century.
Gouais
Meslier
Arbanne
Gouais Noir
Morillon Noir (Pinot Noir)
Morillon Taconné (Meunier)
Fromenteau (Pinot Gris)
Who wrote a paper for the Royal Society documenting a “sparkling method” and when did he submit it?
Christopher Merret
1662
Where was Dom Pérignon a cellar master?
Abbey Saint-Pierre in Hautvillers
What does “demi-mousseux” mean?
Lightly effervescent
What does mousseux/pétillant mean?
Effervescent or “sparkle”
What does “grand mousseux” mean
More effervescent- 3atms of pressure
What does “sablant” mean?
Flat
What is “ullage”?
The unfilled space in the bottle
When did it become legal to transport champagne in bottle?
- By royal decree.
When did the official champagne bottle first appear?
March 8th, 1735. By royal decree.
It held a pint by Paris measure.
Who is the oldest champagne house?
Ruinart. Established in 1729
What prompted the establishment of Ruinart as a Champagne House.
The royal decree allowing champagne to be transported in bottle in 1728.
What was Reims famous for in the early 1700’s?
Textiles.
When was Möet established?
1743
When was Roederer established?
1776
Who is credited with “chaptalisation”?
Jean-Antoine Chaptal. (Incorrectly)
What was the weather like in the 18th century?
Harsh. There was a devastating freeze in 1788-1789.
What happened in Champagne between 1803 and 1813
Napoléon fought a series of battles against Russia, Prussia and Austria. Much of the fighting took place in Champagne.
How many champagne houses were there by 1821 compared to the 18th century?
From 10 (18th C) to 100 in 1821
When was Billecart-Salmon established?
1825
Renaudin-Bollinger established?
1829
Krug established?
1843
Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek
Improved the microscope, and the first to observe single cell organisms.
Antoine Lavoisier
Helped construct the metric system. Drew up the first list of elements. Discovered and named oxygen and hydrogen.
Antoine- Alexis Cadet de Vaux
Invented the gleuco- oenometer as a way to measure residual sugar.
Jean-Antoine Chaptal
Discovered and named nitrogen. The chaptalisation process bears his name.
Nicolas-Theodore de Saussure
His work with oxygen, carbon dioxide and water gave chemical structure to the process of photosynthesis. His experiments also proved that plants absorb nutrients selectively.
Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac
Found a way to measure alcohol content.
Louis Pasteur
Discovered yeast in 1857 and linked it to fermentation.
Jean-Baptiste François
In 1837 he used an instrument called a “cadet devaux densimètre” (hydrometer) to measure the precise quantity of sugar for dosage. Breakage dropped as a consequence.
Edmé-Jules Maumené
Perfected an instrument called an aphrometer to check pressure in the bottle and he focused on wines’ ability to absorb co2.
What does “sur lattes” mean
Stacking of the bottles vertically using thin strips of wood to separate them.
When was the UMC formed
1882
When did Phylloxera arrive in Champagne?
1890
When was “The Belle Epoque”
1871-1914
What percentage of the set price would Grand Cru villages receive?
100%
What percentage of the set price would Premier Cru villages receive?
90-99%
What percentage of the set price would “other” crus receive?
80-89%
What is “changement de tas”
Moving the stacks of wine bottles to loosen the sediment.
Who invented riddling?
Madame Clicquot and her chef de caves, Antoine Müller.
When did the A shaped pupitre appear.
By 1840
What is “dégorgement à la volée?
Flying disgorgement.
How was champagne served in the 19th century
Frappé. Ice cold.
What is “remplissage”
Topping up after disgorging with more of the same champagne.
When did dosage machines appear?
1844
What is “surbouchage”?
Covering corks in tin foil. 1856
What is the wire cage called?
Muselet
Who invented the muselet?
Adolphe Jacquesson. Patented in 1844
Between 1871 and 1890, how many “difficult” vintages were there?
15
When was the “golden age”?
1830-1870
What occurred in the “golden age”?
- Famous names appear
- The wines were branded.
- Power shifted from the landowners to the négociants with capital.
When was the “Madrid Agreement”?
1891
What was the “Madrid Agreement”?
Concerning the international registration of marks. Ratified by nine countries.
What organisation was formed in 1904?
Fédération des Syndicats Viticoles de la Champagne
SGV
What law was put into effect in 1905
A law to regulate brands, marks and areas of origin.
When were the borders of Champagne made official?
1908
Which area was excluded?
The Aube
When was the Échelle des Crus implemented?
1911
What also happened in 1911?
The Champagne riots.
What was the outcome of these riots?
The Aube was granted a special appellation, “Champagne Deuxième Zone”.
When was “The Belle Epoque”?
1871-1914
What happened during WWI?
The vineyards were devastated. Part of the front was in the Champagne region.
What happened after WWI?
The vineyards were replanted in rows with new varieties and a reduction in the area of planting.
When was the Champagne viticole expanded to include the Aube?
1927
Name three grapes used after WWI
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Meunier
Which interprofessional organisation was formed in 1935
Commission de Châlons
Name two early prestige cuvées
Cristal: 1876
Dom Pérignon: 1937
When did récoltants manipulants first appear?
During The Great Depression
What happened in Champagne during WWII?
The fighting did not take place there. The Germans looted millions of bottles of champagne.
What organisation was formed in 1941?
The CIVC.
When was the gyropalette introduced?
1973
When was the Madrid Protocol drafted and then in effect?
1989 and 1996.
What is the Madrid Protocol?
An update to the Madrid Agreement of 1891. Measures were put in place to make it easy for businesses to register their brands/marks with all international members.
Signatories to the Madrid Agreement and Madrid protocol are members of the Madrid Union.
