Champagne - WIne Laws

Question 1

Champagne region is a large area, what is unusual about it

Answer 1

It falls under a single AOC , like Alsace

Question 2

What is the échelle des crus created in the early 20th cent?

Answer 2

hierarchy of grape prices. The villages that became grand cru villages (17) had the highest rating and the highest grape prices

Question 3

How many premier cru villages?

Answer 3

42 of them

Question 4

How many villages were not grand or premier cru and attracted lower grape prices?

Answer 4

257 villages

Question 5

How is the price for grapes now set?

Answer 5

The market and in reality , the largest negociant set the price trends as they have the greatest buying power and therefore influence over the market

Question 6

What is the issue with grand cru and premier cru designations?

Answer 6

They refer to entire villages and not just vineyards. Some vineyards have better slope, aspect and care than others and some villages are much larger than others

Question 7

What effect does this inequality within village grapes have on Village promotion on bottles?

Answer 7

Large champagne houses don’t promote the individual villages but blend from one than one to produce their grand cru or premier cru wines

Question 8

How many growers in the champagne AOC and what % vineyards do they own?

Answer 8

16000 growers and 90% of vineyards

Question 9

What do most growers do with their grapes?

Answer 9

Sell to champagne houses or cooperatives

Question 10

What do brokers and co-operatives traditionally do?

Answer 10

go betweens for the champagne houses to source grapes and base wines from growers

Question 11

What does NM mean on a label?

Answer 11

négociant manipulant -‘houses’ that buy grapes, must or base wine from growers to make into their own champagne released under their own label.
May be a giant like Moet and Chandon or a smaller enterprise

Question 12

What does RM mean on a label?

Answer 12

récoltant manipulant - growers or grow, process and make their own wine under their own lobel

Question 13

What does CM mean on a label?

Answer 13

coopérative de manipulation - they make and market wine from grapes grown by their members eg. Le Mesnil

Question 14

How does Comité Champagne influence supply?

Answer 14

-annual yield targets set (the amount that can be made into current base wines for the coming year and reserve wine)

Question 15

What three things influences supply decisions?

Answer 15

• current stock
• world demand
• season progress up to July

Question 16

% of inexpensive wine (sub 12Euros) has steadily declined while more expensive wine (over 20Euros) has increased, why?

Answer 16

Probably the export market

Question 17

which market buys the most inexpensive champagne?

Answer 17

the French domestic market

Question 18

Which country buys the most champagne by volume but for the lowest price per bottle?

Answer 18

United Kingdom

Question 19

Which countries pay the highest price per bottle of champagne?

Answer 19

As of 2018, it was the USA and Japan

Question 20

What are the most important export markets in order of volume purchased (2018)

Answer 20

UK, USA, Japan, Germany, Belgium

Question 21

How many kg of grapes go into the average bottle of champagne?

Answer 21

1.2 kg

Question 22

What is the price of grapes per kg on average?

Answer 22

Euros 6.10

Question 23

Name 4 factors that can add to production costs of a bottle fo champagne

Answer 23

• whether grapes are sourced from grand cru and premier cru vineyards
• vintage or non vintage. Vintage cannot be sold for 3 years and so there is a holding cost
• Rosé requires black grapes which are lower yield to provide the concentration and ripeness level required
• use of foudres (large oak casks) for primary fermentation is more expensive than stainless steel

Question 24

In the big champagne houses, 50 % of the cost of a bottle of champagne is due to what, while 20% and 30% is due to what other factors?

Answer 24

Grapes costs (50%)
Marketing (20%)
Total Production (30%)

Question 25

Whats the difference in the way that NMs and RMs distribute their wines?

Answer 25

• Large NMs own their own in-market distribution networks or join conglomerates that facilitate distributions of several large brands
• RMs sell to small distributors who champion grower champagnes and sell to restaurants, retails and individual consumers.

Question 26

How do RMs market their wine?

Answer 26

Personal appearances in the market to which they hope to sell

Question 27

Name 5 big trends in champagne?

Answer 27

Shady Bitches Closed Ranks Gleefully
S - Sweetness increase in Demi Sec wines to be consumed over ice or in cocktails (eg Moet Imperial Demi Sec)

B - Brut Nature and Extra Brut becoming more popular

C - Clos or Single Vineyard wines showing greater demand (Krug’s Clos de Mesnil launched in 1989)

R - Rosé shipments have increased 7% in 20 years

G - Grower champagne has increased in popularity and have successful RMs represented in every subregion ( Selosse in the Cote de Blanc, Jacquesson in Montagne de Reims and Drappier in Cote de Bars)

Question 28

Comité Champagne manages the relationships between which entities?

Answer 28

growers , co-operatives and houses