Champagne

Question 1

what % of wine must come from the same year in vintage champagne?

Answer 1

100%

Question 2

How is rose Champagne made?

Answer 2

rose d’assemblage (blending)
Rose de saignee (masceration)

Question 3

what ages more quickly, BdB or BdN?

Answer 3

BdN

Question 4

what is an example of a Late release or recently disgorged style wine?

Answer 4

RD- Bollinger
P2- Dom Perignon

Question 5

Which champagne AOC makes rose from Pinot Noir

Answer 5

Rose des Riceys

Question 6

What wine does AOC Coteaux Champagnois produce

Answer 6

red, white, or rose, but mostly pale Pinot Noirs

Question 7

Who made the first sparkling from red grapes?

Answer 7

Dom Pierre Perignon

Question 8

when were riddling and controlled secondary ferment introduced?

Answer 8

19thC

Question 9

who invented the process of riddling using pupitres?

Answer 9

Veuve Cliquot

Question 10

How did English developments of glass produced in coal fired ovens influence champagne?

Answer 10

they could produce wines with a higher pressure which these new bottles could withstand

Question 11

how were sparkling wines in Champagne originally produced?

Answer 11

ferment would stop in the cold winter, but restart in warm summer, resulting in a slightly sparkling wine

Question 12

When were the Champagne vineyard boundaries set?

Answer 12

1927

Question 13

what was the echelle des crus

Answer 13

an obsolete system to determine market prices according to grape quality.

Question 14

what is blocage

Answer 14

the practice of reserving young wines for future blends. an insurance policy against bad vintages

Question 15

what are the 5 subregions of champagne?

Answer 15

Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne, Cote Des Blancs)

Cote de Sezanne, Cote des Bar

Question 16

how many ml of rain a year in champagne

Answer 16

700mm, evenly spread

Question 17

how has climate change affected champagne

Answer 17

avg. alc. incr. by 0.7%
harvest moved backs by 18 days

Question 18

what is the most common soil of champagne

Answer 18

chalky with limestone subsoil

Question 19

what are the advantages of champagnes soil

Answer 19

it is pourous, allowing for water even in dry periods

Question 20

what is the average altitude and Lattitude of champagne?

Answer 20

50th parallel
90-300m above sealevel

Question 21

what grand Cru villages are in Montagne de Reims

Answer 21

Mailly, Verzenay, Verzy, Ambonnay, Bouzy

Question 22

What is the character of Montagne de Reims

Answer 22

• best sites are north facing but frost prone
• wines are high in acid, austere when young
• known for black grapes

Question 23

Main grape of Valle de la Marne

Answer 23

Meunier

Question 24

What grand Cru is in Vallee de la Marne?

Answer 24

Ay

Question 25

The styles of Vallee de la Marne

Answer 25

fruity wines from Meunier, early drinking wines from chardonnay

Question 26

Grand crus of Cote de Blancs

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Style of Cote de Blancs

Answer 27

intense, long lasting wines that are austere in youth

Question 28

regional characteristics of Cote de Blancs

Answer 28

Pure chalk 95% chardonnay

Question 29

Regional character of Cote de Sezanne

Answer 29

clay/silt soils mostly chardonnay south east plantings for fruitier wines

Question 30

regional character of Cote de bar

Answer 30

mainly Pinot Noir Kimmeridgian marls and limestone with good drainage mostly bought to add fruit to blends

Question 31

Describe the advantages of Meunier

Answer 31

- later budding so less frost prone - benefits on heavier soils - ripens earlier, allowing harvest to start

Question 32

Describe the disadvantages of Meunier

Answer 32

- prone to botrytis - not intended for long-aged wines

Question 33

what is the average planting density of champagne?

Answer 33

8000 vines per ha

Question 34

are sparkling grapes grown at high or low yields?

Answer 34

high because it is not necessary for tannins to be ripe or flavours/colour to be concentrated.

Question 35

what are the four approved trellising systems in champagne?

Answer 35

Taille Chablis- chardonnay Cordon Du Royat- PN and Meunier Guyot- lesser vineyards Vallee de la Marne- like Guyot, less common

Question 36

How many fruiting buds per m2?

Answer 36

18

Question 37

How long does harvest last in champagne

Answer 37

3 weeks

Question 38

When does harvest start in champagne

Answer 38

When the Comite champagne determines

Question 39

What are champagnes AOC regulations for harvest

Answer 39

Whole bunches picked by hand, no more than 15,000kg/ha

Question 40

How much is a marc

Answer 40

4000kg of grapes

Question 41

What is the max yield of must in champagne

Answer 41

79hl/ha though can incr. To 98hl/ha if the Comite Champagne agrees and the surplus is put into reserve wine

Question 42

How much reserve wine is classically used for large brands

Answer 42

10-15%

Question 43

How do reserve wines stored in oak vs stainless steel differ?

Answer 43

Oak allows oxidative notes and complexity. Steel provides freshness and control.

Question 44

Will the notes of autolysis be more pronounced in cooler or warmer regions?

Answer 44

Warmer, due to the low intensity of primary fruit

Question 45

Minimum lees ageing for NV champagne

Answer 45

12

Question 46

Minimum total ageing for NV champagne

Answer 46

15months

Question 47

Ageing requirements for vintage wine

Answer 47

12months on lees Released 36 months after tirage

Question 48

Closure regulations for champagne

Answer 48

Cork displaying the name champagne and vintage date where appropriate

Question 49

Influence of liqueur d'expédition

Answer 49

- sweetness - colour correct rose - flavour and aroma (eg. Youthful vs aged wine added)

Question 50

How many villages were rated Grand cru in the eschelle des crus system?

Answer 50

17

Question 51

How many premier cru villages in champagne

Answer 51

42

Question 52

How many champagne houses approximately

Answer 52

369

Question 53

What is NM

Answer 53

Négociant manipulant- a champagne house that buys grapes to make sell and market wine

Question 54

What is RM

Answer 54

Récoltant manipulant- growers who make market and sell champagne from their own site and holdings

Question 55

What is CM

Answer 55

Coopérative de manipulation- champagne coop making wine from its members grapes

Question 56

What are the strengths of champagne houses

Answer 56

Large sales, strong export market. It is presently 73% of sales and 88% of exports

Question 57

What are the benefits of RMs?

Answer 57

They sell most of their wine in the domestic market

Question 58

What are the benefits of CMs?

Answer 58

Sales are small but evenly split between the home and export market with some exceptions

Question 59

How does champagne navigate supply and demand?

Answer 59

Limits on production/yields and wines that go into base wines. Limiting area of production (possible future expansion)

Question 60

What factors limit/increase the supply of champagne

Answer 60

Comite champagne determines annual yields and reserve wine storage based off: - current stocks - global demand - progress of the season

Question 61

Which markets are the most high paying for champagne

Answer 61

Japan and the USA

Question 62

Is the availability of cheap champagne going up or down in France?

Answer 62

Down. Bottles under €12 are dropping whilst those over €20 are growing

Question 63

Who is the biggest champagne market by volume

Answer 63

UK

Question 64

Why is cheap champagne generally becoming less common?

Answer 64

The boom of mid priced sparkling wines like Prosecco. The focus is on higher quality, precise farming, and a higher price

Question 65

Are volume and price increasing or decreasing in champagne right now?

Answer 65

Volume has decreased by 10% since 2018, but the average price has raised by 25%