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MY WSET L4 D4 - Sparkling > Champagne > Flashcards

Champagne Flashcards

1
Q

where is Champagne located?

A

northeast of France

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2
Q

what is Champagne know for producing?

A

the most prestigious sparkling wine in the world - called Champagne

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3
Q

what is Champagne?

A

both a protected region and wine style

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4
Q

Which entity has worked to ensure that Champagne honors its name?

A

Comite Interpreofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) now called Comite Champagne.

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5
Q

What is the true definition of Champagne?

A

a traditional method sparkling wine from grapes grown within the appellation

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6
Q

What is the style of most CHampagne

A

white, fully sparkling, NV, Brut wine made of a blend of 3 main varieties (Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay)

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7
Q

General SAT for Champagne

A

medium intensity aromas and flavors of apple, and lemon fruit with brioche and/or biscuit autolytic notes
high acidity
med alcohol
good to outstanding quality
mid to premium priced
vintage and cuvee command premium and super premium prices

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8
Q

List the range of styles of Champagne

A

NV
Vintage
Rose
Blanc de Blancs
Blanc de Noirs
Grand Cru
Premier Cru
Prestige Cuvee
Late release, recently disgorged wines

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9
Q

Describe a NV sparkling wine in Champagne

A

wine is blended from a number of vintages
normally follows a house-style
blending different parcels of base wine with some wines from earlier vintages can smooth out vintage variation creating a product with the same base profile every year.

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10
Q

Describe Vintage sparkling wine from Champagne

A

by law, 100% of wine must come from the year indicated

only produced from best vintages, often some variances due to producers rating vintages differently

in some years season is so favorable that vintage is nearly universally declared (2002, 2008)

will still reflect house style but show characteristics of the year

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11
Q

Describe Rose sparkling wine from Champagne

A

pink wines in CHampagne that are usually made by blending red wines with white.

known in French as rose d’assemblage

skin maceration of black grapes is also permitted and then the wines are bled off and drained off the skins (known as rose de saignee

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12
Q

Describe Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine from Champagne

A

white wine made from white grapes only.
These wines can be leaner and more austere in youth but often have an unmatched aging potential

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13
Q

Describe Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine from Champagne

A

white wine made from black grapes only
wines are fuller in body thank Blanc de Blanc, but generally age more rapidly

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14
Q

Describe Grand Cru sparkling wine from Champagne

A

used as a quality statement
all grapes must have been grown in vineyards belonging to Grand Cru villages

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15
Q

Describe Premier Cru sparkling wine from Champagne

A

used as a quality statement
all grapes must have been grown in vineyards belonging to premier cru and/or Grand Cru villages

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16
Q

Describe Prestige Cuvee sparkling wine from Champagne

A

usually the top wine in Champagne’s producer’s range
some houses specialize in making a range of prestige Cuvee wines

should be product of strict selection of best grapes together with meticulous winemaking techniques

can be vintage or NV

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17
Q

Describe late release and recently disgorged sparkling wines from Champagne

A

wines that have seen extended aging on the lees and are disgorged just before released to market ready to be consumed immediately

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18
Q

What is the difference between wines that are from the same vintage but are disgorged earlier?

A

different flavor profile, initially seem more youthful but tend to age more rapidly than standard vintage wines

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19
Q

in what type of wines is the impact of disgorgement greater

A

older wines

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20
Q

Name two examples of late release recently disgorged styles

A

Bollinger RD or Dom Perignon P2

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21
Q

Besides Sparkling wines what other kinds of wines are made in Champagne

A

still rose from PInot Noir (AOC Rose des Ricey’s, tiny appellation in Cote des Bar) and still red,white and rose in AOC Coteaux Champenois

but in practice, they are mainly light in body high acidity pale ruby Pinot Noir

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22
Q

Historically how was wine produced in CHampagne?

A

pink and still using Pinot Noir

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23
Q

What would occur in the cold winters of the northernly region of Champage

A

fermentation would halt, but started again when the temp rose which turned it into sparkling wine

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24
Q

In what market did sparkling wine from Champagne first become fashionable?

A

england

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25
Q

How did England assist with the production of sparkling wine in the mid 17th C?

A

they produced glass in coal-fired ovens that made the bottles reliable to withstand the pressure

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26
Q

How did Dom Pierre Perignon contribute to the development of Champagne

A

producing white wine from black grapes, inventing the Conquard basket press, and by blending wines (assemblage) to make a superior wine from different areas of the region

thought have also re-introduced the cork stopper into France and pioneered the use of stronger English glass

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27
Q

What did Dom Perignon consider a fault?

A

fizziness

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28
Q

What were developments in the 19th C

A

controlled 2nd fermentation in the bottle using a measured amount of added sugar and yeast to produce a known pressure in the bottle

riddling (remuage) using pupitres which were developed by Madame Clicquot (known as Veuve, “widow”)

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29
Q

Controlled 2nd fermentation and riddling led the way for what?

A

disgorgement, following the dipping of the neck of the bottle in an ice cold bath of salty water, enabling the rapid production of clear wine on a large scale

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30
Q

When was a dry style of CHampagne created? where did it first appear?

A

the last quarter of the 19th C
In England next to the sweeter styles

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31
Q

In what century was the vineyard area of Champagne defined?

A

early part of the 20th C

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32
Q

When was the current AOC boundary in Champagne set? why was this so important

A

1927
due to the latter defense of the GI stating “Champagne only come from Champagne France

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33
Q

What is echelle des crus ?

A

rating system used to determine grape prices (market now determines)
literally means “ladder of growths”
mostly used to determine grand cru and premier cru villages
formed after the AOCs were formed

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34
Q

what is the blocage system?

A

latter called reserve wines, introduced in 20th C
portion of young wines was set aside as an insurance policy against future disasters that might reduce yields

now used to enable reduction in vintage variation and increase of quality by blending NV wines

adds depth and complexity and raises quality of NV Champagne.

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35
Q

Where is Champagne located?

A

in North east France just south of the 50th parallel directly east of Paris

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36
Q

How big is CHampagne?

A

large region extending 150 km north to south and nearly 120 km from east to west

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37
Q

how many sub regions are in Champagne

A

5

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38
Q

What are the sub regions of Champagne and where are they located?

A

three around Epernay (Montagne de Reims, The Valle de la Marne, and the Cotes de Blancs)

Cote de Sezanne (south of Cotes de Blancs)

Cote de Bar (100 km south and closer to Chablis than to Epernay

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39
Q

What is the climate in Champagne?

A

cool continental with some oceanic influences

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40
Q

How much rain per year does Champagne get? and at what times of year?

A

700mm which is adequate for growing grapes
spread throughout the year

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41
Q

What is the temperature in Champagne and what problems does this cause?

A

average annual temp is 11C which is only possible to ripen wine successfully a couple of years out of a decade

causes low alcohol, acidic-based wines which are ideal for production of traditional method sparkling wines

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42
Q

When can rain reduce yields

A

flowering or fruit set
during harvest due to fungal disease and dilution of crop

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43
Q

What changes has the climate made over the last 30 years and what impact has this caused?

A

it has warmed
harvest dates have moved forward on average by 18 days
average acidity has dropped and potential alcohol has risen by 0.7%

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44
Q

What positive has Champagne seen from Climate change?

A

DUE TO IT BEING A COOL REGION the result is the conditions can more consistently produce ripe grapes and fewer poor vintages

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45
Q

What type of soil is found in Champagne

A

in the wider region of the Paris basin there is a thick layer of chalk an old seabed

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46
Q

What area of Champagne has proven to be the most valuable for high quality grapes suitable to make base wines

A

northern part

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47
Q

What soil content is thought to be beneficial in the production of high quality Chardonnay in particular?

A

high chalk

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48
Q

What are the most common soils found in Champagne?

A

chalky soils with limestone subsoil and chalk itself.

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49
Q

What type of soil is porous and what is a benefit of that?

A

chalk
holds water providing steady supply of water even in dry periods

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50
Q

How high are vineyards above sea level in Champagne

A

most are between 90-300m

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51
Q

How are vineyards planted and how does this benefit them

A

on slopes and well-draining soils allowing them sufficient water to survive while avoiding water logging

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52
Q

What subregion is know for it’s black grapes and is more of a plateau than a mountain?

A

Montagne de Reims

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53
Q

what are the grand cru villages of Montagne de Reims

A

Mailly, Verenay, verzy, Ambonnay, and Bouzy

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54
Q

what is unusual about some of the top villages?

A

some of them face north providing cool climate sites through they are more prone to frost

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55
Q

what do wines from Montagne de Reims tend to have?

A

high acidity and austere in youth

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56
Q

what grape varieties are found in Montagne de Reims?

A

most known for black varieties (Pinot Noir and Meunier, but also has important vineyards of Chardonnay

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57
Q

what are the soils like in Montagne de Reims?

A

they vary but the grand crus are on chalky soils which provide excellent balance between water retention and drainage

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58
Q

What is the primary plantings in Vallee de la Marne?

A

Meunier

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59
Q

Where is Vallee de la Marne located?

A

west of Epernay

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60
Q

what type of soil is found in Valle de la MArne?

A

clay, marl and sand which produces fruity wines

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61
Q

When is bud break for Meunier compared to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?

A

Meunier buds later and ripens earlier which makes it well adapted to this frost prone valley

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62
Q

What is Chardonnay used for in Valle de la Marne?

A

used to blend into early drinking wines

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63
Q

What grand cru village is located in Vallee de la Marne

A

Ay

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64
Q

which sub region runs at right angles to the Vallee de la Marne?

A

Cotes de Blancs

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65
Q

Where is Cote de Blancs located

A

due south of Epernay

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66
Q

Where does the name of the Cote de Blancs sub region come from

A

the fact that it is almost exclusively devoted to white grape production

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67
Q

What is the soil type in Cote de Blancs?

A

purest of chalk providing excellent balance between retention and drainage

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68
Q

How much of plantings are of CHardonnay in Cote de Blancs?

A

95%

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69
Q

What 4 Grand Cru Villages are included in the Cote de Blancs?

A

Cramant, Avize, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

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70
Q

What types of wines are produced from the grand cru villages in Cote de Blancs?

A

great intensity and longevity, that tend to be somewhat austere in youth

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71
Q

What subregion is a continuation of the Cote de Blancs?

A

Cote de Sezanne

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72
Q

What kind of soils does Cote de Sezenne have?

A

mostly clay and clay/silt soils with some pockets of chalk

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73
Q

What is the variety most planted in Cote de Sezenne?

A

Chardonnay

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74
Q

Where are the grapes planted in Cote de Sezenne? why?

A

on warmer south east facing slopes leading to fruiter riper grapes

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75
Q

How is the quality of grapes in Cote de Sezenne in comparison to the other sub regions (besides Cote des Bar)

A

lower in quality

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76
Q

Where is Cote de Bar located?

A

large area in the south of Champagne

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77
Q

How much of the vineyard area in Cote de bar is planted to Pinot Noir? why?

A

nearly 1/4
steep slopes and soils with limestone elements with excellent drainage help Pinot Noir to ripen well

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78
Q

What are the soils in Cote de bar?

A

Kimmeridgian calcareous marls, also found nearby in Sancerre and Chablis

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79
Q

What makes Cote de Bar an important region for PInot Noir?

A

relatively small plantings of Pinot Noir are grown in other sub regions, this region give a full flavored ripe Pinot Noir to blend into NV blends

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80
Q

What three varieties account for over 99% of the grapes grown in Champagne

A

Pinot Noir (38%)
Meunier (32%)
Chardonnay (30%)

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81
Q

How many ha are planted in CHampagne?

A

35,000 ha

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82
Q

What are some reasons Chardonnay are being planted more in recent years?

A

demand for it in big Champagne house
commands slightly higher price per kilo
produces larger yields

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83
Q

What other varieties are grown in very small amounts in Champagne? why?

A

Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Mesiler, and Fromenteau
to use for blending or to contribute to niche cuvees (ex Laherte’s Les 7 is made of all 7 permitted varieties)

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84
Q

What is another term for Meunier?

A

Pinot Meunier

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85
Q

How does the Meunier grape compare to Pinot Noir?

A

it is a mutation of Pinot Noir that has white hairs on its leaves giving it a “floury” appearance (meunier = miller in French)

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86
Q

When does Meunier bud? how does it benefit from this?

A

It is an early budder, but buds later than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

less prone to spring frosts in cool Vallee de la Marne

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87
Q

What soil does Meunier do best in?

A

heavier soils like clay where others would not do as well in

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88
Q

What is Meunier susceptible to?

A

botrytis bunch rot

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89
Q

When does Meunier ripen and how is this beneficial?

A

ripens earlier than Pinot Noir
helpful in seasons where harvest is interrupted by rain

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90
Q

What does Meunier contribute to a CHampagne blend?

A

fruity wine
softness
particularly important for NV wines which are often aged on lees for shorter time and drunk on release rather than aged

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91
Q

When is Meunier typically not used?

A

for wines meant to be aged long

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92
Q

When planting is done in Champagne what do regulations require?

A

max inner row spacing of 1.5 meters and an intra row spacing of 0.9-1.5 meters with total spacing never reaching more than 2.5 meters

93
Q

What is the average planting density in Champagne?

A

8,000 vines /ha

94
Q

Why can grapes be grown at high yields in Champagne?

A

not necessary for the tannins to be ripe, and flavors and colors to be concentrated

95
Q

How many approved training, pruning, and trellising systems are approved in Champagne? name them

A

4
Taille Chablis
Cordon du Royat
Guyot
Valle de la Marne

96
Q

When did training systems become regulated in CHampange?

A

1938

97
Q

What is the best training system for Chardonnay?

A

Taille CHablis

98
Q

Describe the Taille Chablis training system

A

usually has 3-4 cordons (old wood) but may have a mx of 5. at the end of each cordon is a spur with up to 5 buds. its a form of spur pruuning retaining a large proportion of permanent wood which can protect against frosts

99
Q

How often are Taille Chablis spurs grown?

A

at yearly intervals

100
Q

What is the max that Taille Chablis spurs can be trained above the ground? why?

A

0.6m
to ensure ripening fruit gets the benefit of solar energy (head and light) reflected from the soil esp on chalk

101
Q

What training system is used for Pinot Noir and Meunier?

A

Cordon du Royat

102
Q

Describe the Cordon du Royat training system

A

vine has a single cordon that is spur-pruned and the shoots are vertically positioned

103
Q

Where is Guyot system permitted in CHampagne? and for what varieties?

A

less rated vineyards for all three varieties

104
Q

Describe Guyot training system

A

replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning (Single or Double)

105
Q

Describe Vallee de la Marne

A

similar to Guyot but with higher number of buds
being used less now than in the past

106
Q

What is the average number of fruiting buds per vine for all of the systems used in Champagne?

A

must not exceed 18 per square meter

107
Q

What type of pests are a threat in Champagne?

A

dagger nematodes - spreads fan leaf

108
Q

What type of diseases are a threat in Champagne?

A

downy and powdery mildew , botrytis

109
Q

What are some weather hazards that are a threat in Champagne?

A

occasional severe winter frosts (kill vines or parts of vines)

spring frosts destroying new buds or reducing yields

disruption of flowering and fruit set due to cold or rainy

weather in June (reduce yields, produce ripe or under rip grapes together)

violent storms and hail in summer damage grapes and vines

hot and humid weather in summer esp after heavy rainfall leading to rapid spread of botrytis

110
Q

Champagne is one of the first regions to promote what at a regional level?

A

Sustainable viticulture

111
Q

How are pests controlled using sustainable viticulture?

A

reducing use of pesticides and increasing sexual confusion techniques

112
Q

How are soils protected under sustainable viticulture?

A

management of groundwater on slope and increased use of cover crops to enhance biodiversity

113
Q

How are sustainable practices carried over to the winery as well?

A

water management schemes
recycling of waste and byproducts

114
Q

Why did CHampange introduce a lighter weight bottle in and when?

A

for non vintage cuvees to assist with sustainability (new bottle 60 g lighter and estimated reduction of in C02 output in 8,000 tonnes
2010

115
Q

Who is responsible for setting Harvest dates and yields in Champagne?

A

Comite Champagne

116
Q

How are harvest dates and yields set in CHampagne?

A

taking grape samples from about 450 control plots from the time of verasion and measuring rate of color change, the average weight, sugar concentration, acidity, and incidence of botrytis

117
Q

The harvest dates are set dates that producers have to start picking. True or False?

A

False - they are only start dates and producers can pick any time after that date.

118
Q

When can producers begin picking earlier than the harvest date?

A

Only after applying to the INAO to start picking earlier
(this may occur if botrytis is beginning to set in

119
Q

What is the INAO?

A

Institut national de l’origine et de la qualite

120
Q

What is the purpose of setting the yields by Comite Champagne?

A

to protect quality of wine by avoiding over cropping which can dilute fruit flavors. also to protect price and regulate supply and demand

121
Q

What occurs in good vintages of Champagne?

A

a portion of the crop are set aside as reserve wines, as a precaution against future crops failure or lower quality vintages

122
Q

Is Comite Champagne responsible for reserve crops?

A

yes with the upper limits being controlled by EU (15,500 Kl/ha) yields achieved in big production years of 2006 and 2007 part of which was placed in reserve

123
Q

What are the CHampagne AOC regulations on harvest and pressing?

A

hand picked and whole bunch pressed

124
Q

what does whole bunch picking by hand avoid?

A

crushing and oxidation and microbial spoilage and preserves fruit quality

125
Q

How long does harvest last in CHampagne?

A

about 3 weeks

126
Q

About how many people are needed for harvest in CHampagne each year?

A

100,000

127
Q

How are grapes collected during harvest?

A

in preforated bins with max capacity of 50 kg

128
Q

What keeps transportation times to a minimum

A

there are about 1900 pressing centers located throughout the Champagne regions so the grapes do not have to travel far

129
Q

Who typically completes the harvest in Champagne

A

travelling workforce who often return loyally year after year to the same producers. the best who pay pickers premium pay for quality and not just weight.

130
Q

How is Champagne made and what was it historically known as?

A

traditional method or methode champenoise

131
Q

Explain how grapes are pressed in Champagne

A

whole bunches are pressed with gradual increase of pressure to ensure high quality juice, low phenolic, and to make white wine from Pinot Noir and Meunier grapes

132
Q

How much is a marc?

A

4,000 kilos of grapes

133
Q

How many grapes were loaded traditionally by hand into a basket press>

A

a marc

134
Q

What other types of presses are also used now in Champagne besides basket?

A

pneumatic and hydraulic horizontal press

135
Q

what is the max yield

A

normally 79 hl/ha but can be raised to 98 hl/ha and the surplus put into reserves

136
Q

After the grapes are pressed what is the next step in the winemaking process?

A

juice is separated into fractions and extracted strictly limited to two parts the cuvee and the taille

137
Q

what is the cuvee in terms of pressing wine?

A

the first 2500 liters (per 4000 kilos of grapes) made up of the free run juice and the first pressing

138
Q

what is the taille in terms of pressing wine?

A

the second part of the total press fractions of 500 liters

139
Q

What is the benefit of limiting total wine pressing?

A

protects wine quality by avoiding over extraction of phenolics and maintains fruit flavor

140
Q

what are the qualities of tallie

A

lower acidity, but richer in color pigments and phenolics
can be useful in some blends helping to produce wines that are more expressive in youth but do not have same aging potential

141
Q

what are the qualities of cuvee

A

rich in acids and produces wine with great finesse and long aging potential

142
Q

what type of fraction is used more in NV sparkling wines in Champagne? why?

A

taille, useful addition to some blends helping to produce wines that are more expressive in youth and but do have some aging potential

143
Q

Is chapitalization allowed in CHampagne?

A

yes but only when the natural sugar levels are not high enough to produce a wine with min alcohol level of 11 abv

144
Q

What is the max alcohol level for Champagne as regulated by EU

A

13% abv

145
Q

How do most producers choose to ferment their wines in Champagne?

A

temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
although an increasing number are re-introducing some oak esp in form of large oak foudres for the first fermentation

146
Q

Why are some producers returning to the use of oak for 1st fermentation?

A

introduce more texture richness and mouthfeel

147
Q

Why would wine producers decide to use malolactic conversion after the first fermentation?

A

reduce and soften acidity of final wine
some will use it when needed ie in cooler years

148
Q

why would wine producers decide to avoid malolactic conversion

A

feel the style of wine is better without this method

149
Q

with what type of harvests is malolactic conversion normally the choice of the producer?

A

warmer harvests

150
Q

what is the aim of assemblage (blending)

A

create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts

151
Q

what type of blending may be done?

A

combining wines from different vineyards, grape varieties and vintages,

152
Q

who does blending depend on?

A

the chef de cave (master blender) to predict the development of the wine over time before 2nd fermentation and maturation has even begun

153
Q

what type of Champange is blending critical for?

A

NV - as base wines must be blended to achieve a constant style year on year reducing the influence of the vintage and retaining the specific style of Champagne house.

154
Q

what makes retaining a specific type of NV Champagne easier to do?

A

if the chef de cave has a number of base wines available

155
Q

how can the larger houses benefit in terms of retaining base wines

A

they have the capacity and financial strength - allowing more than 100 base wines can be available for blending

also reduces risk that cannot be made in any one year because of damage caused by disease frost or localised hail

156
Q

How much reserve wine is used to create particular styles of wine for large brands? premium brands?

A

10-15% often from one or two vintages
some premium brands have up to 30-40% older wines to add complexity and depth

157
Q

Explain how storing reserve wines can impact the wine?

A

if producing large vols = kept in reductively stainless steel container making a small but important difference in terms of complexity of the final wine

Old Oak = adding mildly oxidative notes

158
Q

Name some more unusual options for aging reserve wines

A

magnums (Bollinger), or keeping a perpetual reserve where wine is drawn off every year for blending and is replaced with young wine (adds complexity)

159
Q

how is most Champagne Rose made?

A

by blending a small proportion of still-dry red (Pinot Noir and Meunier) with the white bases to achieve desired flavor profile

160
Q

Name an example of a Rose Champagne that is made by leaving the wine in contact with the black skins

A

Laurent Perrier

161
Q

What is difficult about making rose by leaving wine in contact with the skins?

A

yeast absorbs color pigments from the wine during each fermentation so achieving desired color in the finished sparkling wine requires experience and expertise

162
Q

What is the next step after blending in winemaking in Champagne?

A

2nd fermentation and blending

163
Q

What is added to Champagne at the 2nd fermentation stage? why?

A

liqueur de tirage due to this being made in traditional method

164
Q

What is one of the most important stages in the production of all traditional method wines? why?

A

practice of lees aging
during this time the brioche and/or biscuit characters typical of all Champagne wines develop through autolysis

165
Q

why are biscuit and brioche flavors more prominent in Champagne than other sparkling wines made with traditional method?

A

it is a cooler climate and therefore has lower intensity of primary fruit present

166
Q

What is the min time spent maturing for NV sparkling wines?

A

15 months in the cellar, which includes 12 months on the lees

167
Q

What are the aging requirements for Vintage sparkling wines?

A

min 12 months on the lees and cannot be released until 3 years after tirage.
Most will aged must longer than 12 months on the lees

168
Q

How long does it take for lees to stop making a change to the wine?

A

DOESN’T MAKE MUCH CHANGE AFTER A DECADE

169
Q

What can be done to help protect wine from oxidative development? what is a benefit of this?

A

keeping wine undisgorged and in contact with the lees
can lead to late disgorged and can attract higher prices

170
Q

What is the sweetness of Champagne determined by?

A

the amount of sugar in the liqueur d’expedition

171
Q

Beside the sugar, what else is important in the liqueur d’expedition? why?

A

the nature of the wine
can be youthful base wine from current vintage giving light fresh aromas or aged reserve wine set aside in cask, barrel or magnum to provide aromas of baked apple and dried fruit

172
Q

How can liqueur d’expedition be used in rose sparkling wines?

A

correct color differences

173
Q

How are Champagne bottles sealed?

A

with a cork that must display the name Champagne and state the vintage where appropriate

174
Q

IN terms of Wine Law and Business how is Champagne seen?

A

One very large appellation

175
Q

when and why was echelle des crus created?

A

early 20th C
to establish the prices to be paid for grapes

176
Q

how did the echelle des crus work?

A

the 17 villages that became grand cru villages were all rated 100 percent
42 premier cru villages = 90-99%
297 other villages = 80-89%
historically Comite Champagne had fixed the prices then the price paid reflected what was given to the village

177
Q

HOw did the echelle des crus system end?

A

with pressure from the EU

178
Q

How are Champagne prices determined today?

A

by the market with the biggest buyer of all Moet & Chandon in effect setting the trend

179
Q

How does grand cru and premier cru designation work?

A

its established as a village on a whole - if all the grapes come from that village the village can appear on the label

it will be simply “Grand Cru” if the fruit comes from a number of grand cru villages

180
Q

Why is it a controversy that the grand cru and premier village designations refers to villages as a whole?

A

there is variation within a village due to aspects, soil and other factors and some villages are bigger than others

181
Q

What do large Champagne houses focus on instead of promoting the names of individual villages?

A

blended wines and an emphasis on the quality of vintage or prestige cuvvee

182
Q

How many growers are found in CHampagne? How much of the vineyards do they own>

A

15,000
90%

183
Q

How many Champagne houses do the growers own?

A

360

184
Q

What do the vast majority of the grower do with their grapes

A

sell to either the CHampagne houses or to co-opperatives

185
Q

What do co-operatives provide to the growers and houses?

A

a bridging point - the houses sell most of the Champagne but only own about 10% of the vineyard

186
Q

What role do Brokers play?

A

important role in finding wine for the houses acting as a go-between

187
Q

What does NM or Negociant manipulant stand for on a bottle?

A

businesses referred to as “houses” buy grapes, must or wine, to make Champagne on their own premises and market it under their own label. All big Champagne houses belong to this category (abbreviation is negociant)
group as a whole is the negoce

188
Q

What does RM or Recoltant manipulant stand for on a bottle?

A

commonly referred to as “growers” make and market their own label from grapes exclusively sourced from their own vineyards and processed on their premises

189
Q

What does Cm or Cooperative de manipulation stand for on a bottle?

A

co-operatives that market CHampagne under their own label from member’s grapes

190
Q

Who does LVMH (largest grouping) own?

A

Moet & CHandon, Dom Perignon, Mercier, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart and Krug

191
Q

Who does Vranken Pommery Monopole own?

A

Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsieck, Charles Lafitte and Bissinger

192
Q

HOw much of sales by value do the top 5 groupings in CHampagne houses account for

A

2/3

193
Q

How much of Champagne sales are to the domestic market?

A

just under half

194
Q

What was the total shipment of champagne in the decade to 2019

A

300 million bottles per year

195
Q

What are the strengths of Champagne houses

A

biggest sales (73% of all Champagne sales) and relatively strong with export (88% of exports)

196
Q

What is the strength of Co-Operatives in CHampagne?

A

overall sales are small and evenly split between domestic and export however, Nicolas Feuillatte is the 3rd biggest Champagne selling brand on its own

197
Q

What is the strength of growers?

A

most of their wines are in the home market

198
Q

What is one of the roles of COmite Champagne

A

to manage the relationship between CHampagne houses, growers and co-operatives
each group also has their own organization that represents them

199
Q

What have co-operatives diversified their business to in the recent years in Champagne?

A

they have moved to making and promoting their own brands

200
Q

What have Champagne houses diversified their business to in the recent years in Champagne?

A

to buy their own grapes directly from growers or via agents and deal less with co-operatives

201
Q

How can the region influence the supply and demand of Champagne

A

by setting the max yields of grapes (# of kilos per hectare) that can be made into Champagne in the coming Harvest

202
Q

How many parts are there to the yield setting system in CHampagne? what are they?

A

two
grapes yield for base wine for the coming year
an allowance for wines to go into reserves

203
Q

What is setting yields in Champagne done in light of?

A

current stocks, world demand, and the progress of the season until the decision is made in late July

204
Q

What is the average yield in Champagne over the last decade

A

10,500 k/ha

205
Q

Why is the average bottle price low in CHampagne

A

due to volume of inexpensive Champagne sold in supermarkets in France

although the average percentage of the cheapest (under 12 Euros) has dropped steadily recently while the percentage of wine over 20 euros has risen steadily

206
Q

what are the main export markets for Champagne?

A

UK, USA, Japan, Germany, and Belgium in order by vol (2018)

207
Q

What are the two markets with highest price paid per bottle for CHampagne?

A

USA and Japan

208
Q

What market is the biggest by volume and lowest and also the lowest average bottle price in the top 10 exports destinations

A

UK

209
Q

Why is CHampagne repositioning itself away from the volume market?

A

in light of the mid priced sparkling wine esp Prosecco

210
Q

What is the focus on now in CHampagne in terms of price

A

wine at higher price points, vol has dropped 10% but value has risen by 25% in the decade to 2018

211
Q

what is the price for Champagnes?

A

they are high (6.10 euros per kilo with around 1.2 kg of grapes needed to produce one 75cl bottle of Champagne and represents a very large proportion of the cost of the product

212
Q

Is non vintage or vintage champagne more expensive to produce?

A

vintage because it is more likely to be made with higher rated grapes (grand cru and premier cru)

213
Q

What is a financial problem with vintage Champagne?

A

cannot be sold for at least 3 years (15 months for NV) which delays financial return - leading to cash flow problems

214
Q

What increases costs for Champagne wines?

A

rose - as red wine is required
using oak
vintage champagne
grand cru and premier crus

215
Q

How much is spent per bottle on average for marketing? grapes? total production costs? commercialization

A

20%

216
Q

How much is spent per bottle on average for grapes? total production costs? commercialization

A

50%
30%
20%

217
Q

How do many of the larger houses handle marketing now?

A

set up particular markets to handle selling their wines which many are part of conglomerates that have the distributor system in place to support several brands

218
Q

How do some Champagne houses use agents to distribute their wine

A

houses provide a budget to promote and market the wines

219
Q

What do a small number of growers use to sell wines internationally

A

specialized agents who champion growers wine in small specialist shops and private clients and the hospitality sector.

220
Q

Because they lack money to do large marketing campaigns how do growers promote their wines?

A

through visits in person to key markets

221
Q

what two styles of Champagne have gained ground in the market? By how much have they grown in the decade to 2018.

A

Brut and Extra Brut
by more than 2/3

222
Q

WHat is the style of Champagne that has become a small niche market of wines sold primarily in specialist wine shops and restaurants

A

Brut Nature

223
Q

Explain how sweet Champagnes have become a trend? who started this trend?

A

they are used to drink over ice and in cocktails
Moet & CHandon

224
Q

By how much has the rose Champagne shipments increased since the beginning of the century?

A

from 3% to 10%

225
Q

What two Champagne brands have made investments in Rose Champagne which have helped to increase the demand

A

Moet & Chandon
Veuve Clicquot

226
Q

What type of Champagne has attracted interest in the higher priced category?

A

single vineyard Champagnes

227
Q

How has grower Champagnes increased in interests and why?

A

fruit is grown and a complete wine-making process is carried out by a small company

growers are free to allow marked variations (varieties. blends, vintages, NV) from wines year to year

228
Q

What are some examples of growers that carry out the entire CHampagne process themself

A

Domaine Jacques Selosse (Cote des Blancs)
Champagne Jacquesson (Montagne des Reims)
Champagne Drappier (Cote des Bar)

MY WSET L4 D4 - Sparkling (22 decks)

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