Champagne

Front 1

The name Champagne first used in the sixth century is derived from what Latin word?

Back 1

- campagnia remensis, a latin term for the countryside around the city of Reims

Front 2

Are all champagnes blends?

Back 2

- Yes, of as many as a hundred separate still wines and, among winemakers in the region, the art of blending is considered paramount.

Front 3

Did Don Pérignon invent champagne?

Back 3

- No, no one person invented champagne but he was among a group of innovative clerics whose techniques furthered Champagne’s evolution.

Front 4

What did Dom Pérignon do to help innovate champagne techniques?

Back 4

- He insisted that the vines be pruned severely and only sparingly fertilized, thus lowering the yield of each grapevine and improving the concentration of the wine

- He mandates that grapes be picked early in the morning so that their delicate aromas and flavors would not be compromised by the afternoon sun.

- he added pressiors built in the vineyards, so that the grapes could be pressed as quickly as possible.

- He was the first to experiment with glass flasks as a way to preserve champagnes freshness.

Front 5

In what year did King Louis XV allow the Champenois to the wines to be shipped in glass bottles for the first time?

Back 5

- 1728

Front 6

What process was created to remove the spent yeast cells and how is it done?

Back 6

- riddling (rémuage), which allows the yeasts to be removed from the wine in one frozen clump.

Front 7

What are the grape varietals in Champagne?

Back 7

- Chardonnay

- Pinot Noir

Pinot Meunier

Front 8

How many villages and how are they ranked in Champagne?

Back 8

- 320

- Grand Cru (17)

- Premier Cru (42)

- Cru (258)

Front 9

Whats the climate in Champagne?

Back 9

- The average temperature is 50 degrees F (10 deg C). Late summer rains, very cold winters, spring frosts, and summer hailstorms.

Front 10

What is the soil in Champagne?

Back 10

- Limestone and chalk

Front 11

Can Chardonnay be grown anywhere in Champagne?

Back 11

- No, Chardonnay grows best in the chalkiest sites and creates a flavor of minerally and chalky.

Front 12

What is Pinot Meunier?

Back 12

It’s a clone of Pinot Noir and one of the three grapes allowed to grow in Champagne. Less prone to frost and botrytis, it can be planted in the Marne Valley nearer the low-lying river, and thus in more humid conditions.

- it has a supple, fresh fruitiness to it and is often used in nonvintage blends for that reason.

Front 13

What are the five main vineyard areas in Champagne?

Back 13

- Montagne De Reims

- Côte Des Blancs

- Vallée De La Marne

- Côte De Sézanne

- Côte Des Bar ( the Aube)

Front 14

What are the Crayères?

Back 14

- immensely deep quarries dug by the romans in the fourth century to build the city of Reims. Today they are used by the Champagne houses to age Champagne

Front 15

What is Montagne De Reims?

Back 15

- One of the five main vineyard areas. Deep chalk layer, south facing slip where Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier is planted.

Front 16

What is Côte Des Blancs?

Back 16

- One of the five main vineyard areas of Champagne. Chardonnay grown almost exclusively.

Front 17

What is Vallée de la Marne?

Back 17

- One of the five major vineyard areas of Champagne. Soils tens to be more mark, clay, and sand. Pinot Meunier is most common.

Front 18

What is the Côte De Sézanne?

Back 18

- One of the five major vineyard areas of Champagne. Just south of Côte Des Blancs and planted most with Chardonnay.

Front 19

What is Côte Des Bar?

Back 19

- One of the five major vineyard areas of Champagne. It’s relatively south of the other areas and mostly planted with Pinot Noir.

Front 20

What happens in the step of harvest for Champagne?

Back 20

- the grapes must be harvested gently and quickly by hand so that the juice doesn’t pick up and tannic coarseness from the skins. The grapes are often not transported to a winery to be pressed but will instead be pressed in the vineyard.

Front 21

What happens when champagne ferments in oak barrels instead of stainless steel?

Back 21

- they take on a slight nuttiness and a fuller mouth feel as a result of slight oxygen exposure.

Front 22

When does blending happen in the making of Champagne?

Back 22

- in the spring after the harvest.

Front 23

Why is blending so important?

Back 23

- blending is the process of taking dozens of base wines from different years to create a nonvintage wine. This is called the assemblage. The flavor of every champagne hinges on its blend.

Front 24

What is nonvintage champagne?

Back 24

- Grapes come from good vineyards, neither premier Cru or grand Cru although some premier Cru wine may be blended in.

Front 25

What is liqueur de triage?

Back 25

- a combination of sugar and wine.

Front 26

What are the methods of making sparkling wine?

Back 26

Front 27

What are the steps for the traditional method of making champagne?

Back 27

- Harvest

- Pressing and yield

- Blending of Cuvée (optional)

- Pressure tank

- Second fermentation

- Ageing on lees

- Riddling

- Disgorgement and dosage

Front 28

What happens in the second fermentation of the traditional method?

Back 28

- in this step the blend has liqueur de tirage added to it before bottling in strong dark bottles usually stoppered with crown caps. This creates the fizz and increases the alcohol strength. During this the bottles are stored at about 12 deg C / 54 deg F.

Front 29

What are crown caps?

Back 29

- Small metal caps used on beer and soda bottles, have proved to be a very reliable closure for sparkling wine bottles during the second fermentation.

Front 30

What is riddling?

Back 30

- Know as remuage (shaking) is done to remove the deposit that would make the wine cloudy. Traditionally bottles were gradually moved from the horizontal to an inverted vertical by hand.