Champagne Flashcards
Average temp of Champagne is
52F
t/f: sunlight in Champagne is abudant
false. scarce
What did Dom Perignon do to advance Champagne quality?
lowered yields, picked grapes early in morning, and had pressed built in the vineyard. first to keep wines from different vineyard lots seperate + then blend, first to utilize glass containers instead of wood for storage
Why do so many Champagne houses have German founders? (eg, Krug, Mumm, Deutz)
Champagne was a wealthy area known for expensive textiles. Many Champagne houses were founded by wealthy German accountants of textile firms
What did British merchants begin doing at the end of the 17th century?
British merchant imported barrels of Champagne. They would transfer the Champagne into bottles and add sugar (to satisfy their clientelle - they wanted sweet wines). yeasts would consume the sugar and restart fermentation - creating more fizz
french term for riddling
remuage
why is “brut” drier than “extra dry”
Champagne started out as a sweet wine. Over time, especially in the British market, consumers demanded drier wines. first came “demi-sec”, then “extra dry”- in english, specificially for the british market. then came “brut”
What did Champagne producers do at the end of the 19th century?
Began marketing operations aimed at aristocrats, the elite, etc. very successful
the “other grapes” of Champagne
Arbane
Petit Meslier
Pinot Blanc
Fromenteau (Pinot Gris)
What does Pinot Meunier contribute?
fruitiness and body
The classifcation of Champagne villages
echelle des crus
How are the Champagne villages classified?
Grand Cru
Premier Cru
Cru
t/f: every vineyard in a village holds the same ranks as the village itself
true
The soil of Champagne is famously this color
white
what is chalk?
soft limestone
benefits of chalk soil
root systems can penetrate easily, great drainage, good with high acid grapes
why is chalk soil so valued in Burgundy and Champagne?
grapes here are high acid, and lots of rainfall requires good drainage
Chalk pits known as _____ are used by Champagne houses to age their wines
crayeres
The most lauded Champagne village
Ay
Where are the 3 main grapes planted?
Pinot Noir - warmer sites
Chardonnay - the chalkiest sites
Pinot Meunier - in humid areas (resistant to rot and frost)
the 5 main vineyard sites in Champagne
Montagne de Reims
Cote des Blancs
Vallee de la Marne
Cote de Sezanne
The Aube
Montagne de Reims is mostly planted with…
PN and PM
Cote des Blancs is mostly planted with…
Chardonnay
Vallee de la Marne is mostly planted with..
PM
