Unit 2 - Champagne Viticulture Flashcards
What does vigne en foule mean
Vines in a crowd
With the old planting method, how far apart would the vines be separated
31.5 - 39 inches / 80-100 cm
What is Provinage
Means layering
- During the old planting style, when they planted a new vine, the vigneron would bury a healthy cane from the parent vine, leaving 3 terminal buds exposed in the air
- The buried cane would root, the exposed buds would sprout and a new vine would be propagated
For a new vine, when did pruning of the roots began
The spring of the 3rd year
How was the pruning done in the old planting method
The vigneron would prune each vine in a circular pattern around its base to the depth of 8 inches / 20 cm
- He would then lay the vine down and bury the old wood, leaving one exposed cane (from the previous season) above ground
- Then he trimmed to just 3 or 4 buds
How did root pruning help the vine
It encouraged more root growth on the existing root network
What is Assiselage
- Vignes en foule
When the vine was buried it “moved” forward or sideways, and all the vines within the vineyard moved in tandem
How often did new vines need to be planted
Every 4 to 5 years
Pre World War I, it was common to have how many vines per hectare / acre
20,000 vines per acre / 50,000 vines per hectare
What were some advantages of the vignes en foule planting
- The large number of support stakes within the vineyard actually served as an effective wind break
- High vine density managed to trap heat within the core of the vineyard at night
In 1888 where did phylloxera arrive
the Aube
In 1889 phylloxera arrived where
The Aisne and the border of Marne
How fast or slow was phylloxera moving through Champagne
5 acres / 2 hectares a year (annum)
In 1901 what area of Champagne was completely riddled with phylloxera
Marne
By 1911 what effect did phylloxera have on Champagne
Half of all the vineyards of Champagne were affected
Pre Phylloxera how many vines per acre / hectare was there
150,000 acres / 50,000 ha
Post Phylloxera how many vines per acre / hectare was there
30,000 acres / 12,000 ha
While phylloxera was destroying the vines of Champagne below the ground, what was destroying the vines above the ground
- Powdery Mildew
- Downy Mildew
Where did powdery mildew, downy mildew and phylloxera come from
North America
When did powdery and downy mildew come to Champagne
The close of the 19th Century
What is significant about Bollinger’s “Vieilles Vignes Francaises - Blanc de Noirs
The vineyards that produce this wine, Clos St. Jacques and Chaude Terres of Ay are both phylloxera free.
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Vines are grown en foule
What type of soil does the root louse phylloxera not like
Sandy soils
What does Sacy, Ecueil and Villedommange all have in common
All have phylloxera free vineyards due to their sandy soils
- All are located on the western edge of Montage de Reims
What major changes happened in regards to the vineyards after World War I
- The issue of Phylloxera was addressed by planting grafted grapevines
- The 3 noble grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay) were chosen and replanted
- The vineyards were planted vignes en lignes
What does Vignes en lignes mean
Orderly rows
What was the new vine density with the new style of vignes en lignes
3,200 vines per acre / 8,000 vines per hectare
What were some of the new advantages of vignes en lignes
- Much easier to work
- Spacing allowed for the use of farm animals, then later farm equipment
- Was able to accommodate horses and wagons, then later tractors
With the new vineyards being planted after World War I, what were the spacing and pruning practices and how many clusters can each vine produce
- 3.3 - 4.95 ft per vine / 1-1.5 meters per vine
- 12-15 clusters
- the equivalent of one bottle of wine
What is the appropriate spacing between vines
3.3 - 4.95 ft per vine / 1-1.5 meters per vine
What advantages does the new spacing provide for the vines
Gives each vine ample room to capture maximum sunlight for photosynthesis
What are the 4 approved pruning methods for Champagne
Chablis
Cordon Royat
Vallee de la Marne
Guyot (SIngle, Double, and Asymmetrical)
What pruning method leaves four long canes and one spur (for renewing those canes)
Chablis
What pruning methods can only be used for Grand Cru and Premier Cru vineyards
Chablis and Cordon de Royat
What pruning method involves one long cane and one spur (for renewal)
Guyot
What pruning method involves two long canes and two spurs (for renewal)
Double Guyot
- the double canes are positioned in opposite directions on the trellis
Where does the Guyot method thrive
In frost - prone areas, as each cane is replaced each year thus ensuring new wood (new viable buds)
This pruning method resembles double guyot except that both canes are shunted in the same direction on the trellis wire (vs. opposite direction like double guyot)
Vallee de la Marne
- has two spurs for renewal
What is grape is exclusively just for the pruning method of Vallee de la Marne
Pinot Meunier
When did the farmer tractor began to get used in Champagne
1950’s
Who invented the modern day tracteur - enjambeur and when
- Vincent Ballu
- 1946
What does tracteur - emjambeur mean
high clearance tractor
The tracteur - emjambeur was capable of doing what task
- Straddle a row of vines
- perform all vineyard tasks: plow, spread fertilizer, prune, spray, strip leaves and transport grapes
How did the usage of the tracteur - emjambeur effect the workers of Champagne
it cut down on manual labor across the region during growing season
When are growers encouraged to spray for disease
When it is only threatened, not on a prescribed schedule
What is a Chaufferettes
Small portable heater
When did France outlaw aerial spraying and why
December 31, 2015 in order to keep agrochemicals out of the water supply
What does Gadoue mean
- Trash
- Also known as Boues de Ville
What was the purpose of Gadoues
Concept was to take trash from Paris and Reims and turn organic waste into compost, to help boost the number of micro - organisms in the soil and prevent erosion of the precious top soil
What type of materials were found in the soils from Gadoues
Everything from Batteries to Plastic
How long did the idea of Gadoues last
1960 - 1998
Do growers favor young vines or old vines and why
Young vines because they produce more
Is vine age in Champagne fairly young or old compared to other regions in France
The vines in Champagne are some of the youngest
What climate issue is really effecting the viticulture of Champagne and how
Global Warming
This is causing the following
- Temperature rising
- More rain
In a vineyard year, what typically happens at the end of february / Beginning of March
- Ground temperature rises to 48F / 9C degrees
- Sap runs from pruning wounds (Le Pleurs)
What does Les Pleurs mean
When the sap from the vine runs from pruning wounds
What does Le Dourrement mean
Break down
- In regards to the vine, it means Bud Break
In the vineyard year, what happens at the beginning of April
Leaves Open (La Feuillaison)
What does La Feuillaison mean
Leafing
- In regards to the vineyard “Leaves Open”
In the vineyard year, what happens at the end of May
Flowering (La Floraison), for successful pollination temperatures must reach a minimum of 68F / 20C degrees and weather must be dry
What does La Floraison mean
Flowering or Blossoming
In the Vineyard year, what happens during June / July
Grapes form and develop (La Nouaison)
What does La Nouaison mean
Fruit Set
- the formation of the fruit
In the vineyard year, what happens during August
- The Grapes Ripen (La Veraison)
- Acid Drops
- Sugar Increase
What does La Veraison mean
Changing of color of the grape berries
In the vineyard year, what happens in Mid September
Harvest (La Vendange)
What does La Vendange
Harvest
In a vineyard year what happens in the month of October
Shoots harden into canes. leaves turn color
In a vineyard year, what happens in the month of November
- Leaves fall
- Vine fall dormant
What does La Taille de la Vigne mean
Vine Pruning
When did the echelle de crus collapse
2003
After the dismantling of the echelle de crus, how do growers and producers come to an agreement on grape pricing
Via individual contracts
What remained in effect after the dismantling of the echelle de crus
the Grand Cru and Premier Cru rankings
Growers on average own how many acres / hectares
5 acres / 2.2 hectares
What is the average price per acre/ hectare of land in Champagne and why
850,000 Euros for 2.5 acres
- Champagne Viticole is essentially completely planted
Today how many acres / hectares are under vine in Champagne
84,757 acres / 34,300 ha
The growers (farmers) own today what percentage of the vines of Champagne
87.5%
The negoiants and manipulants own today what percentage of vines of Champagne
12.5%
What does CIVIC stand for
Le Comite Interprofessionel du vin de Champagne
What is the job of the CIVIC
- Control the supply of wine to market to maintain price stability
- Controls the harvest size
- Carries out research
- Defends the “Champagne” name globally (with a average of 850 court actions each year!)
- Promotes “Champagne” globally
The INAO created this criteria below was for what purpose in the future of Champagne:
- The list of criteria (below) by which the Champagne Vitcole would be anaylzed was formulated in 2006 for what purpose
- The petitioning villages needed to demonstrate that they were part of the “historic” zone of Champagne production and that there was wine tradition in their past
- The land being evaluated needed to be conducive to quality champagne production. The sites were evaluated based on soil, sub-soil, slope, aspect and meso-climate
- These criteria were applied to existing vineyards areas as well as those that were petitioning for inclusion in order to correct for any anomalies, i.e parcels that had AOC Champagne status but did not merit it.
As a revision of the Champagne zone for production, not expansion.
