champagne, france

Champagne

C h a r d o n n a y, P i n o t N o i r, P i n o t M e u n i e r a r e t h e m a i n g r a p e s

F a m o u s f o r i t s s p a r k l i n g w i n e s , b u t d o e s p r o d u c e s o m e o t h e r s t u f f a s w e l l !

T h e r e i s a l o t m o r e t o C h a m p a g n e t h a n C r i s t a l a n d D o m P. !

U t i l i z e y o u r R o s é a n d B l a n c d e B l a n c s e c t i o n s R e m e m b e r : P r o p e r C h a m p a g n e s e r v i c e i s e q u a l l y

a b o u t s a f e t y a n d e l e g a n c e ! Ta k e y o u r t i m e a n d d o i t c o r r e c t l y s o n o b o d y l o s e s a n e y e !

Some of the Basics:

Our cur ren t Champagne se lec t ions (11 .24 .09 ) :

B r u t

B i l l e c a r t - S a l m o n , B r u t , N V 1 4 5

B o l l i n g e r , L a G r a n d e A n n é e , 1 9 9 9 1 7 5

G o s s e t , E x c e l l e n c e , N V 9 0

K r u g , G r a n d e C u v é e , N V 2 8 0

L a n s o n , B l a c k L a b e l , N V 1 0 0

L a u r e n t P e r r i e r , G r a n d S i è c l e , N V 2 8 0

L o u i s R o e d e r e r , B r u t P r e m i e r , N V 1 5 0

L o u i s R o e d e r e r , C r i s t a l , 1 9 9 7 4 9 5

M o ë t & C h a n d o n , B r u t I m p é r i a l , N V 7 5

M o ë t & C h a n d o n , D o m P é r i g n o n , 1 9 9 9 3 2 5

M o ë t & C h a n d o n , D o m P é r i g n o n , 2 0 0 0 3 2 5

P e r r i e r - J o u ë t , F l e u r d e C h a m p a g n e , 1 9 9 6 2 2 0

P e r r i e r - J o u ë t , F l e u r d e C h a m p a g n e , 1 9 9 9 2 0 0

V e u v e C l i c q u o t , Y e l l o w L a b e l , N V 1 0 0

Our cur ren t Champagne se lec t ions (11 .24 .09 ) :

B l a n c d e B l a n c sH e n r i o t , B r u t , N V 8 5P e r r i e r - J o u ë t , B r u t , 1 9 9 9 3 6 0Ta i t t i n g e r , C o m p t e d e C h a m p a g n e , B r u t , 1 9 9 5 3 4 0

R o s éB i l l e c a r t - S a l m o n , B r u t , N V 2 4 0L o u i s R o e d e r e r , C r i s t a l , 1 9 9 9 1 2 8 5M o ë t & C h a n d o n , D o m P é r i g n o n , 1 9 9 6 8 0 5P h i l i p p o n n a t , B r u t , N V 1 3 5Ta i t t i n g e r , P r e s t i g e , B r u t , N V 2 1 0Ve u v e C l i c q u o t P o n s a r d i n , N V 1 6 5

Key Terms

Assemblage

The wine maker and/or ce l la r master assemble the cuvee o f s t i l l w ines pr io r to the f i rs t fe rmenta t ion

Assemblage

Remuage

Work ing the lees and o ther fo rms o f sed iment down to the c rown cap or temporary cork

Cour tesy o f Madame C l iquo tAlso known as Ridd l ingTakes p lace a f te r the second fe rmenta t ion

Remuage

Liqueur de Tirage

S o l u t i o n o f s u g a r a n d y e a s t a d d e d t o t h e fi n a l c u v e e i n o r d e r t o j u m p s t a r t t h e s e c o n d f e r m e n t a t i o n

Liqueur de Tirage

Autolysis

T h e w i n e s a g e i n t h e c e l l a r f o r t h e i r d e s i g n a t e d t i m e i n t e r a c t i n g w i t h t h e l e e s a n d f o r m a d i s t i n c t i v e ‘ a u t o l y t i c ’ c h a r a c t e r

T h e s e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s a r e o f t e n d e s c r i b e d a s n u t t i n e s s , t o a s t i n e s s , ‘ y e a s t y ’ , a n d o t h e r d e s i r a b l e a r o m a s a n d fl a v o r s

Autolysis

Degorgement

Disgorg ing is the ac t o f remov ing the f rozen p lug o f ice (conta in ing spent yeast ) f rom a bot t le o f Champagne or Spark l ing Wine, a f te r r idd l ing

Degorgement

Dosage

The few ounces of wine, sometimes sweetened, which is added to each bott le of champagne after disgorging to make up for the l iquid volume lost by disgorging

AKA Liqueur d’Expedition

Dosage

NM: Négociant manipulant

These companies ( including the majority of the larger brands) buy grapes and make the wine

Moet & ChandonVeuve Cl iquotKrug

NM: Négociant manipulant

RM: Récoltant manipulant

(Also known as Grower Champagne) A grower that also makes wine from its own grapes (a maximum of 5% of purchased grapes is permitted).

There are currently over two thousand, which represents a third of all Champagne producers.

RM: Récoltant manipulant

CM: Coopérative de manipulation

Co-operatives that make wines from the growers who are members, with al l the grapes pooled together

CM: Coopérative de manipulation

SR: Société de récoltants

An association of growers making a shared Champagne but who are not a co-operative

SR: Société de récoltants

RC: Récoltant coopérateur

A co-operative member sel l ing Champagne produced by the co-operative under its own name and label

RC: Récoltant coopérateur

MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d'acheteur

A brand name unrelated to the producer or grower; the name is owned by someone else, for example a supermarket, restaurant or wine shop

MA: Marque auxiliaire or Marque d'acheteur

ND: Négociant distributeur

This consists of an individual person or a legal entity (wine merchant) who buys wines in fi nished bott les. He adds his own label in his workshop.

ND: Négociant distributeur

Brut Natural or Brut Zéro ( less than 3 grams of sugar per liter)

Extra Brut ( less than 6 grams of sugar per liter)

Brut ( less than 15 grams of sugar per liter)

Extra Sec or Extra Dry (12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter)

Sec (17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter)

Demi-Sec (33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter)

Doux (more than 50 grams of sugar per liter)

More Label Jargon

Main Soil Component

Chalk!The chalky soi l is ideal for

Champagne wine. It absorbs water during winter and gives it back to the vine's roots during summer. The other way around, i t absorbs heat during summer to give it back during winter.

Main Soil Component

Climate

Cool, continental cl imate infl uenced by the cool breezes and weather condit ions from the Atlantic

Great risk of Frost

Climate

Grand Cru’s

Grand Cru v i l lages

Montagne de Reims

AmbonnayBeaumont-sur-VesleBouzyLoavesMailly-ChampagnePuisieulxSil leryVerzenayVerzy

Montagne de Reims

Grand Cru v i l lages

Cote des Blancs

AvizeChouil lyCramantLe Mesnil -sur-OgerOgerOiry

Cote des Blancs

Grand Cru v i l lages

Vallee de la Marne

AyTours-sur-Marne

Vallee de la Marne

- Chardonnay provides freshness and elegance

- Pinot Meunier brings fruit iness and aromas

- Pinot Noir gives body and structure

Quick Facts

- Montagne de Reims : south of Reims city, where the best Pinot Noir grow

- Cote des Blancs : south of Epernay city, where the best Chardonnay grow

- Vallée de la Marne : west of Epernay city, where the best Pinot Meunier grow

Quick Facts

Advanced Q&A

What is the VDL and Rose produced in Champagne?

Ratafi a (VDL)

Rose des Riceys (Rose)

What is the VDL and Rose produced in Champagne?

SalonTaitt inger

Veuve Cliquot

Name the Prestige Cuvees for

Le Mesnil

Comtes de Champagne

La Grande Dame

Prestige Cuvees

PommeryPhil iponnat

Charles Heidsieck

Name the Prestige Cuvees for

Cuvee Louise

Clos de Goisses

Blanc des Mil lenaires

Prestige Cuvees

How many grams of sugar per liter does Brut Champagne have?

less than 15 grams of sugar per l i ter

How many grams of sugar per liter does Brut Champagne have?

How many grams of sugar per liter does Demi-Sec

Champagne have?

33 to 50 grams of sugar per l i ter

How many grams of sugar per l iter does Demi-Sec Champagne have?