General Champagne questions Flashcards

1
Q

How many communes of production are in Champagne AOP?

A

357 villages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the minimum potential alcohol of Champagne?

A

9%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is the maximum RS of Champagne?

A

10 g/l

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the time constraints for tirage?

A

Tirage may not occur until January 1 of the year following the harvest.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Volume of wine may not increase by more than what percent per 1% alcohol increase?

A

1.12%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Wines may not be disgorged until when?

A

At least 12 months after the date of tirage.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Which bottle sizes are not sold in the same bottles in which tirage occurred?

A

Bottles smaller than 375ml and larger than 3 liters.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

For NV bottlings, how much of 375ml bottles can be transferred into new bottles?

A

20%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How much of a vintage’s harvest can be sold as vintage Champagne?

A

80%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How much of the stated vintage must make up the bottle?

A

100%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the minimum must weight of Champagne?

A

143 g/l

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the minimum planting density of Champagne?

A

Max 2.5 square meters per vine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the permitted training methods in Champagne?

A

Chablis
Cordon de Royat
Vallee de la Marne (for Meunier only)
Guyot (simple or double)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the maximum yield of Champagne?

A

10,400 kilograms per hectare

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is rebeche?

A

The end of the pressing

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

When was Champagne AOC established?

A

1936

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Extra Brut Champagne, Pre-2010 and current?

A

0-6 grams per liter for both.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Brut Champagne, pre-2010 and current?

A

0-15 grams per liter, 0-12 grams per liter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Extra Dry Champagne, pre-2010 and current?

A

12-20 grams per liter, 12-17 grams per liter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Sec Champagne, pre-2010 and current?

A

17-35 grams per liter, 17-32 grams per liter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Demi-Sec Champagne, pre-2010 and current?

A

33-50 grams per liter, 32-50 grams per liter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What are the sweetness levels for Doux Champagne, pre-2010 and current?

A

50+ grams per liter.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

How many Champagne Grand Cru Villages are there?

A

17

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

How many Premier Cru Villages are in Champagne?

A

42

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

How many Premier Cru Villages are in Montagne de Reims?

A

26

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How many Premier Cru Villages are in Vallee de la Marne?

A

7

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How many Premier Cru Villages are in Cote de Blancs?

A

9

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What does NM mean?

A

Negociant Manipulant

responsible for the majority of champagne produced, houses that buy in grapes and wine with a huge variation in quality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What does RM mean?

A

récoltant manipulant, a grower who makes champagne out of their own grapes which includes some very good (value) and some pretty dire wine

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What does CM mean?

A

A co-op

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What does RC mean?

A

récoltant co-opérateur, someone who’s a member of a co-op and buys back wine from them to sell under their own label

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is the encepagement of Rose de Riceys?

A

100% Pinot Noir

33
Q

What are vinification requirements of Rose de Riceys?

A

Grapes are vinified as whole bunches (semi-carbonic macearation)

34
Q

What is the city that’s essentially in the middle of the 3 Champagne subregions?

A

Epernay

35
Q

What are the known and most relevant contributions by Dom Perignon?

A

assemblage (blending) and viticulture.

36
Q

What issues did Dom Perignon have with bottles, and where?

A

As cellar master at the Abbey of Hautvillers from 1668-1715, bottles would explode after refermenting.

37
Q

What kind of glass is stronger, good for use with Champagne?

A

Coal-fired glass

38
Q

How for back do Champagne vineyards date to?

A

5th Century

39
Q

What is the oldest Champagne house still in operation?

A

Gosset

40
Q

What would the Champenoise color their red wines with?

A

Elderberry

41
Q

Who pioneered remuage (riddling)?

A

Veuve Cliquot, under the leadership of Madame Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin

42
Q

Who and when identified the relationship between sugar and fermentation?

A

Jean-Antoine Chaptal in 1801.

43
Q

When did the French government delimit Champagne?

A

1908

44
Q

What was the first Brut Champagne on the market?

A

Pommery Nature

45
Q

What consortium of merchants and growers was formed to develop quality standards and regulate pricing?

A

Commission de Chalons (1935)

46
Q

When did growers revolt against producers?

A

1911

47
Q

What outstanding Champagne vintage happened as tragedy/chaos was happening around them (and in Reims)?

A

1914

48
Q

What consortium started in 1941?

A

Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne

49
Q

What is Dom Perignon’s inaugural vintage?

A

1921

50
Q

What is the mean annual temperature of Champagne?

A

50 degrees F

51
Q

What is bouvreux?

A

The second crop of Champagne that rarely ripens and is left on the vine.

52
Q

What kind of Champagne subsoil is pushed to the surface?

A

Porous, belemnite chalk.

53
Q

What kind of soil is the Champagne valleys?

A

Micraster chalk

54
Q

Champagne’s natural cellars hover around what temperature?

A

53-54

55
Q

What is the dominant soil in Aube?

A

clay

56
Q

What limit did the CIVC set in 1992 for grape pressing?

A

102 liters of must for every 160 kg of grapes

57
Q

What direction are the slopes of Cote des Blancs?

A

southeast and east

58
Q

What is the difference between “vin de cuvee” and “vin de taille”

A

Vin de cuvee = the first 2,050 liters

Vin de taille = the following 500 liters

59
Q

The vin de taille is generally rich in what?

A

Pigment and tannin

60
Q

What third extraction is required by law? What is the required percentage of total?

A

Rebeche, 1-10%

61
Q

What are vins clairs?

A

High acid base wines

62
Q

How long is debourbage (settling)?

A

8-15 hours

63
Q

What is prise de Mousse?

A

Second fermentation

64
Q

How long does the secondary fermentation last?

A

Appx 8 weeks

65
Q

How much does the alcohol generally rise in Champagne’s secondary fermentation?

A

1.2-1.3%

66
Q

What is the pressure during secondary fermentation?

A

5-6 atms

67
Q

What is the minimum requirement for lees aging in bottle, for non-vintage wines?

A

1 year

68
Q

What is the name for the mostly antiquated practice of briskly shaking bottles so yeast don’t stick to the bottle, so they can be more easily degorged?

A

Pointage

69
Q

What is a bidule?

A

A small plastic cup that fits into the bottle’s neck and into which the sediment eventually settles.

70
Q

Who developed the pupitre? What is it?

A

the “Widow Cliquot”. A frame of two large planks with 60 holes, used for aging bottles.

71
Q

Which large format bottle was discontinued in Champagne, and when?

A

Rehoboam - 4.5L - 1989

72
Q

300 years ago, what was Champagne largely planted with?

A

Pinot Gris

73
Q

What are generally considered the best vintages from Champagne in the last 20 years?

A

1996, 2002, 1995, 1998.

74
Q

What does “Grand Marques” mean?

A

Famous brand

75
Q

How many Grand Marques are there?

A

24

76
Q

What is the name of the co-op that produces Nicolas Feuillate?

A

Centre Vinicole de la Champagne (CVC)

77
Q

What co-op group produces Jacquart and Pannier?

A

Alliance Champagne

78
Q

What are the steps to Methode Champenoise production?

A
  1. Pressing
  2. First fermentation
  3. Blending
  4. Second fermentation (prise de mousse - liqueur di tirage is added)
  5. lees aging
  6. remuage/riddling
  7. disgorgement
  8. dosage
  9. recorking