Chapter 2 - Viticulture Flashcards
What is the climate of Champagne.
Northern Maritime.
A fusion of oceanic and continental climates and weather.
What happens at either end of the growing season?
It is bookended by frosts.
What is the average annual temperature?
Around 10-11c
How many hours of sunshine does it take to ripen a grape?
1400
What latitude is the Champagne region on?
Between the 49th and 49.5th parallel north.
What topography features assist in the growing conditions?
The folded and convoluted hills create suntraps and the network of rivers help moderate temperatures and mitigate frost damage.
Chardonnay can weather frozen temperatures better than the two Pinots. True or false?
True.
How has the temperature changed over the last thirty years?
It has warmed by approximately 2F/ 1.2C
Name some of the changes in the Champagne region regarding weather/climate.
- Winters are milder.
- Shorter growing season.
- Earlier harvest date.
- Riper grapes with lower acidity
When did the Pinot Noir grape appear in Champagne?
1500’s
What was Pinot Gris known as?
Fromenteau
What was Chardonnay known as?
Beaunois
What was Meunier known as
Morillon Taconné
Name the seven authorised grapes.
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Meunier
- Arbanne
- Pinot Blanc
- Petit Meslier
- Pinot Gris
What is the most widely planted grape?
Pinot Noir
Name three rootstocks used in Champagne
- 41B (most widely planted - 81%)
- SO4 (Pinot Noir)
- 3309C (Meunier)
What are the characteristics of the Meunier grape?
(Miller)
Frost and freeze resistant.
Secondary buds are fruitful.
Often leafs out after PN.
Happy on all soil types.
Compared to CH and PN - Moderate acid. Least amount of alcohol.
Quick to oxidize.
What are the characteristics of the Pinot Noir grape?
Early budding grape.
Early ripening.
Thrives in cool climates.
Prefers limestone or marl soils.
Moderate tannins. Good acidity. Moderate alcohol.
Sensitive to grey rot.
In the blend, PN contributes the least amount of acidity and moderate alcohol.
What are the characteristics of the Chardonnay grape?
Sensitive to Oidium (powdery mildew).
Indigenous to France.
Prefers limestone or limestone rich marls.
Early budding and early ripening.
High sugar, high extract.
More acidity and alcohol than M or PN in the blend.
What is massal selection?
Planting new vineyards or replacing dead vines with those produced with wood taken from old vineyards planted before the days of clonal planting.
What is clonal selection?
Using recommended clones from vine clone nurseries.
What is the approximate density of Champagne vineyards?
Around 8500 vines per ha.
(Hign density planting).
What is “vigne en foule”
Vines in a crowd. Dense planting.
What is “provinage”?
Layering. Burying a cane to produce a new vine.
What is “assiselage”?
Vines moving forward or sideways.
What is Phylloxera?
A root louse. It lives on the roots of the grapevine, eventually killing it.
It does not like sandy soils.
Are there Phylloxera free vineyards in Champagne?
Yes.
Bollinger has two small walled vineyards in Aÿ. They contain pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines.
VVF is made from them.
Other parcels are in Sacy, Écueil and Villedommange. Some also in the Montagne de Reims and Vallée de la Marne.