Champagne Flashcards
(38 cards)
What are the major & minor varieties of Champagne?
Major: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier
Minor: Pinot Blanc Vrai, Pinot Gris, Arbanne, Petit Meslier
Where is Champagne located?
North Eastern France
Between the 48th & 49th N parallel
90 miles East of Paris
What are the 5 Major Subregions of Champagne? Which major variety is dominant in each?
Montagne de Reims PN
Cotes de Blancs Chard
Cotes de Sezannes
Vallée de la Marne PM
Cotes de Bar PN
What is the climate of Champagne?
Maritime, with significant continental influence
Some of the lowest sunshine in France
Low annual temperature variation
Wet, cool winters
Sunny, cool summers
Adequate precipitation year round
Spring & Autumn frost risk
What are the important geographic features in Champagne?
The atlantic ocean & Marne river are moderating
The montagne de reims provides important microclimates
What are the soils of Champagne?
Dominated by large outcropping of chalk that continues under the english channel to the white cliffs of Dover
Belemnite chalk of fossilized cephalapods with high limestone content, resulting in higher acid in grapes
Younger Micraster chalk of fossilized sea urchins
Top soils of clay & sand, with more clay for PN to the south
Who was Dom Perignon? What was Dom Perignon given false credit for? What was his actual contribution?
He was a benedictine monk & cellar master at Abbey de Hautevillers from 1668 to 1715 He didn’t invent the champagne method, but he did contribute significantly to champagne’s viticultural techniques & assemblage.
What is the oldest house in Champagne? What is the oldest sparkling-wine-producing house in champagne?
Gosset is oldest (1584)
But Ruinart has been making sparkling wine the longest (1729)
What innovation enabled successful (if accidental or seemingly random) secondary fermentation?
The English’s stronger, coal-fired glass bottles could withstand the pressure of a complete secondary fermentation, whereas the weaker french woodfired versions could not.
When was the first evidence of champagne labeled as sparkling wine on the bottle?
Mousseux first appeared on a bottle of champagne in 1724
What can you tell me about the treatise of 1719?
It outlined the process of making a clear white wine from red grapes, and the separation of presses into cuvée, taille, & rebêche.
What were Mme. Ponsardin’s contributions to Champagne? When did she make them?
Early 1800s, she invented riddling and disgorgement (remuage via pupitre, & degorgement) to create a clear sparkling wine.
When did brut first appear on a chamapgne label? Which one?
Pommery in 1874
Whose work helped vintners understand & control secondary fermentation? When did this happen?
Jean Antoine Chaptal detailed the sugar to alcohol conversion of fermentation in 1801
then Andre Francois detailed the exact amount of sugar needed to spark a secondary fermentation without breaking the bottle.
When & why was Champagne delimited by the french government? Did this cause any drama?
1908, to protect Champagne’s reputation.
Yes, Vignerons & vintners in Aube rioted at their exclusion in 1911, and were included in 1927
Who made the first prestige cuvée? When?
Moet et Chandon made Dom Perignon in 1921, but didn’t release it until 1936 on the Normandie liner sailing for New York.
When did champagne become an official AOC? What’s different about it?
Not until 1936 when AOCs became a thing, and it’s the only region that doesn’t have to use “AOC/AOP” on its label.
What’s the best Champagne vintage of the 20th century? What’s unique about it?
1914; WWI broke out and women, children, & the elderly did the harvest & made the wine.
How did Champagne fare during WWII?
Terribly! It was occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940. Vintners tried to wall up their cellars so soldiers couldn’t steal their fine wines.
When & why was CIVC formed? By whom?
CIVC was formed in Champagne in 1941 in response to the nazi occupation by Count Robert-Jean de Vogüé of Moët, to protect Champagne & mediate relations between growers and houses. They also set prices for villages via echelle de crus until the early 2000s, which ultimately determined villages grand or 1er cru status.
What did the INAO change about Champagne in 2009?
They expanded the number of villages that can grow grapes & make wine as Champagne from 319 to 357, to help meet market demand.
What does the CIVC still do in Champagne if they stopped setting prices?
They still recommend prices, set yields, determine what % of the harvest needs to be reserved each year, and what % can be released (blocage & deblocage), they still mediate relations between growers and houses to promote fairness.
Does the cru system in Champagne denote quality?
No, because it ranks the village as grand or 1er cru, and fruit quality varies wildly within villages.
What are the 3 press fractions of champagne?
The cuvée (clear, pure juice used for the best champagnes),
the taille, & the rebêche (not allowed in champagne, usually used in pomace brandy and such)
