Session 2

Question 1

What is a terroir

Answer 1

An area in which the collective knowledge of the interactions between an identifiable physical and biological environment and wine growing practices applied to it has developed into a distinctive set of characteristics on the product (wine)

Question 2

Latitude of Champagne region

Answer 2

~49 degrees north

Question 3

Climate of Champagne

Answer 3

Dual: Oceanic: provides water with little continentality || Continental: frost in winter, sunshine in summer

Question 4

Does Champagne get more or less rain than Burgundy or Bordeaux.

Answer 4

Less than both

Question 5

Does Champagne got less or more sunshine than Burgundy or Bordeaux

Answer 5

Less than both

Question 6

Average annual temp for Champagne

Answer 6

11.38 C. (About same as Burgundy but 3 degrees cooler than Bordeaux)

Question 7

What is unpredictable about Champagne weather

Answer 7

Spring frost: destroy buds if during bud break; winter freeze: destroy vines; summer and fall hail

Question 8

How is Champagne contributing to sustainable development

Answer 8

Reduce weight of bottle (20% reduction in Carbon footprint); 50% reduction in use of pesticides (using mating disruption) and N fertilizer, 90% of waste recycled, 100% of wine effluents recycled. Use of electric vehicles

Question 9

Explain Champagne’s topography

Answer 9

Steep, undulating hillsides 12 to 59% slopes. Most vineyards face S, SE, E. For optimal exposure to sun

Question 10

In 17th Century Champagne wine was known by which moniker

Answer 10

Vin the Coteau. Wine of the hills

Question 11

Subsoil of Champagne is primarily ____.

Answer 11

Limestone

Question 12

Outcropping sediments are composed of ?

Answer 12

75% Limestone, 25% sand, clay and silt

Question 13

What is the composition of limestone

Answer 13

Limestone proper, chalk, and marl

Question 14

Name ideal soil for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier

Answer 14

Chardonnay: Chalk; Pinot Noir: Clay-limestone with deep chalk; Meunier: sandy clay, slight silt

Question 15

Which areas lie on outcropping of chalk

Answer 15

Cote des blancs, cote de Sezanne, vineyards of Vitry le Francois, Montgeux

Question 16

Which areas lie on deep layer of chalk

Answer 16

Montagne de Reims

Question 17

Which areas lie on Marley, clayey, sandy soils

Answer 17

Vallee de la Marne and some small massifs around Reims

Question 18

What kind of soil does Cote des Bar have

Answer 18

Marl (mostly)

Question 19

Describe Champagne’s chalk

Answer 19

Calcite granules from the skeleton of marine organisms and belemnite fossils. High porosity is ideal for water storage (300-400 liters per cubic meter).

Question 20

Describe impact of chalk on vine growth

Answer 20

Chalk retains water through capillary action. So vines have to work hard to extract water from soil which creates moderate water stress, favoring balance between the different acids in the fruit, which impact sugar and phenolic development, then eventually revealed in the final product.

Question 21

Which are early ripening and late ripening: Chardonnay, Pinot, Meunier

Answer 21

Early: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay ; Late: Meunier

Question 22

Meunier: Soils and regions

Answer 22

Clayey, sandy soils; Vallee de la Marne

Question 23

Pinot Noir soils and region

Answer 23

Clay limestone with deep chalk; Montagne de Reims and Cote des Bar

Question 24

Chardonnay soils and region

Answer 24

Outcropping chalk; Cote des Blancs, Cote Sezanne, Coteaux du Vitryat

Question 25

Where does Meunier get its name

Answer 25

From the whitish color of the underside of the leaves and buds, reminiscent of flour. Meunière means miller in French

Question 26

Vine growth cycle

Answer 26

Dormancy, budbreak, flowering, fruit set, Veraison, ripening, hardening off, senescence

Question 27

What months are you pruning

Answer 27

November - April

Question 28

When is budbreak

Answer 28

April

Question 29

When is flowering

Answer 29

Late May to mid June

Question 30

When does fruit set start

Answer 30

June

Question 31

Onset of Veraison is when?

Answer 31

August

Question 32

When is harvest

Answer 32

Aug - Oct

Question 33

The Champagne AOC regulates which two specific phases of agricultural work

Answer 33

Pruning and Harvest

Question 34

What is pruning

Answer 34

Removing some of the shoots or branches to regulate production: quality depends on it. Influences vines vigor, fertility and maturity

Question 35

Pruning has been regulated since which year?

Answer 35

1938

Question 36

Name the 4 approved pruning methods

Answer 36

Cordon de Royat, Chablis, Guyot, Valle de la Marne

Question 37

Pruning method only approved for Pinot Noir

Answer 37

Cordon de Royat: optimal fruit / leaf balance

Question 38

Pruning method ideal for Chardonnay

Answer 38

Chablis: good distribution of vegetation

Question 39

Pruning method only approved for Meunier

Answer 39

Vallee de le Marne: favors fruit production

Question 40

Pruning method approved for all grape varieties

Answer 40

Guyot: simple

Question 41

T/F. Each harvest is different in terms of grape ripeness

Answer 41

True

Question 42

What are the two main parameters for grape ripeness or maturity

Answer 42

Acid and sugar levels

Question 43

What is the ‘matu network’

Answer 43

And organization by the Comite Chamnpagne using volunteers to monitor grape ripeness. That info is gathered and summarized to determine optimal ripeness and dates for each variety and commune

Question 44

How long does harvest take in the AOC

Answer 44

3 weeks. Due to very short window of optimal ripeness

Question 45

What is the annual yield per ha

Answer 45

12,400 kg/ha. May be reduced or increased (max 15500kg/ha) depending on quality and market demand

Question 46

Density of planting in champagne

Answer 46

8000 vines / ha

Question 47

Max pressing yield

Answer 47

102 liters from 160 kg of fruit

Question 48

1 vines yield about ___kg of fruit, which creates ___ bottle(s) of champagne

Answer 48

1.2kg = 1 bottle

Question 49

What is the reserve system

Answer 49

Wines are reserved to compensate for future harvest shortfalls, poor weather conditions, or exceptional demand. Enables to smooth out variations in yields and balance of the industry.