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106 Cards in this Set
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Champagne Regions Montagne de Reims |
40% PN, 36% PM, 24% C
The mostnortherly of the 5 main subdistricts. Named after the large forest capped formation between Epernay and Reims. Plantedpredominantly with Pinot Noir Thosegrapes grown on the north slopes produce more acidic/less powerful wines thanthose on the east/southern slopes. Montagne wines in general contribute to the bouquet, the headiness andwith their firm acidity provide backbone for the blends. The vineyards aregrouped on the northern, eastern and southern slopes. The vineyards on the northerly side of themontagne would not ripen if it were not for the fact the chilled night airslips away down the slopes to the plain, replaced by the warmer air from athermal zone that builds atop the montagne during the day. Important GrandCru villages: Ambonnay, Ay-Champagne, Bouzy, Verzenay and Verzy. |
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Champagne Regions Vallee de la Marne |
22% PN, 62% PM, 16% C
Geographically the largest area, it is said to rank lower than the two main districts, producing wines that are easy drinking, fruity and forward. Most of the region is flat and lies either side of the Marne river, as such it is frost prone. Predominantly planted to Pinot Meunier, which due to its late bud-break and early ripening is more likely to survive spring frosts. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is grown east of Epernay under the Montagne and shares a lot of the characteristics of those wines. The PM is grown to the west on either side of the river with those vineyards on the south facing slopes making the fuller/riper wines with plenty of aroma. 2 Grand Cru villages (Mareuil-sur-Ay) and several premier cru villages (Dizy and Hautvillers). |
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Champagne Regions Cotes de Blanc |
9% PN, 9% PM, 82% C
As the name implies this is the area for Chardonnay. It is predominantly an east facing slope south of Epernay. The chardonnay wines from this sub district are highly sought after as they contribute finesse and delicacy to a blend. This area is almost exclusively Grand Cru including the following notable villages: Cramant, Avise and Le Mensil-sur-Oger. |
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Champagne Regions
Cote de Sezanne |
15% PN, 21% PM, 64% C
This is the southern continuum of the Cotes de Blancs, as such is still dominated by chardonnay. The difference is these wines appear softer, richer and rounder in the heavier soils and slightly warmer climate. No Grand or Premier Cru villages. |
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Champagne Regions Cote des Bar |
87% PN, 5% PM, 7% C
Known also as the Aube, this area sits ~90kms south east of the main champagne area and is closer to Chablis than Champagne. This is predominantly grown to PN, given historically is was grown to gamay. The wines are cleaner in style and are of far better quality than those from the east of the Vallee de lar Marne. The pure chalk soil, which is different from the rest of champagne, produces structured, spicy and mineral chardonnays. No Grand or Premier Cru villages, although a number of quality producers source their wines from here. |
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Champagne Location |
Champagne is now the only major French region to have just one appellation It lies between 49 and 50°N…the extreme northerly end of wine producing latitudes. In 2014 there were ~34,000 hectares in production. |
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Champagne Climate |
Cool continental climate (high diurnal difference), with some martime influence, although very dry (ave 700mm pa).
Rainfall is frequent but moderate, providing just enough water. Mean average temperature of 10c. These factors result in in a very marginal climate for growing wine grapes. Disadvantages: Winter freeze, causing vine death and spring frosts can kill young shoots and reduce yield. Hail can also destory part/all of the crop. Advantages: Marginal climate results in good acidity and low must weights. Alcohol level will therefore not get too high and chaptalisation is permitted |
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Champagne Soils and Topography |
The subsoil is chalk.
This gives excellent drainage, while retaining water (important given how dry region is). This means vines will also not get waterlogged. These soils can be nutrient deficient, Chlorosis in particular is a risk (lack of chlorophyll). Lime-tolerant rootstocks can assist. The chalk is useful as it holds the heat of the sun and releases it back to the vines. These chalk soils are calcareous with a high lime content. Cote des Blancs and Cote de Sezanne consist of outcrops of limestone based soils (chalk, marl and limestone); on the Montainge de Reims these soils are buried deep under ground; and in the Vallee de la Marne chalk gives way to a greater proportion of clay, sand and marl. Much of the appellation and all the better crus, are on the slopes of the hills typical of the region. Vineyards are planted at altitudes of 90-300m, on south, east and south-east facing slopes. Owing to the steep gradients in the area, this creates ideal vineyard sites combining drainage and sunlight exposure. |
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Champagne Grape Varieties |
Pinot Noir (PN) 38% Pinot Meunier (PM) 32% Chardonnay (C) 30% Other approved Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris 0.3% |
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Champagne - Chardonnay |
30% grown in Champagne White grape variety Early budding (susceptible to frost) and ripening and easy to grow. Produces best on soils dominated by limestone and calcareous clay. Small to medium bunches with med sized fruit and thin-skinned berries. (susceptible to mildew and rot). Hence slopes preferred. Chardonnay yields delicate, citrus flavours, turning into biscuit and brioche with extended lees ageing. It’s heartland is the Cotes des Blancs, where it is predominantly grown to Chardonnay. The chardonnay grown here is some of the most highly sought after grapes in champagne owing to its consistent delicacy, and finesse, yet at its best can mature to an unequalled creamy intensity of flavour, with biscuity and nutty complexity. Of the three primary varieties it has the greatest longevity and the greatest finesse. |
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Champagne - Pinot Noir |
Predominant grape variety of the region at 38%. A black grape variety PN is the most important and oldest form of Pinot. Tends to bud and ripen early (susceptible to spring frost and coulure). Hence slopes preferred to grow. Small tight bunches with small sized fruit and thin-skinned berries. (susceptible to mildew and rot) Produces best quality wines on calcareous soils in cool climates, where the vine will not rush towards maturity, losing aroma and acidity. Champagne climate and soils are ideal for PN. In the finished wine, PN provides structure and body, with ripe red berry flavours, developing biscuit flavours with age. In Champagne PN is grown predominantly in the southerly Cotes des Bar and the Montagne des Reims sub regions. Utilising the slopes prevalent in these locales.
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Champagne - Pinor Meunier |
Second most predominant grape variety in Champagne at 32%
A black grape variety A mutation of Pinot Noir. PM is hardier than PN and buds later and ripens earlier, making it less susceptible to spring frosts and coulure…more reliably productive. In Champagne tends to provide higher acidity at similar levels of ripeness as PN. Like PN with small tight bunches, although slightly larger berries. Produces best quality wines on rich clay soils, although well suited to calcareous soils. It’s home in champagne is the Vallee de la Marne, where it is best suited given, clay/chalk soils and it is frost prone and PM is late budding. PM makes more obviously fruity, earlier maturing wine than PN. It contributes white flowers on the nose and youthful fruitiness, although not the longevity… as such few producers prize it enough to make a PM dominant wine. PM tends to have higher acidity at a comparable sugar level, making it a good blending component with Chardonnay and PN. Some highly regarded producers however have long favoured a large proportion of PM in the blends. Such as Georges Laval, Jerome Provost, Egly-Ouriet and Krug. Larger houses will use a large proportion of PM in their standard NV blends given the immediate fruit forward and floral character PM gives in the finished wine. |
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Champagne - Methods of Pruning |
There are 4 approved methods of pruning in Champagne: Tallie Chablis: Widely recognised as the best method for Chardonnay. It is a bush vine system with a low stump and can have up to 5 main branches, with each cane having up to 5 buds. A form of spur pruning, retaining a large proportion of permanent wood (can protect against frost and store carbohydrate for plant growth). The 5 branches will range from new to a number of years old and are grown at yearly intervals. Is labour intensive and skill required to manage. Cordon du Royat: Used for PN and PM. A modification of the Guyot simple. The vine has a single cordon which is spur pruned and trained with the shoots vertically positioned. This system also retains high levels of permanent wood in the cordon aiding frost resistance. Guyot Pruning: This replacement cane system with vertical shoot positioning is permitted in lesser rated vineyards for all 3 varities. It may be single or double. Vallee de la Marne pruning: Exclusively for PM vines, only permitted in lesser vineyards.
Pruning takes place following harvest until mid December and then commences again mid Jan after winter dormancy. |
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Champagne Viticulture |
Vine Density is notably high at ~8,000 vines/ha, with regulations stating maximum inter-row spacing of 1.5m and 0.9m-1.5m between individual vines
Vines are replanted between 25-30 years. Champagne AOC wines may only be produced from the fruit of vines in their third year of growing or greater. Champagne growers may complete the following tasks to force the vine to focus its energy on ripening: Trellising: Separating shoots and stapling them to wires. Allows circulation and maximum light penetration. Desuckering: manual removal of non fruiting shoots. Pinching back: Removal of shoots as they grow Problems As per above, owing to the climate, spring frost, rain/hail during fruit set (causing millerandage and coulure) and winter frosts extreme enough to kill vines. Vines are grafted to American rootstock according to the soils lime content and capacity to develop roots and compatibility with local varieties. The most predominant is 41B (81% of plantings), which likes chalky soils. Instances of pest and disease are relatively low. |
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Champagne Harvesting |
The CIVC is responsible for setting the harvest date each year. It does so by taking grape samples from ~450 control plots from the time of veraison and measures rate of colour change, average weight, sugar and acid and the incidence of botrytis.
The grapes are usually picked in September, on dates now fixed per grape variety village by village. They can not be harvested unless they contain the years fixed minimum level of potential alcohol (can be as low as 8%). Harvest usually lasts 3 weeks. Grapes are loaded into perforated bins with a max capacity of 50kgs. They are then transported to one of ~1900 pressing centres located through champagne, keeping transportation time to a minimum. Grapes must be hand harvested. Champagne yields are relatively high at 11,500kg/hectare in 2014. The CIVC decides on the limit each year and looks to ensure both the houses and the growers are happy. |
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Champagne - Pressing |
The production of a white wine from predominantly black grapes requires five main principles: 1- Pressing immediately after picking
2- Whole cluster pressing 3- A gentle, gradual increase in pressure 4- Low juice extraction 5- Separate juice into fractions. On arrival at the pressing centre, each delivery of grapes is weighed and recorded. To maintain quality only 25.5hl can be extracted from 4000kgs of grapes (standard measurement known as marc). This translates into 102l from 160kgs of grapes. The free run and first pressing juice, the cuvee, is the first 20.5hl and must be separated from the taille, the final 5hl. The cuvee is rich in sugar and acid and produces wines with great finesse and ageing potential. The taille has lower acidity but richer in colour pigments and phenolics, producing wines expressive in youth. Champagne presses range from 2000 to 12000 kgs of whole grapes. Manually operated basket presses were common place until the 1980’s, however pneumatic presses now dominate.
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Champagne - 1st Fermentation |
The must is clarified before the start of alcoholic fermentation.
In cooler years the must can be chaptalised to increase the alcohol level up to the minimum of 11% abv. Most producers choose to ferment their wines in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks however a few still ferment in oak (Bollinger and Krug) to lend a different profile to the flavours. Ferment usually occurs at 18-20c to produce a neutral base wine, without aromas of isoamyl acetate (banana, pear drop). Commercial yeasts are predominantly used to avoid the chance of off flavours, which may be emphasised by the effervescence. Most producers will encourage malo at this stage (although not all – Lanson). This lowers the acidity of the base wine, changing the aroma and flavour profile. Wines are then fined and filtered to eliminate lees and other impurities, producing a clear base wine (vin clair) that is ready for blending. |
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Sparkling Wine - Blending |
The aim of assemblage is to create a wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. This will include wines from different vineyards/villages, grape varieties, vintages and even regions.
The chef de cave in a champagne house (master blender) is key in this process. Blending is particularly important for NV Champagnes as the base wine must be blended to achieve a consistent style year on year, reducing the impact of vintage but retaining the "house" style. It is easier to achieve a house style if the cellar master has a number of base wines at his/her disposal and is in part why the trade is dominated by the large Champagne houses, who can use the wines of a number of different growers/vineyards/regions and who have the capacity to store a large quantity of reserve wine (from previous vintages). Rose champagne may also be blended at this stage. Most Rose Champagne is made by blending a small amount of still dry red wine (PN or PM) with the still white base wine. |
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Traditional Method - Liqueur de Tirage & Second Fermentation |
The blended still wine has a mixture of sugar and yeast added to it, before bottled in strong, dark bottles with a crown cap, which creates the second fermentation in bottle.
The addition of this “liqueur de tirage” contains around 24 g/l of sugar, sufficient to create an additional 1.2-1.3% abv and enough carbon dioxide to create a pressure of 5-6 atmospheres inside the bottle (enough to create the fizziness). Second Fermentation The French term is prise de mousse; the term tirage is also used. The bottles are laid on their side in a cool cellar. The longer the fermentation lasts, the finer the finished wine will be. The second fermentation can be completed in as little as 14 days but it often takes up to 3 months. The best temperature is low, around 10ºC -12ºC. A low temperature is essential for classic, slow developing brut sparkling wine. The smaller and more numerous the bubbles, the smoother the mousse. Special types of yeasts can be added which assist in producing a granular deposit that is easy to move from the neck to the base when riddling. |
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Traditional Method - Lees Ageing |
Once the second fermentation is complete, the bottles are left lying horizontally for the wine to mature further - this is known as ‘sur lattes’ in French.
A minimum period of ageing on lees is prescribed in certain areas. Champagne: NV 12mths NV, Vintage 36mths Cava Reserva 15mths, Gran Reserva 30mths In practice these minimum periods are considerably exceeded. The dead lees from the yeast used to produce the second fermentation, over time break up and flavour the wines - a process known as yeast autolysis. Yeast autolysis is one of the two main ways in which the wine gains added flavour; the other is through post disgorgement ageing. Yeast autolysis creates toasty, bready, biscuit flavours. There is an enzymatic breakdown of the cells several months after the second fermentation. The process: - releases enzymes, inhibiting oxidation and therefore reduces the need for sulphur dioxide - absorbs certain essential yeast nutrients, ensuring that the addition of the sugar in the liqueur d’expédition does not cause the wine to re-ferment - increases the amino and other acids, providing a precursor to the ‘Champagne character’, including acacia-like aromas and finesse noticeable in recently disgorged Champagne - produces acetal compounds that may be part of the source of biscuit-like complexity in the wine - During the ‘sur lattes’ period, the bottles are agitated to make the sediment more homogeneous and less sticky prior to the process of riddling and disgorgement. |
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Traditional Method - Riddling |
This is the process which moves the dead yeast cells from the side of the bottle, where they have fallen during the ageing process, into the neck, ready to be disgorged. Undertaken for cosmetic reasons rather than oenological. The manual process of riddling or remuage (shaking), invented and further developed in Champagne in the 19th century, uses pupitres: two-hinged wood boards, containing holes bored at an angle of 45º. This enables the bottles to be held firmly at any angle between horizontal and vertical. Using pupitres, human remeurs gradually move each bottle from the horizontal to vertical position. This keeps the sediment loose and moves it slightly further down towards and then into the neck of the bottle - a process that is very labour intensive and takes several weeks (six weeks or more without riddling agents). At the end of the process, the bottles are inverted and the sediment is concentrated in the neck of the bottle. Nowadays the manual method is normally only used in Champagne for demonstrations or for fully Traditional Methods (such as prestige cuvées). Mechanical remuage has been developed to speed up the process, carried out by a gyropalette. Gyropalettes were developed in Spain by the Cava industry in the 1970s (the Spanish term is girasol). They are computer controlled and are widely used throughout the world for making Traditional Method sparkling wines. The bottles are stacked, 504 at a time, in large metal crates, and their orientation changed at regular intervals (including night time, unlike the manual method), with accompanying shake, from the horizontal to inverted vertical by remote control. Using riddling agents, well-adapted yeasts, and gyropalettes, bottles may now be riddled in as little as three days, as opposed to the six weeks or more needed for hand remuage without riddling agents. |
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Traditional Method - Riddling alternatives |
In the 1980s, with rising labour costs, considerable research was undertaken into alternative methods of expelling the sediment. Two main methods have been developed:
Encapsulated yeast: trapping yeast in a “bead” made from calcium alginate. A few mm in diameter, they hold yeast in their interior but with big enough pores to admit sugar and nutrients in to the bead so the secondary fermentation can proceed. These beads are easy to move into the neck of the bottle. Much research from CIVC with Moet et Chandon for 30 years that this is effective for at least NV wines. Membrane cartridge: The insertion of a membrane cartridge into the neck of the bottle. Yeast is dispensed into it and it is then plugged before the bottle is closed with the usual crown cap. Like the beads, the cartridge allows sugar and nutrients into contact with the yeast within the cartridge and carbon dioxide is able to escape into the wine. There is no need at all for riddling: the disgorgement process simply involves removing the crown cap and allowing the pressure in the bottle to expel the cartridge. |
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Traditional Method - Disgorging |
Process of removing the accumulated sediment from the neck of the bottle.
Two methods: - A la glace: Bottles sealed with a crown cap, the necks are dipped in freezing brine, causing the area containing the sediment into a plug of slushy ice. The bottle is turned upright by a machine and another machine removes the crown cap, with the sediment then expelled by the pressure inside the bottle. A la vole: This is the process used when the bottles have been sealed with the cork and wire method. The only difference is that the cork is removed by hand after emersion in the brine; it is generally only used for prestige cuvées. The disgorgement process is also largely automated in Champagne, although large bottles and some premium cuvees are still disgorged by hand. |
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Traditional Method - Liqueur d'expedition |
The French term ‘liqueur d’expédition’ is used for the mixture that tops up the bottle following disgorgement and determines the final sweetness level and therefore style of the wine, from Brut to Doux.
It is a mixture of wine and sugar syrup. The process of topping up in this way is called ‘dosage’. Before the bottle is resealed dosage liquer (liquer d'expedition) is added. This is a mixture of cane sugar and wine and can have a prominent effect on the style of the finished wine. The concentration of sugar in the dosage liquer that determines the level of sweetness in the champagne. The base wine that is used is also important as it can range from a young base wine (adding light, fresh flavours) or aged reserve wine (adding baked apple and dried fruit aromas/flavours). The champagne bottle is then sealed with a cork. The cork must display the name champagne and state the vintage where appropriate. |
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Sparkling Wine Styles - Sweetness |
Brut Nature (Nature, Zero) Zero Dosage - less than 3 g/l naturally, no sugar added at disgorgement.
Extra Brut - between 0 and 6 g/l Brut - less than 12 g/l Extra Dry (Seco) - between 12 and 17 g/l Seco or Dry - between 17 and 32 g/l Medium Dry (Semi Seco/Demi Sec) - between 32 and 50 g/ Sweet (Dulce) - in excess of 50 g/l |
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Maillard Reaction |
Named after French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard, the chemical reaction between reducing sugars & amino acids or proteins is commonly seen in the browning of untreated foods. In Champagne it is associated with the sugar added during dosage. This reaction takes time to have an effect and the results are only shown in wines given extended bottle age post disgorgement. The reaction happens between sugars and amino acids in the wine, resulting in a number of compounds, some of which are considered to cause the toasted and roasted and vanilla aromas in wine with bottle age post disgorgement. Dosage and the level of sugar/sweetness in the liqueur d expedition plays a key part in this reaction as it determines level of sugar in final wine to form reaction. |
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Champagne - Styles |
Non Vintage: Most champagne is non vintage (NV). This is championed by the Houses, whose wines are a brand.
Their consumers expect a consistent product from year to year. Vintage: By law, 100% of the wine must come from the year indicated. Usually only produced in the best vintages according to the producer. The vintage wine will still reflect a house style, but can be a unique wine, showing the characteristics of the year, without having to meet a set mould. Rose: A pink wine. Usually made by blending red and white wine, however, the extended skin maceration of black grapes is also permitted. Increasingly popular style. It sells at a higher price than the equivalent white styles, with little more cost to produce hence more profitable for producers. Now accounts for ~11-12% of all exports. Blanc de BlancA white wine made from white grapes only. These wines are leaner and more austere in youth but often have unmatched ageing potential, developing notes of biscuit and hazelnuts. Blanc de Noir A white wine made from black grapes only. These wines may have more golden or pinkish hue and display expressive notes of red berries, however, they are generally thought to age more rapidly than a Blanc de Blanc. Grand Cru Mentioned on label as a quality statement. All grapes in production must have been grown within vineyards belonging to Grand Cru villages. Premier Cru Often mentioned on the label as a quality statement. All grapes in the production of the wine must have been grown within vineyards belonging to Premier Cru villages. RD• Trademarked by Bollinger to mean "Recently Disgorged". Extended ageing on lees and disgorged just before release to market. These wines are to be consumed in short order. Wines such as this have a different profile to those wines of the same vintage disgorged earlier. Prestige Cuvee : Usually the top wine in a champagne producers range, however, some houses such as Krug specialise in making a range of prestige cuvees. The product of strict selection of grapes, as well as meticulous winemaking techniques. |
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Champagne - Producer Classifications - RM |
Recoltant-Manipulant (RM): is a defined labelling term in Champagne, France An individual grower who makes and sells their own wines. Also known as a Grower Champagne. They can buy in grapes, although only up to 5% of their own crop. Although Growers own ~90% of Champagne's vineyards, they are responsible for only ~28% of sales (including co-ops). Of the ~15,000 growers only 5000 make a wine in some form and ~500 produce their own label The advantages of a RM are they are able to focus their energies on their particular parcel of land and get to know it intimately. These are more closely associated with terroir, as a result rather than a consistent product? As their sparkling wines are crafted with grapes from specific parcels of land and blended in small lots, they tend to taste very distinct and different every year. Disadvantages Sparkling wine production is expensive and labour intensive. Growers don't benefit from economies of scale or diversification of blending sources. Bad growing conditions can result in their entire crop being ruined Holding on to reserve wines from previous vintages is expensive, this blending options are diminished. Well known RM's are Jacques Selosse, Pierre Peters and Agrapart. |
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Champagne - Producer Classification - NM |
Negociant-Manipulant (NM): is a defined labelling term in Champagne, France.
These businesses are the classic Maisons or Houses. They are the only producers who are permitted to purchase significant volumes of either grapes, must, still wine or wine sur lattes. The Houses own only 10% of the Champagne vineyard and most need to buy in a considerable proportion of grapes to fulfil their needs. Long term supply contracts between Houses and growers or cooperatives can help to provide improve the consistency of grape quality and quantity. These contracts allow the Champagne House to exercise considerable control over the way the grapes are grown. A small number of family run houses such as Louis Roederer, Pol Roger and Bollinger are able to source up to 75% of their grapes from their domaine vineyards, giving them greater control over grape supply, however, they are in the extreme minority. Although large houses such as Moet (LVMH) may be able to respond to market pressures by offering growers and cooperatives more money for grapes or juice, many other companies are not in this position and are further disadvantaged by these grape price rises. On the positive side, by collaborating with growers, Houses can have the benefit of sourcing grapes from different regions, villages and varieties to add complexity to the blend. Sourcing a proportion of grapes from growers can also allow the House more flexibility in fluctuating weather and market conditions, rather than purely relying on their own vineyard holdings. Champagne Houses or NM's currently account for 70% of all Champagne sales and represent ~90% of the export market. |
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Champagne - Producer Classification - CM |
CM (Co-opérative-Manipulant) is a defined labelling term in Champagne, France.
CM refers to the fact that the wine will have been produced by a co-operative under its own label, for example, Nicolas Feuillatte (the name of the co-op in this case is Centre-Vinicole Nicolas Feuillatte). There are many (around 100) co-ops in Champagne and they deal with the vast majority of the 15,000 growers in the region. A great majority of the growers (many of whom own and work less than 2 ha of vineyard property) will grow grapes, and either have them processed at their local co-op for delivery to a larger centre, or will ship the harvested grapes to the co- ops. The CM wine will have been the co-operative responsible for (in many cases) the entire production from pressing grapes to first fermentation, tirage, maturation and 2nd fermentation, remuage, dosage, bottling and final maturation before release. However, CM ultimately means that the co-operative is responsible for the product under its own label. CM producers, such as Nicolas Feuillatte and Jacquart, as well as Mailly Grand Cru in the Montagne de Reims, usually produce a full line of Champagnes, including non-vintage, vintage, speciality products and luxury (prestige) cuvées. For example Nicolas Feuillatte draws from fruit from 1er and Grand Cru villages to produce it prestige cuvée Palmes d’Or. |
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Champagne - Producer Classification - RC |
Recoltant-Cooperation (RC): is a defined labelling term in Champagne, France.
In this instance the grower supplies the grapes to a co-op. The co-op makes the wine and the finished wine is supplied back to the grower who sells in under his/her own label. This allows the Grower to avoid the upfront capital required to invest in the equipment to produce Champagne. It also allows the Grower to outsource the making of the wine and allows them to focus on producing grapes. |
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Champagne - Producer Classification - SR, RC, ND, MA |
Societe de Recoltants (SR): Growers society. Two or more growers who share the same winery to produce and market champagne made from their harvest, often belonging to the same family. This differs to CM below, because the growers control the winemaking, with the right to ask for help from the co-op if required.
Recoltant-Cooperation (RC): In this instance the grower supplies the grapes to a co-op. The co-op makes the wine and the finished wine is supplied back to the grower who sells in under his/her own label. Negotiant Distributeur (ND): This business does not make wine. They buy finished wines and sell them under their own label. Marque d'Acheteur (MA): A Champagne that has been made by wither a Co-op or a House. However the label on the bottle belongs to a client such as a supermarket, restaurant or personality. Often referred to as private label or Buyers Own Brand. |
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Champagne - CIVC |
The Comite Interprofessional du Vin de Champagne (CIVC)
was created in 1941 to prevent other sparkling wines using the name champagne. Its duty is to endorse the wines of champagne and it is responsible for monitoring economic, technical and environmental development; continuous quality improvement; marketing and communications; and the promotion and protection of the Champagne AOC across the world. The CIVC is essentially the brand manager of Champagne. The CIVC represents the complementary activities of growers, co-ops and Houses equally. It seeks to create a more balanced market for growers and Houses alike, seeking to keep fluctuating yields in line with more stable annual requirements of the wine producers. The CIVC in particular controls: o Date of harvest o Minimum required alcohol content by volume o Yield of harvest based on quality of grapes and the expected consumer market demand o Volume of harvest that becomes reserve stocks to manage and regulate economic and harvest fluctuation. The "Echelle des crus" hierarchy of grape prices by village status was made redundant a number of years ago (1990), as it goes against EU's free market rules; therefore the CIVC does not set grape prices or contracts anymore. The CIVC encourages growers to farm sustainably and Champagne is one of the few production areas where this is promoted at a regional level. This also includes introducing a lighter weight champagne bottle for NV cuvees. |
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Champagne - SGV |
Le Syndicat Général des Vignerons de la Champagne (SGV)
The SGV was created in 1919 to represent all growers and co-ops in Champagne. It was originally formed in reaction to rising grape prices and demand, the phylloxera crisis at the end of the 19th century, and an increase in growers in other countries naming their sparkling wines ‘Champagne’. The SGV has played an active role in defining the Champagne appellation boundaries and setting the rules of production for Champagne. Representing over 15,000 Growers today, the main missions of the SGV are to: o defend the interests of all growers o provide business support to winegrowers e.g. advise on legal and financial matters o ensure economic security and maximize profits o encourage the protection of the environmento promote Grower Champagnes sold under the ‘Champagnes de Vignerons’ umbrella brand ‘Les Champagnes de Vignerons’ was introduced in 2001 by the SGV to promote the image of Grower Champagnes. According to the CIVC, the brand represents 5000 growers and grower cooperatives all with a common winemaking philosophy: to respect the vineyard skills that have been handed down through the generations; and to make wines that express their richly varied terroir. |
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Champagne - FCVC |
La Fédération des Coopératives Vinicoles de la Champagne (FCVC)
Cooperatives were created to be more adaptive to successive periods of scarcity and overproduction by pooling the grapes of a number of growers. The first cooperative was at Leuvrigny in 1920, and by the time that the Fédération des Coopératives Vinicoles de la Champagne (FCVC) was formed in 1939, there were twenty eight. In the common interest of trade, the FCVC regulates the economic balance between growers and Houses, defends the interests of its members in legal matters and promotes cooperative-produced Champagne brands. The main tasks of the FCVC are to: o Ensure a secure supply of raw materials to cooperatives o Play an active part in the Confédération des Coopératives Vinicoles de France and ensure their policies are implemented o Promote cooperative-produced Champagnes, to ensure their representation in the market o Defend the interests of its members in legal matters |
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Champagne - UMC |
Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC)
The Union des Maisons de Champagne was founded in 1882 when a number of Houses united together to fight collectively against phylloxera and safeguard the Champagne appellation from fraudulent use of its name. The Union of approximately 100 Houses is made up of a range of businesses from powerful international groups to small family concerns. The top three groups (each owning several Houses) are LVMH, Vranken-Pommery Monopole and LansonBCC. There are three general criteria to which all members of the UMC must adhere: o To have in place a global strategy (including making, selling and marketing) which guarantees the quality of UMC Champagnes o To actively promote and protect the Champagne appellation o To actively participate in viticultural and oenological research to further improve the standards of Champagne (whilst protecting the environment and health of those concerned etc.) 200 more Houses are registered with the CIVC without being members of the UMC. They are often the Growers who wish to develop without losing particular advantages of their status. |
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Champagne - LVMH |
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH):
The Group is the largest of all Champagne producers. 57m bottles Even occasional drinkers would have likely consumed a bottle from one of their iconic champagne houses o Krug, Ruinart, Moet & Chandon/Dom Perignon, Mercier, Veurve Cliquot Or through their premium sparking wine label Chandon, which produces sparkling wine in estates in Brazil, Argentina, Australia the USA, and China. The Group came together when the fashion house Louis Vuitton merged with Moet Hennessy in 1987. The move was spearheaded by French billionaire Bernard Arnault, who remains the CEO and controlling shareholder. The Group owns over 20 fashion and luxury brands in addition to their key wine assets. The wine assets came from Moet Hennessy side of the business, which was created when Moet & Chandon merged with Hennessy the Cognac manufacturer in 1971. At that stage Moet & Chandon owned Ruinart and Mercier. Veuve Cliquot and Krug were added to the portfolio under the ownership of the LVMH Group. LVMH is committed to only promote luxury brands as evidenced by the quality of the brands in the champagne portfolio. Such is the volume produced by LVMH that the price it is prepared to pay for grapes in the region tends to be adopted by other producers so not to lose any of their supply. Volumes sold continue to rise steadily with a 3% increase in volumes in 2016 for LVMH. LVMH continue to enjoy an unparalleled strength of market position. Firstly they have vast financial resources and complete control over their distribution network, unlike their competitors. This control enables LVMH to mutually reinforce its brand portfolio – Veuve Clicquot is distributed alongside Louis Vuitton bags for example. It has also allowed LVMH to concoct ingenious marketing campaigns which both strengthen their brand and Champagne's general association with luxury – keeping prices buoyant! Notwithstanding the economic downturn, revenue has been steadily increasing since 2006, driven by their success in the emerging Champagne markets. Sales to China and Japan have enjoyed strong growth – over 30% since 2011 and the US now consumes over 25 million bottles of their Champagnes. Moët-Hennessy currently control more than 60% of the Chinese market and they have been making consistent headway in India, a notoriously difficult market to break into, with extremely high tax and duty rates. In contrast, their share of the French market is small, around 5%. Moët-Hennessy is very much an export led outfit: over 80% of their sales are abroad. Their main concerns reside with the success of Pernod Ricard, who since their purchase of Allied Domecq has consolidated their presence and influence in key markets like South Africa and Asia. This threat of external competition has spurned the group to start domestic production in Asia, they are currently finishing construction of a winery in India and have massive on-going projects in China. Moët Hennessy has grown from the initial merger into the foremost high-end sparkling wine producer in the world. Their brand vigilance, marketing strategy and foray into new markets suggest that their continued success and market dominance is assured. |
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Champagne - KRUG |
A small but important Champagne house (Negociant-Manipulant) founded in Reims in 1843 by Johann Krug, who was born in Germany and had come to work in Champagne, seeking French citizenship.
By 1866 the firm occupied its current modest cellars, around whose courtyard the Krug family lived until 2014. Krug does not make an ordinary NV champagne but specializes exclusively in prestige cuvees only, of which the multi-vintage Grande Cuvée is the flagship, having replaced the rather fuller-bodied Private Cuvée in 1979. Grande Cuvée was first made with a blend of 60 to 70 wines from five to six different years, in addition to the current harvest, but a total of 148 wines from more than ten years went into the blend in 2014. Consistently producing champagne that is among the most admired in its region of origin, Krug is the only house to persist in barrel fermentation of its entire production of base wine, in old 205-l/54-gal casks. In 1971, Krug acquired and replanted the Clos du Mesnil, a walled vineyard of less than 2 ha/5 acres. Its Chardonnay grapes provide one of Champagne’s very few single-vineyard, or cru, wines of which the 1979 vintage was the first. • The 0.68 ha/1.7 acres of Clos d’Ambonnay planted exclusively with Pinot Noir is responsible for an ever more expensive wine launched with the 1995 vintage. Small quantities of the finest vintage Krug, released at very similar prices to Grande Cuvée, are released, as Krug Collection, about ten years after their initial release. In 2012, acknowledging the considerable variation between the Grande Cuvées produced each year, Krug introduced back label codes identifying when each cuvée was disgorged. You can now use an app to scan the code and great detail about the wine will be provided including vintages of the wines used, when it was disgorged and even which music to listen to while enjoying the bottle. Krug has been owned by LVMH since 1999 although sixth-generation Olivier Krug is part of the tasting committee and represents the house in Champagne and abroad. |
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Champagne - Vranken-Pommery Monopole |
Vranken-Pommery Monopole remains Champagne's second largest business in terms of volume and turnover, despite the fact that the flagship Pommery brand has been less successful in volume terms than, say, the Lanson Black Label Brut.
Pommery has a long pedigree of Champagne production, with a volume of some 500,000 cases a year released from this historic house in Reims. The brand is well-known in France and has despite the recent downturn in French Champagne sales, been very commercially successful throughout the appellation. In contrast, Vranken was established as recently as 1976 and had yet to prove itself as a beacon of top quality. The Pommery asset can be traced back to 1858. Pommery intended to make his wealth through the wool trade, but after the death of the patriarch, his widow Jeanne Pommery decided to establish a formidable Champagne house. She established the house and commissioned a grand property in the late 19th century, which is notable for its eclectic mix of architectural styles. Their family continued running the property until 1979, after which it changed ownership several times within a few years. The LVMH group purchased Pommery in 1990, took control of a significant portion of their vineyards and sold the brand onto Vranken in 2002. The Group now owns: o Pommery, Vranken, Heidsieck & Co Monopole and Charles Lafitte. The group sells >20m bottles of Champagne per year. Vranken's medium sized Champagne portfolio focuses on low/mid-tier brands, the key exception being the Pommery Cuvee prestige: Cuvee Louise, a wine of great refinement that is held in high esteem by wine critics and consumers. Their renown on the international stage is largely limited to one or two house cuvees, neither of which are thought to be particularly prestigious. Moreover, as the group is aware, the way to make margins in this increasingly competitive and difficult trading environment is to focus on the high-tier, more lucrative Champagne brands, which is exactly what CEO Paul-François Vranken insisted he was going to do in January 2013, when the group posted a fall in turnover. In addition, like many Champagne producers Vranken has also had to contend with the grape shortage dilemma. The problem is more acute for the group, as LVMH retained a significant portion of Pommery's vineyards after they sold the brand to Vranken. In 2012 they invested considerable sums – over €37m in fact - increasing their vineyard holdings with the purchase of five companies in the region, including Bissinger & Co. Their total holdings across the region equals 255 hectares, meaning that the group's anticipated production of over 20 million bottles a year should be feasible. |
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Champagne - Louis Roederer |
Founded in 1770’s as Dubois Pere & Fils, Lois Roederer joined in 1827 and eventually became owner.
Champagne house Louis Roederer is a négociant-manipulant (NM) based in Reims. Still family-owned, Louis Roederer is controlled by the family holdings group Louis Roederer. The Champagne house has various styles of Champagne. These include but are not limited to: o Louis Roederer Brut Premier (also Rosé) a multi vintage wine o Vintage Brut o Carte Blanche (and demi sec – extra dry style) o Cristal (& Cristal Rose) – Prestige Cuvee At present Louis Roederer own approximately 240 ha, which supply 75% of the house’s needs. This reduces the requirement of contracts to growers and helps gain security of good product each year. Most of these vineyards are in the process of being farmed organically or biodynamically. The House’s well known Prestige Cuvée Cristal, was first conceived in 1876 for the Russian Court, particularly Tsar Nicolas II, whop requested it for his exclusive use. It was officially launched to the public in 1945 as a dry style it has been popularised in hip-hop songs and popular culture and has gained a reputation as a cult Champagne product. Sales of Louis Roederer total approximately 3.2 million bottles/year, with 75% of these sales attributed to the NV Brut Imperial.
Latest innovations by Louis Roederer include a new Brut Nature product (its first new champagne product in 40 years) in conjunction with French designer Phillipe Starck. From the 2006 vintage due to increasing demand for zero dosage Champagne, Roederer released a zero dosage Brut Nature Champagne with the bottle and label design by Phillipe Starck. It is a single vineyard and on the south west slopes we have Meunier, on the south Pinot Noir and on the south east Chardonnay… all the grapes are picked together and pressed together, there is no blending. It is only made in vintages where that vineyard gets sufficient ripeness to produce a no dosage champagne. Louis Roederer has many other significant investments. They own 60% of Champagne Deutz since 1996, also owning several Chateaux at St Estèphe. Like many other houses, Louis Roederer has investments in California including Roederer Estate (1988) in Anderson Valley. Recently Roederer purchased Scharffenberger from Pommery and added that to its portfolio too. Also recently, Louis Roederer purchased Leclerc Briant, a significant biodynamic producer and is now the largest holder of organic/biodynamic vineyards in Champagne – 65ha. |
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Champagne - Pol Roger |
Champagne house (Negociant-Manipulant) founded in Épernay in 1849 and still in family hands.
The founder’s sons changed their surnames to Pol-Roger by deed poll, Pol being a champenois variant of Paul. The wines rank high among the top champagne houses for quality, although it is one of the smaller grand marques. It produces a Brut Reserve which is NV as well as a Blanc de Blanc, Brut Rose and its prestige cuvee Winston Churchill is pinot dominant. Pol Roger owns 90 acres of vineyards on prime sites in the Vallée d’Épernay and on the Côte des Blancs and latterly on the Montagne de Reims. Particularly deep cellars house nine million bottles, representing five years’ supply. Sir Winston Churchill was a devotee of the house, even naming his racehorse Pol Roger. The compliment was repaid after his death, when all non-vintage labels exported to Britain were edged in black for 37 years. The Sir Winston Churchill Cuvée was launched in 1984 as Pol Roger’s prestige cuvee. While the benefits of mechanical riddling are hard to deny, interestingly Pol Roger still hand riddle all bottles. Produces 140,000 cases or ~1.7m bottles per year |
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Champagne - Bollinger |
Bollinger is a negociant manipulant (NM) based in Ay.
It was founded in 1829 by Jacques Bollinger. It is still family owned business. It owns approx. 164 hectare of vineyard which supply approximately 60% of what the house needs. It has a number of products namely the NV cuvee, vintage cuvee, RD (recently disgorged), prestige cuvee, Le Grande Annee, and the famous vielle vignes Francaises (Blanc de Noir). It is a house which is quality focused, with at least 85% of grapes sourced from Grand or Premier Cru. vineyards The house style is Pinot Noir dominant in its blend which give rise to more structure, depth and complexity to its wine. All vintage and reserve wines are fermented in oak barrels, as is a significant portion of the Special Cuvee. Bollinger use ~3,000 very old barrels to undertake this with the oldest being ~110 years old. The highly oxidative impact of this oak ageing accounts for the oxidised style of the wine (bruised apple, earthy spicy). For its NV cuvee, it uses approx. 55% of reserve wines comprising of approximately 30 crus from different villages and the ageing on lees for its NV is 36 months. Ageing on lees for its vintage cuvee is 5 years and for the RD (recently disgorged) is 8 years. Its signature Blanc de Noir (Vieilles Vignes Francaises Blanc de noirs) is 100% Pinot noir from 3 very unique vineyards (2 are clos) in the village of Ay and Bouzy. These are ungrafted vines (not affected by phylloxera) and the level of concentration in the wine is intense. Density planting of 30,000 vines per hectare for this Blanc de Noir (average Champagne is 7000 vines per hectare). Bollinger produces only 173 cases of this vieilles vignes Francaises every year. Bollinger also have investment outside of Champagne, e.g. Petaluma in Southern Australia (Piccadilly) and Langlois Chateau in Loire Valley (Crémant de Loire). Current production is just over 200,000 cases or 2.4m bottles |
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Champagne - Pernod Ricard |
French spirits company whose wine portfolio is known as Pernod Ricard Winemakers.
Pernod Ricard was created from the merger of two French anise-based spirit companies Pernod founded in 1805 and Ricard founded in 1932. The company’s first significant wine purchase came with the acquisition in 1989 of the Orlando Wyndham Group of Australia which included the brand Jacob’s Creek. With the purchase of Jacobs Creek came a number of Sparkling Wines produced in Australia. Then in 2005 it acquired Allied Domecq which included not just an array of spirits and still wine brands, but NM’s Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. o Perrier Jouet: Founded in 1811, owns 65ha, which accounts for 33.3% of its needs. Produces a Grand Brut NV, a Blason Rose NV and a Belle Epoque BdB, Rose and Brut all vintage and known as a prestige cuvee. Produces 200,000 cases a year. o GH Mumm: Founded in 1827 and first produced its Cordon Rouge NV in 1876. Still produces to this day. Prestige Cuvee is the Cuvee R. Lalou – 50/50 Pinot and Chardonnay. Produces 670,000 cases (~8m bottles) o Jacobs Creek: Founded in 1976, Produces a number of multi-regional blends across Australia. Very much in the commercial style. |
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Champagne Market |
Global and local markets
• 312 million bottles of champagne sold in 2015 72% or 224 million bottles are produced by the Houses and 28% or 89 million bottles are produced by the co-ops and growers. 52% is sold in France or 162 million bottles and 48% is exported (150 million bottles). This has been relatively flat for the last 4-5 years, although total value is increasing of the product. Top 5 export markets are o UK 34m bottles o USA 20m bottles o Germany 11m bottles o Japan 11m bottles o Belgium 9m bottles o Australia 8m bottles |
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Cava - DO and Location |
The Cava DO, wasestablished in 1986 and is unique among Spanish DO's in that it is notrestricted to a single delimited area. Thesemunicipalities cover ~33% of Spain. There are ~33,500 hectares demarcated in production (2015) (slightly smaller than the 34,000 ha in Champagne) In practice, production is concentrated in Cataluna in Penedes around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (95%), although parts of Rioja and Valencia are important. |
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Cava - Climate, Topography, Soils |
Penedes - 95% of production -
Moderate/warm to cool Mediterranean. Quite a bit warmer than Champagne, although altitude is used to keep conditions cooler. Further inland from coast gets more arid. In Penedes, Cava grapes are grown at 200m-500m above sea level (some up to 700m). Penedes rises from the Mediterranean like a series of steps and divides into three distinct zones. o Bajo, or Low, Penedès reaches elevations of 250 m. This is the warmest part of the region which traditionally grew Malvasía and muscat of alexandria grapes for sweet fortified wines and sturdy reds o The second zone, Medio Penedès, is a broad valley 500 m above sea level, separated from the coast by a ridge of hills, the Garraf chain. This is the most productive part of the region providing much of the base wine for the sparkling wine industry at Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. o Penedès Superior, between 500 and 800 m above the coast, is the coolest part of the region where some of the best white grapes are grown. The native Parellada is the most important variety here. Soils in Cataluna are predominantly limestone based. |
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Cava - Permitted Grape Varieties |
White: Macabeo (35% of plantings), Xarel-lo (25%), Parellada (21%), Chardonnay (9%) and Malvasia. Red: Trepat (3%) and Garnacha Tinta (4%), also Monastrell |
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Cava - Key Grape Varieties - Macabeo |
Macabeo (Viura): 11,700 ha – 35% of plantings Predominant grape variety in Cava production. A white grape variety.
Big, compact bunches of medium sized thick-skinned berries. Responds well to early picking. Continues to grow in plantings. Late budbreak makes it suitable to frost prone vineyards. Ripens early. Sensitive to botrytis. In Catalunya it is planted in the middle and lower Penedes and is usually the principal grape variety used in Cava from Rioja, Navarra, Valencia. Suited at lower altitudes. In warm years it can be picked as early as late August It produces a fairly neutral wine of 10/11% alc. Clean and Bright, albeit low acidity. The finished wine lends aromas/flavours of green apple, pear, with some Mediterranean fruits such as peach and melon. |
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Cava - Key Grape Varieties - Xarel-lo
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Xarel-lo 8,300 ha – 25%
A white grape variety Compact bunches of thick-skinned berries and a good resistance to disease. The second of Cataluna's indigenous grape varieties to ripen. Ripens well in the lower to mid altitude vineyards up to 400m. It produces fresh flavours of fresh green fruits, greengage and gooseberry, with some light tropical notes. Care must be taken not to over-ripen, as beyond 11.5% it can add earthy, rubbery aromas and flavours. It provides body and depth to the blend. |
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Cava - Key Grape Varieties - Parellada
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Parellada 7,000 ha – 21%
A white grape variety Big bunches of medium sized berries. The last indigenous variety to ripen. Late ripening. It does well at the higher altitudes, >400m. The best sites produce relatively low alcohol 9-10% with crisp acidity and floral finesse. It is considered by some as the finest Cava ingredient. |
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Cava - Vinification |
Cava DO, must be Traditional Method Only the first pressing is to be used for Cava production. De-stemming rarely practiced given it aids drainage during pressing. Pneumatic or rubber belt presses are used to ensure a gentle extraction. Increasing use of satellite pressing stations to press sooner after harvest (as in Champagne) Cava grapes must be pressed gently – 100l per 150kgs of grapes. This is equivalent to a yield of o 80hl/ha for white grapes o 53hl/ha for black grapes These figures are lower than the limits for champagne, particularly black grapes. Plots are usually vinified separately as in Champagne and blended afterwards. Must enrichmentis not permitted. Fermentation generally in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks (50,000 ltrs). Temperature of ~20-25c using inoculated yeasts. Each variety fermented separately. Malolactic fermentation is usually avoided, given the total acidity of the wines are usually low, given the indigenous varieties are lower in acidity than the champagne grapes and the warm climate. |
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Cava - Rosado Production |
Rosado Cava maybe made from Trepat, Pinot Noir, Garnacha or Monastrell (interestinglyTempranillo is not permitted, although it is now the backbone of most of thefinest reds in Catalunya). All production ismade by the “sangrado” method, the Spanish word for “Saignée”. In this warmMediterranean climate only around 6 hours maceration (and a maximum of 15hours) is needed for sufficient pigments to be extracted, despite the earlypicking of black grapes which is necessary to retain acidity. By law, allfermentation must be off skin (thus the must is pressed before fermentation),and no blending back of red wine is permitted, as it is in Champagne. |
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Cava - Styles |
More expensive styles utilise Chardonnay and Pinot in the blend. The minimum period of ageing on lees for Cava is 9 months, which is not sufficient to add complexity from autolysis. As a result they have added the Reserva and Grand Reserva designations, which require a minimum of 15 and 30 months respectively. The only styles permittedto be called Gran Reserva are Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Brut. Rosado is another style that is popular and can be produced only with Trepat, Pinot Noir, Garnacha or Monastrell. This can only be made using the "sangrado" method, which is Spanish for Saignee, where a short maceration on the skins allows some tannin/pigment to bleed off the skins colouring the wine. Also with the above sweetness levels are adjusted through dosage, with a number of different styles utilised from Brut Nature/no dosage through to Medium Dry and even sweet. |
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Cava - Legislation |
The industry is controlled by the Consejo Regulador del Cava.
There are 4 separate registers which govern the trade in Cava. o Number 1: Growers of grapes, destined to make Cava o Number 2: Business that create base wine for Cava o Number 3: Business that store base wine for Cava o Number 4: Cava producersAll those involved in the above must register. Its quite possible to be on all 4 registers. Those on register 1 must adhere to the maximum yield of 12,000kgs of grapes per hectare. To qualify for the DO, Cava must be made according to the local, and in some respects less rigorous, adaptation of the champagne traditional method. Achieve at least four atmospheres of pressure, and • Attain an alcoholic strength of 10.8–12.8% by volume. Yields, set at a maximum of 1 hl (100l) of must per 150 kg of grapes, are higher than those allowed in Champagne. |
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Cava - Producers - Freixenet |
The largestproducer of traditional method sparkling wine and most significant exporter ofCava in the world. The brand wasborn at the beginning of the 20th century when Pedro Ferrer Bosch decided toconcentrate on sparkling wines. The company, still family-owned, was namedafter an estate in Mediona, Penedès, which had been in Pedro Ferrer’s familysince the 13th century, known as La Freixeneda, meaning a plantation of ashtrees. His wife’sgrandfather founded the former Sala company, which started exporting wines tothe USA in the second half of the 19th century. The company was initially keento establish export markets, a policy which has paid off in the latter half ofthe 20th century. It now has fourproduction centres in San Sadurní d’Anoia: Freixenet SA, Segura Viudas SA,Castellblanch SA, and Torrelavit SA, as well as wineries in a number of doregions around Spain. The combinedproduction of Cava alone is now more than 140 million bottles per year. Less than 1%of Freixenet’s production is sourced from their own vineyards. UnlikeCodorniu, classic Cava grapes make up in excess of 95% of their production. Still largepreference for hand harvesting. Best-known brandsare the medium-dry Carta Nevada, launched in 1951, and Cordon Negro, a brutCava in a distinctive black bottle. · Freixenet’soverseas interests include the Bordeaux négociant Yvon Mau, Henri Abelé inChampagne, the Wingara Wine Group and Katnook Estate in Australia, GloriaFerrer in the Carneros district of California, Finca Doña Dolores, a sparklingwine estate in Mexico, and Finca Ferrer in the Uco Valley of Mendoza inArgentina. |
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Cava - Producers - Codorniu |
Responsible for the birth of Cava.
One of the world’s largest producers of sparkling wines made by the traditional method with Freixinet. ~45m bottles produced annually. Approximately 50% of the company’s production is sold domestically, and 50% is exported. It was in the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia that José Raventós, head of the family firm of Codorníu, made the first bottles of traditional method sparkling wine after a visit to France in 1872. The Codorníu group incorporates the Spanish cava brand Codorníu, and Masia Bach and Raimat which make both Cava and still wine.
Cava is responsible for more than half of the company’s turnover and Codorníu is particularly strong on the Spanish market.
The history of Codorníu dates back to 1551, when the Codorníu family established their first winery in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia in Penedès in Cataluña. In 1659, the heiress to the Codorníu winery, Anna Codorníu, married a member of the Raventós family and decided to produce sparkling wine, uncorking the first bottle of Spanish wine made in the image of champagne in 1872. Within ten years, the style was popular across Spain, and Codorníu claims as a result to have founded the Cava industry.
Codorníu was the first to use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as well as the traditional Catalan grapes Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo in its Cavas. For higher priced sparkling wines, Chardonnay 65%, Pinot Noir 45%, and Macabeo, Xarel·lo & Parellada 10%. This is because they look for wines with a very tight acid structure. Acid structure is the skeleton of good Cava and sparkling wine. It is important to have acidity so that a wine can age for many years. For lower priced wines, Macabeo 40%, Xarel.lo 30%, Parellada 20% and the rest Chardonnay. These wines are typically aged for 9 months – here we look for generosity of mid palate with less emphasis on acid structure.
The company’s first Chardonnay-based Cava, named Anna de Codorníu, was launched in 1984 and Chardonnay has since become a common ingredient in many Codorníu Cavas.
In 1991, the group opened Codorníu Napa, a new winery in the Carneros district of California, since renamed Artesa.
In 1997, Codorníu acquired the traditional Bodegas Bilbaínas winery and 200 surrounding hectares in Rioja Alta, then in 2000 it acquired a controlling stake in Cellers de Scala Dei, the oldest winery in priorat.
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Cava - Market Stats |
1980: 82m bottles (72m Dom | 10m Ex) 2000: 196m bottles (99m D | 97m Ex) 2015 244m bottles (87m D | 157m Ex) Domestic market since 2000 has started to plateau and retract. Export market continues to grow, although growth rate decreasing. Major Players: Codorníu and Freixenet, brands dominate themarket with over 60% of sales. Top 5 markets globally: Germany 33m bottles Belgium 30m UK 28m USA 19m Japan 8m |
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Prosecco - Location and Overview |
Presecco is Italy’s largest DOC by quite some margin at ~14,000 ha. North East Italy - Between Vincenza to Trieste. The classic production zone, which was >6,000 ha and considerable between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiane, was then elevated to the DOCG of Conegliano-Valdobbiane. Within Conegliano- Valdobbiane, there is a small sub-zone between the two towns of 106ha, called Cartizze. Rive can also be used in the DOCG from the approved 15 communes or 43 identified vineyards. |
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Prosecco - Climate + Topography + Soils |
Warm, continental climate with sea breezes and cool winds from the Alps .
Prosecco DOC: Varying landscape ranging from flat, fertile valleys with alluvial soils to rolling hills of clay and loam.
Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG: Vineyards are on steep slopes at up to 500m. The best sites are on south facing slopes and benefit from a large diurnal temp range. A range of thin well drained soils which assist in containing the vigour of the Glera variety. o Predominantly morainic (glacially formed stones, pebbles etc) and limsestone based.
Cartizze: The highest and steepest slopes in Valdobbidene, due to altitude, grapes are fragrant, acidic and concentrated. The grapes it produces command three and a half times as much as those from the Prosecco DOC. The Cartizze wines are a little richer and creamier than other DOC Proseccos because the grapes always attain higher sugar levels due to steeper outlook. |
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Prosecco - Grape varieties |
Glera (Prosecco): 85% required minimum in Presecco
A white grape variety. Big, compact bunches of medium sized thick-skinned berries. Responds well to early picking. Late ripening. Suspect to mildew (powdery and downy) as well as drought. When handled correctly it is lightly floral, although rather neutral, especially if yields are high (common). It produces a fairly neutral wine of ~11% alc. With high acidity. The finished wine is light and frothing , sometimes lemony, sometimes slightly floral, although usually masked by over dosage. Glera Lunga is another clone that is slightly spicier. Local Varieties (Verdiso, Perera, Bianchetta Trevigiana) + Pinot (Bianco, Nero, Grigio) and Chardonnay can be used up to 15%. |
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Prosecco - Viticulture |
Grapes are harvested early to maintain high acidity levels. Grapes must have a potential alcohol of 9.5% abv. Yields are high at 18 tonnes/ha for DOC and 13.5 tonnes/ha for DOCG (almost 100hl/ha). For Rive, yields are reduced to 13 tonnes/ha. For Cartizze, yields are reduced to 12 tonnes/ha. |
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Prosecco - Vinification |
Vast majority tank method. Bottle fermented is allowed. Wines are protected from oxygen as much as possible to retain fruit aromas/flavours. Grapes are de-stemmed to avoid harsh tannins from stems. Pneumatic presses are used to ensure a gentle extraction. Maximum juice yield of 70L/100kg grapes The must is settled and fermented generally in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks (50,000 ltrs). Temperature of ~18-20c using inoculated yeasts. Base wine is moved into a pressurised tank where selected yeasts are added and the base wine fermented and stopped (chilling and filtering) at the desired level of sugar. Cooler temperature of 10-15c used. Other alternative methods o Ferment directly from must o Tank method with longer lees contact o Traditional method Wine can be made fully sparkling (spumante), frizzante and still. 90% of production is fully sparkling. Minimum maturation period including second fermentation is 30 days. Wines are stabilised and bottled. Wines must be produced and bottled locally |
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Prosecco - Styles |
Prosecco is a simple, fruity wine with notes of melon and pear; it has relatively low levels of alcohol (around 11%). Prosecco has a slightly bitter finish that characterises the grape variety. It can be Brut (this is the driest form of Prosecco with about 10 g/l of residual sugar – still quite sweet compared with other sparkling wines) at ~35-40% of production or Extra Dry with 16-17 g/l. Some ‘Dry’ examples are made (17-32 g/l). The Brut is a less traditional style, developed for the international market. Traditionally Cartizze is made Dry (over 32gm/residual sugar), but more Brut styles are starting to be produced. Prosecco is not a high quality wine but can be good value, especially in Italy. It is best from the most recent vintage, and ideally it should be drunk within six months of bottling. |
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Prosecco - Production etc |
Currently, over 312m botles of Prosecco are produced, with 240 million bottles of Prosecco DOC and 72 million from the DOCG zones.
Due to strong demand, this number is expected to continue to grow. Over 60% of production is exported with the main markets Germany, USA, Switzerland, UK, USA and Canada with the Far East (Japan, China). The growth rate of Prosecco consumption over the past ten years has been nothing short of astonishing. part of this growth trend is related to drinking occasions. Light, fruity, sparkling wine is increasingly being used as an everyday aperitif, especially in Northern Europe and increasingly in North America. Prosecco’s style, versatility and price suit this type of consumption. The principal challenge for the Prosecco regions is to maintain a quality image whilst expanding production, which is why the new DOC/DOCG’s were introduced in 2009. These changes included a reduction in yields triggering a temporary grape shortage. The high demand for Prosecco coupled with a smaller production, increased costs and initially, negatively impacted sales but recent figures have shown that both yields and sales have stabilised. Top DOC Producers La Marca, Contarini, Casa Vinicola, Cantine Riunite and Zonin Top DOCG Producers Valdo, Cantina Produttori Valdobbiadene, Contarini |
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Franciacorta - Location and history |
Franciacorta is the only DOCG traditional method sparkling wine in Italy. Elevated in 1995.
The region consists of ~2,900 ha’s of vineyards within the region of Lombardy, centred around the town of Brescia (N/E of Milan). The modern history of Franciacorta dates back to 1961, when Franco Zilliani, while working for Berlucchi winery, made a sparkling wine via the traditional method. The resulting demand for Berlucchi sparkling wines attracted a number of producers and entrepreneurs to invest in Franciacorta. |
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Franciacorta - Climate, Topography & Soils |
warm continental with cold winters but hot summers. It is influenced by breezes from the Lago d’Iseo in the east and the cooler northern wind from the Alps. The region comprises rolling hills that were formed during the glacial melt. Soils are moranic mineral-rich gravelly, sand, limestone and stony, deposited by glaciers. Therefore they are well draining. The vines are planted at elevations between 100-500m (plantings >550m are not allowed according to DOCG rules). |
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Franciacorta - Grape Varieties |
Chardonnay is the dominant variety in the region occupying 80% of total plantings. Pinot Noir (Nero) accounts for 15% and mainly used for colour in Rose’s and structure for Riserva wines. Pinot Bianco (Blanc) accounts for 5% of plantings. This is largely historical with plantings decreasing in favour of the two other grapes. Only up to 50% of Pinot Bianco can be used. |
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Franciacorta - Viticulture |
Maximum yields are 10 tonnes/ha (or 65hl/ha). High density planting with a minimum of 4,500 vines a hectare. New vines must be trained to guyot or cordon. All plantings must be on slopes (grapes sourced from the valley floor cannot be included). Minimum potential alcohol must be 9.5% abv. |
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Franciacorta - Vinification |
Traditional Method only Grapes are whole bunch pressed. Gentle fractional pressing is using pneumatic presses are used to ensure a gentle extraction. Maximum juice yield of 65L/100kg grapes Rose is made through short extraction of colour from Pinot Noir grape. Can be blended with other still wines depending on the house style. First fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats (although oak is used). The finished wine must have a creamy mousse with 5-6 atmospheres of pressure. Except Saten (Blanc de Blanc) which is 5 atmospheres of less. Non vintage: 18 months maturation in bottle, total age before release is 25 months following harvest. Rose and Saten Non-Vintage: 24 months maturation in bottle, total age before release is 25 months after harvest. Millesimato (vintage): 30 months maturation in bottle, total age before release is 37 months after harvest. Riserva: 60 months in bottle, total age before release is 67 months. Disgorgement must be by hand or machine with tank filtration prohibited. Wines must be bottled in the region using glass and a traditional sparkling wine cork. |
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Franciacorta - Styles |
Wines are made predominantly dry in style…..only the standard non vintage can be made in the sweeter styles.
Non-vintage and Rose: Bruto Natural (dosaggio zero or non dosato), Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry (sec) or Demi Sec. Saten: Extra Brut only. Millesimato (vintage): Bruto Natural (dosaggio zero or non dosato), Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry Riserva: Bruto Natural (dosaggio zero or non dosato), Extra Brut. The wines of Franciacorta are pale with a persistent mousse. As the plantings are predominantly chardonnay, it typically dominates the blend, giving the nose a citrus character with a waxy note (particularly in aged examples). Since NV Franciacorta spends a minimum time of 18 months on lees and further time in bottle, there are noteable autolytic aromas along with hints of almonds. The palate has crisp acidity, medium alcohol and body. In general the warm climate makes high dosage levels unnecessary (compared to champagne) Both Millesimato and Riserva Franciacorta have extended maturation and as a result added complexity and intensity. Pale gold in colour, autolytic and bottle age characters of nuts, mushroom, toast and brioche. A lot of producers will use oak in the first fermentation. These wines can equal the elegance of vintage champagne. |
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Franciacorta - Production and Other
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2015 there was ~17m bottles sold There are over 104 producers in Franciacorta, with one producer accounting for a quarter of all production. Demand is predominantly domestic with an 80/20 split. Influential producers: Guido Berlucchi, Bellavista, Ca del Bosco and Contadi Castaldi |
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Asti - Location and History |
The Asti region is located around the city of the same name in Piemonte.
Vineyards are planted on the hills on the right bank of the river Tanaro. The delimited area is around ~9,700 ha. The region encompasses 53 communes within the region of Piedmonte located principally in the two provinces of Asti and Cuneo, which account for 85% of production (the province of Alessandria produces the remaining 15%). * It was known as Asti Spumante until it was elevated to its own DOCG in 1993. By definition, Asti DOCG is a fully sparkling wine made using only Moscato Bianco which is grown within the designated zones . |
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Asti - Climate, Soil, Topography |
Warm continental with cold winters but hot summers.
The region is located within the foothills of the northern Alps and range from between 200-500m in altitude (below 200m is considered inferior and above is considered too cold for the grape to properly ripen) By law, the vineyard must be planted on the slopes which range in gradient from 30-50%, making mechanisation difficult. The altitude of the slopes encourages/contributes to slow ripening, preserving acidity while promoting the aromatic character of the Moscato grape. The soils are composed of limestone, chalk and clay which hold water and keep the roots cool. |
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Asti - Grape |
Moscato Bianco (Muscat blanc a petits grain): 100% required A white grape variety. Highest quality of the muscat clones. Small round berries as name suggests. Early budding. Low yielding, difficult to grow and susceptible to many diseases and insects. When handled correctly it is pungent grapey, hinting at orange when riper and lightly floral and spice. The finished wine is light bodied, fresh and foamy. No autolytic character is sought. |
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Asti - Viticulture
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Yields are 10 tonnes/ha (or 70hl/ha). New plantings must have a minimum density of 4000 vines per hectare. All plantings must be on slopes (grapes sourced from the valley floor cannot be included). Minimum potential alcohol must be 9%. |
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Asti - Vinification
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Vast majority of the wines are made using the tank method. Bottle fermented is allowed. Grapes are de-stemmed to avoid harsh tannins from stems. Pneumatic presses gentle extraction. Maximum juice yield of 75L/100kg grapes The must is settled at near freezing temperatures to preserve aromas before the start of alcoholic fermentation. First fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats until alcohol reaches 5%. Temperature is then reduced to hold the wine. Second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank with selected yeasts. The temperature is increased (20˚C). * Fermentation is arrested when foam begins to form and the alcohol reaches between 7-9.5%abv. The tank method/cuvee close is superior to the traditional method for a sweet sparkling wine like asti because its most vital quality – the freshness of its fruit – gains nothing from extended lees contact. The sparkling wine is filtered and bottled under pressure. * The finished wine must have a creamy mousse with 5-6 atmospheres of pressure. Minimum maturation period, including second fermentation, is 30 days. Wine must be produced and bottled in the local region using glass bottles (of various sizes) with a traditional sparkling wine mushroom cork. Vintage is allowed on the label. |
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Asti - Style
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Style is classified as "Sweet" according to EU regulations with average residual sugar levels of approximately 100g/litre. These wines are pale, almost water-white with a dense compact mousse. Due to the elevation of the plantings, the nose is pungent with orange blossom, peaches and grape notes. The palate is sweet, delicate in mouth, with a creamy mousse, moderate acidity and flavours similar to the nose. The best examples have a lingering perfumed finish. |
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Asti - Production and Other
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Production has increased from 40 million bottles in the 1970s to 107 million bottles in 2011, made possible by a vine density of 4,000 vines/ha and a permitted yield of 10 tonnes/ha, although average vineyard size is just 2.45 ha. Due to this fragmentation, large bottlers and négociant houses have traditionally dominated production. With the invention of the tank method at the end of the 19th century, industrial production of Asti became a reality. The combination of large-volume production and small-scale viticulture has necessarily made Asti a blended wine from many sources, masking geographical differences in sites and zones. However, more and more producers are bottling their own produce, resulting in more artisanal wines, with single-vineyard bottlings becoming increasingly common. The region is fractured, made up of many vineyards comprised of over 6800 growers, many that sell to large companies or co-operatives. It is one of the largest producing DOCG regions in Italy accounting for over 84 million bottles annually. It has been a popular wine post-World War II with over 85% exported, mainly to the EU and North America. With the recent trend of drinking light-bodied, sweet wines (as exhibited by the Moscato craze in the US), Asti DOCG is experiencing a revival. Target markets include the United States, the UK and Russia. The challenge for Asti is to take advantage of the current strong demand for Moscato in America, ensuring that consumers understand and appreciate the value of purchasing an Asti DOCG. Influential individual companies o Martini & Rossi, Gruppo Campari (Cinzano), Fratelli-Martini, Gancia |
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Lambrusco - Location |
The home of Lambrusco (and also a great deal of other still wine) is Modena, Parma and Reggio nell’Emilia in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna (Central Italy). There are four sub-DOCs for U5: o Lambrusco di Sorbara o Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce o Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro o Lambrusco di Modena (approved in 2009) The best vineyards are in the Apeninnes. The DOC’s above of the Modena province are all that is required to be learnt for U5. |
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Lambrusco - Climate, Topography & Soils |
The climate is warm continental with cold winters but hot summers. The Po River (flows west to east to the Adriatic) acts as the main water artery of the region, with its many tributaries moderating the climate and providing some humidity. The Lambrusco di Modena, di Salamino di Santa Croce and Sobara wines are predominantly sourced from the flat, fertile land that makes up the Po Valley. Soils are Sand and silt. Lambrusco from these areas has less colour and structure but more fruit and fragrance. The wines of Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC are located in the foothills of the Apennine mountains at altitudes of 150-400m. These soils give way to more marl (limestone and clay). Lambrusco from there areas the grape obtains more colour and structure at the cost of fruit and fragrance. Wines from these sites can age and develop in bottle and are often fermented using the traditional method. |
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Lambrusco - Grape Varieties |
There are many clones of Lambrusco. The plural is Lambruschi. o Lambrusco Salamino is a widely planted quality clone. It has the most body and if fermented dry, will achieve high alcohol. Deep colour and high acidity. o Lambrusco Sobara The clone has difficulty pollinating due to its high portion of female flowers. Deep colour, with high acidity. It has slightly less tannins than the other two clones, so is often fermented dry or off dry. o Lambrusco Grasparossa similar to Salamino, it has high alcohol and fuller body. Good colour and tannins with high acidity. It is considered to be the highest quality clone. |
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Lambrusco - Permitted mix of varieties |
o Lambrusco di Sorbara L di Sorbana >60% | L Salamino <40% o Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce L Salamino >90% | Other <10% o Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro L Grasparossa >85% | Other <15% o Lambrusco di Modena all Lambruschi <85% | Other <15% |
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Lambrusco - Viticulture |
All vines are trained, trellised and pruned according to local tradition, many cordon with new plantings using Guyot.
Minimum potential alcohol must be 9.5%.
Very high yields: o Lambrusco di Modena DOC = 23t/ha or ~160hl/ha o Lambrusco di Salamino di Santa Croce DOC = 19t/ha or ~ 130hl/ha o Lambrusco di Sobara DOC & Lambrusco di Grasparossa DOC = 18t/ha = ~125hl/ha |
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Lambrusco - Vinification |
Vast majority of wines are tank fermented (95%) with some bottle fermentation for higher quality producers. Pressing * Maximum juice yield of 70L/100kg grapes * Cool primary fermentation relative to a still red (17-23c) to capture aromas and retain fresh fruit. Similar to a white wine. Second fermentation is done with selected yeasts and predominantly in tank, although traditional method has been on the increase for top wines. Bottled 30 days after second fermentation. * Must be bottled in glass within the province of production with a mushroom cord. * Wines are stabilised and sweetened if desired using RCGM sourced from the region. |
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Lambrusco Styles: |
Lambrusco di Modena DOC o Entry level wines, high yields, which compromises concentration. Sandy soils result in less colour and structure, although high fragrance and fruit. early drinking styles o Medium ruby, tiny bubbles, strawberry and cherry aromas/flavours. Off dry and crisp acidity. * Lambrusco di Salamino di Sante Croce DOC o Deeply coloured, high tannins and acidity. The flat sandy soils reduce the tannic effect. More residual sugar is used to balance tannins. o Slighlty more structure, concentration and elegance. * Lambrusco di Sobara DOC o Less tannins than Salamino, but good colour and acidity. Dry or off dry styles made. o In general these wines are fruity, fragrant and dry, with the best examples displaying a minerality. Labrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC These wines are about terroir than clone. These wines are from the hills and thus trade the simple fruity notes for more structure, acidity and tannin. o Black forest fruits, damsons, redcurrants with hints of herb and black pepper. o Most wines are fermented to dryness. o Traditional method is increasingly used to add further complexity (mushroom, toast and texture). |
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Lambrusco - Production + Market |
Lambrusco shot to fame through popularity in USA and Northern Europe from the 1970’s. It was 4 out of 5 of the biggest selling imported wines in the USA in the mid 80’s.
* The region is one of a large number of small growers and large co-op producers. Influential individual companies o Cantina Riunite, Cantina di Carpi e Sobara |
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Sekt - Intro |
Sekt is used in German-speaking countries to describe quality sparkling wine as defined by the EU that is made sparkling in Germany.
About 90% of Germany’s Sekt is made from inexpensive base wine sourced from outside Germany, mostly from Italy, France and Spain. Most is sold as dry (Trocken) or medium dry (Halbtrocken). Most of Germany’s Sekt (around 98%) is made using the tank method and is produced in large volumes under inexpensive brand names at low prices. |
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Sekt - Classifications
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German wine legislation distinguishes between Sekt and Deutscher Sekt.
Deutscher Sekt now has to be of 100% German origin. Sekt b.A. (from a specified region) Is subject to the same strict regulation as a still quality wine and most come from one of the 13 Anbaugebeite. This must be specified on the label. o Winzersekt denotes a wine of high quality and distinct style. These wines must be estate bottled and grown and produced according to the traditional method. Minimum lees ageing of 9 months. Vintage, varietal and producers name all must appear on the bottle. Premium wines are often made using the Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir grapes, with much of it drunk locally rather than exported. These Sekts are usual vintage dated with the village and vineyards that the grapes are from. * Most Deutscher Sekt continues to be bottle-fermented though large-scale producers (as opposed to growers making a small amount on the side of their still wine production) normally use the Transfer Method rather than the Traditional Method (the German term for which is Traditionelle Flaschengärung). * When it comes to quality varieties of grapes, using the Traditional Method for Riesling poses a dilemma to German sparkling wine producers. Riesling is by no means an obvious variety to use for the process that adds the autolytic character to the wine as a result of ageing on the lees. |
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Sekt Production |
The Sekt industry in Germany is huge. 390m bottles in 2015 The two largest producers: Henkell and Co (1.2 million hl in 2014) and Reh Kendermann (almost 1 million hl) produce just between them something approaching the equivalent of the whole production of Champagne. Given the size of the sparkling wine market in Germany it is highly competitive, with a number of volume producers. The vast majority of these wines are sold in supermarkets at low prices. |
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Cremant |
The term Crémant was selected to represent French traditional method sparkling wines produced outside Champagne in 1985. In this year an agreement was signed to end the use of the potentially misleading term methode champenoise to protect Champagne production. As a compromise, the Champenoise agreed to give up the term Crémant (until then a Champagne style with a lower maximum pressure of 4 bars). The term Crémant is protected and cannot be used by any other sparkling wines other than the AOC Crémants regions, they key ones being: Alsace, Rhône, Bourgogne, Loire, Limoux & Bordeaux. |
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Cremant - Viti & Vini |
To guarantee a level of quality, the following methods of production must be respected: o Manual harvest of grapes. o Whole bunch pressing. o The quantity of must obtained cannot exceed 100 litres per 150 kg of grapes. o The maximum level of sulphur dioxide content must not exceed 150 mg/l. o The second fermentation “prise de mousse” must take place in the bottle in which it is sold. o The finished sugar content after liqueur d’expedition/dosage is less than 50 g/l. o Transfer is only permitted for bottle sizes 37.5cl or smaller or 150cl or bigger. o 9 months minimum ageing on lees prior to disgorgement (some sources state a minimum of 12months is necessary for Crémant de Loire). o 12 months minimum following tirage before selling to consumers. |
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Cremant d'Alsace |
Location: North-east France, adjoining the river Rhine and the German border. Even in the top villages producers will often make a sparkling wine in addition to their still varietal wines and most of the major cooperatives (an important part of the Alsace wine industry) make sparkling wines. Much of the wine comes from vineyards on the plain. Production is in the hands of the cooperatives and nearly 500 small scale producers, whose blending capability is usually limited. Climate and weather: Northerly Continental. Autumns are typically long and warm and dry. The vineyards are protected to the west by the Vosges Mountains, making the key wine town of Colmar the second driest in France (after Perpignan close to the Mediterranean near the border with Spain). Soils and Topography: Foothills of the Vosges, so hilly, but also vineyards on the lowest slopes and on the Rhine valley plain. Very varied soils, with fertile soils on the plain. Grape varieties: o White wines: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Riesling o Rosé wines: Pinot Noir * Pinot Blanc is particularly important. Note the appearance of Chardonnay (not allowed as a varietal AC still wine) and the absence of Gewurztraminer and Muscat (too aromatic). * Viticulture: Maximum yield = 80 hl/ha. * High-density planting. Vinification: Whole bunch pressing. Style and importance: The wines are generally well made, tend to have a particularly fine mousse, high acidity and to be relatively light in body. * Only if substantial proportions of Riesling are included do they acquire strong flavour. * In general, Pinot Gris makes a much superior wine to Pinot Blanc, because of its extra richness and greater acidity, but the extra cost of grapes (+40%) cannot be recovered in the cost of the wine. * The best style is probably Rosé, which can only use Pinot Noir and is only made by a small number of producers. * Crémant d’Alsace is the most important sparkling wine produced in France after Champagne. ¬35.5m bottles produced each year. 20-25% of production vineyard land is used for Cremant. |
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Cremant de Loire |
Location: Northerly, along the river Loire. The town of Saumur is a particular centre for sparkling wine production; it has its own Saumur Mousseux AC, but with different rules for grapes. Climate and Weather: Cool continental. Considerable Atlantic maritime influence in Anjou in the west, becoming more continental as you move east with much less maritime influence in Touraine. Soils and Topography: River valleys, with hillside slopes, also plateaux above the rivers. Calcareous soils in many areas. Grape varieties: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and various others. * No distinction between grape varieties authorised for white wines and those for rosé wines and no limits to %. * Sauvignon Blanc is excluded it has yet to show that it is an attractive sparkling wine ingredient (because of its distinctive aroma). * Viticulture: Maximum yield = 50 hl/ha Style & importance: Quality winemaking and an increasing level of complexity in the bottle is evident. Mostly white wines with a little rosé. 11-12m bottles sold per year. There are nearly 200 producers including 4 co-operatives and several important négociants (including several off-shoots of Champagne houses including Langlois (Bollinger) and Gratien & Meyer (Gratien). |
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Cremant de Bourgone |
Location: Eastern France. May be produced anywhere in the whole of the Burgundy region (excluding Beaujolais) but the major production centres are: o Auxerrois in the Yonne département in the north (near Chablis) o Côte Chalonnaise, especially Rully o Mâconnais. Climate and weather: Continental – especially cold in the Yonne, but the Mâconnais is close to the beginning of the Mediterranean influence. Soils and Topography: Varied but limestone present in many areas. Grape varieties: All wines: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Aligoté and Melon de Bourgogne (aka Muscadet) and a maximum of 20% of Gamay. * No distinction between grape varieties authorised for white wines and those for rosé wines. * Viticulture: Maximum yield = 65 hl/ha Style and importance: There are some very good wines. Full, soft, wines from southern Burgundy can offer a good value alternative to bigger styles of Champagne, and to lighter, crisper styles from the north. * Rosé from 100% Pinot Noir are a fuller, more serious style than the equivalent Alsace wines. * There is often the problem that grapes are not grown specifically for sparkling wine so they become something of a dumping ground for excess production or poor quality/unripe grapes (understandable given the quite low cost of Crémant compared with the prices that Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes can command for still, light wines). Important producers include several cooperatives and also some négociants. There are also some (sometimes small-scale) individual producers. * Not surprisingly, this excludes the Côte d’Or - prices for sparkling wines do not justify using Côte d’Or grapes. |
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Cremant de Bordeaux |
Location: On the west coast of France, based around the town of Bordeaux. * The whole of the département of the Gironde. * Very few specific sparkling wine vineyards and very few grower-producers. Négociants will make wine from grapes grown anywhere in the Bordeaux region (though obviously mainly from the outer lying, less expensive areas). * Climate and weather: Maritime, with considerable variation from year to year, though often with good autumns. Weather variations much less significant for sparkling wine production. * Soils and Topography: Relatively flat, though some slopes. Varied soils. Grape varieties: o White wines: all the varieties authorised for Bordeaux white and red light wines o Rosé wines: all the varieties authorised for Bordeaux red wine, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. * Viticulture: Maximum yield = 65 hl/ha Style and importance: The wines have yet to establish a clear style or identity. Generally of low to medium quality. * Production is controlled by a small number of companies and is quite small scale. 2015 production was ¬6.5m bottles. |
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Cremant de Limoux & Blanquette de Limoux |
Location: Southern France, based around the town of Limoux to the south of the city of Carcassonne. In the Languedoc for regional purposes, in the département of the Aude, overlapping with the demarcated area for Limoux still wines. Climate and Weather: Mediterranean but with distinct Atlantic influence. Vineyards at altitude, so cooling effects which help ensure good acidity. Soils and Topography: Very hilly. Western edge of the Corbières region of the Languedoc. Limestone soils. * Grape varieties: New regulations in 2004 significantly changed the make-up of o Crémant de Limoux AC: Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc cannot exceed 90%. Chenin Blanc must be at least 20% and must not exceed 40%. o Mauzac and Pinot Noir must not exceed 20% (combined) and Pinot Noir on its own must not exceed 10%. Chardonnay cannot exceed 70% and can be as low as 50%. Blanquette de Limoux AC: Similar to Crémant de Limoux but has 90%+ Mauzac, with Chardonnay and/or Chenin Blanc also permitted.
Viticulture: Maximum yield = 50 hl/ha. Style & importance: Wines can show some of Mauzac’s apple skin flavours and acidity (as a result of the 2004 changes, this will apply more to Blanquette de Limoux). * The Crémant, with 50-70% Chardonnay, is more delicate. * Production dominated by the dynamic local cooperative, which sells a range of bottlings under names such as Aimery and Sieur d’Arques. The most notable individual estate is Domaine de l’Aigle. |
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Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale |
Blanquette de Limoux Méthode Ancestrale AC is made from 100% Mauzac Vinification: No enrichment or concentration of must. Wine ferments in tank Partly fermented must is bottled. No liqueur de tirage permitted Wine continues to ferment in bottle and must reach 3 bar. >2mths lees contact Yeast can be removed by disgorgement or transfer method. Liqueur d'expedition is not permitted 6-7% abv and residual sugar of +50g/l |
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Clairette de Die & Methode Dioise Ancestrale |
Location: An appellation for the dry sparkling wines from the town of Die, in the Rhône region of France.
Climate and Weather: The climate is highly variable due to the proximity of the Alps to the east. * Die is at the northern extreme of the Mediterranean climate, and therefore enjoys periods of extended, intense sunshine and warm weather mixed in with fast-developing mountain storms and rain showers. Soils and Topography: The topography and soils of the area around Die are characterised by craggy outcrops of glacial rock formations and the high cliff faces of the alpine foothills. Some vineyards up to 700m. * Soils are a combination of chalky clays and sedimentary rocks. Grape varieties: Clairette de Die is 100% Clairette. Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestrale is >75% of Muscat and Clairette. Vinification: Clairette de Die: Produced by Transfer method. Second ferment in bottle and then 9mths on lees. Max 13.5% abv<15g/l residual sugar. Methode Ancestrale: The must is partially cool-fermented and bottled. No liqueur de tirage permitted Wine continues to ferment in bottle and must reach 3 bar. Ferment stops naturally >4 mths lees contact Yeast can be removed by disgorgement and wine is filtered under pressure from one bottle to another. Liqueur d'expedition is not permitted Most are sold at 7-9% abv and residual sugar of +35g/l *The Jaillance co-op dominates production. |
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USA Sparkling Wine Background |
European involvement in California, in particular investment by several major Champagne houses, has encouraged a market in sparkling wine made by the Traditional Method.
US law allows sparkling wine produced in the USA to be sold on the domestic US market as “Champagne” (including wine made by the non-Traditional Method). The history of making sparkling wine in the USA goes back to 1842. The first Californian sparkling wine was produced is 1855. Producers and production: From the start there has been a considerable French influence and this has been particularly true since the early 1970s, when Moët et Chandon chose the Napa Valley for its first premium quality winery outside Champagne. * In the 1980s there was a flood of French investment in California, either in the form of French owned companies or through joint ventures: o Piper-Sonoma 1980 o Roederer Estate 1982 o Mumm Napa Valley 1985 o Taittinger’s Domaine Carneros 1987 * At the same time there has been major investment by the two big Spanish Cava houses: o Freixenet (Gloria Ferrer) 1982 o Codorníu c.1990 * The major producing region is California and this is where the French and Spanish investment has been concentrated. |
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USA Sparkling Regions |
Location: California: The major regions are:
o Mendocino (notably the very cool climate Anderson Valley) - e.g. Roederer and Scharffenberger o Napa Valley - e.g. Domaine Chandon o Sonoma Carneros (shared between the Napa and Sonoma valleys) - e.g. Domaine Carneros Limited production in Oregon and Washington state. * Anderson Valley was chosen for its Champagne-like climate by Roederer after extensive investigations. This is because the valley runs directly to the Pacific coast, allowing cold air and fog easy access to the valley. * Carneros covers the southern end of both the Napa and the Sonoma Valleys and is distinctly cool climate due to the influence of the fog coming in from San Francisco Bay. Grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the major varieties and are used more or less exclusively in the best wines. There is a little Pinot Meunier (used by Champagne companies). * Other varieties include some Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and some sparkling pink Zinfandel. * However, the real success story of recent years has been the growth of sparkling Moscato, which has been driving sales of Californian sparkling wine. * Viticulture: In general (though with exceptions such as the Anderson Valley) the climate is not as severe as in Champagne, so grape are riper, sugar levels are higher (producing a higher level of alcohol) and acidity levels are lower. There is therefore the risk of unbalanced wine. Consequently, growers have two basic choices: o pick ripe grapes (too much sugar, too little acidity) o pick early (sugar levels ideal but very high acidity, with high levels of malic acid as opposed to tartaric acid, and unripe flavours) * The general route has been to pick early. But this gives too much of the wrong kind of acidity and the wines can lack depth and richness. * Vinification: Most wines from the leading estates use the Traditional Method, though the Transfer Method is used by some producers. * Wine style: Although most wine will be white, some rosé is made. Producers and production: Total production of Californian sparkling wine was estimated to be around 9.9 million cases in 2013. Of this, Traditional Method sparkling wine accounted for an estimated 2.6 million cases (231,000 hl) – around 26% (Wine Institute, California Wines, 2014). |
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Chile |
Historically, Chile has shown very little potential for sparkling wine. This is now starting to change as producers look to the fast-developing cool-climate areas for quality fruit from the traditional sparkling wine varieties. The transformation of Sparkling wines is following that of still wines in Chile, with an increase in quality and volume. Location: The major regions are: o Limari – North of Chile and cooled by the ocean/Humboldt current o Casablanca – Central Chile and cooled by the ocean/Humboldt current o Leyda Valley – Similar to Casablanca o Bio Bio - Cool and wet south of the continent. Climate: Predominantly warm Mediterranean, with cooling seabreezes. Per above relies largely on cooler ocean current (Humboldt) to bring cooler breezes/weather to the vineyards. Grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the major varieties. Some producers such as Miguel Torres make a sparkling wine from the local Pais grape. Vinification: Tank method is used predominantly, although as quality increases producers are moving to the Traditional method. Wine style: A variety of styles are made from Brut Nature to Dulce. . Producers and production: Less than 1% of Chilean export of wine are Sparkling. * Top 3 markets are Japan, Venezuela and the UK. * The top producers are Concha Y Toro, Valdivieso and Undurraga. Champagne house Mumm has a vineyard in Chile. |
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Argentina |
Argentina’s sparkling wine industry only began to take shape with the arrival of French expertise in the 1960s. The key player was LVMH and Bodega Chandon – Mendoza is still the market leader to this day. Chandon is both the market leader in quality and quantity. Location: The coolest areas being: o Mendoza – Uco Valley San Rafael. o Patagonia – Rio Negra and Neuquen Geography and climate: o Mendoza: High altitude helps preserve flavours and acidity. Dry. Although too warm for quality sparkling wine production o Patagonia: The southerly latitude results in a cool enough climate to grow the typical sparking grape varieties. Dry. Producers are more likely to go south a cooler climate than higher (such as Mendoza or Salta) as the intensity of the sun is too much at altitude. Grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the major varieties and are used more or less exclusively in the best wines. Chenin Blanc is also popular. Torontes is popular locally also. Viticulture: Grapes are picked earlier than still wine production to retain acidity and delicate fruit flavours. * Blending wines from different sites with climatic differences is often necessary to achieve a suitable base wine for high quality sparkling wine. Vinification: Most wines are made by the tank method, especially those for the domestic market. Carbonation also used for the cheaper domestic products. Traditional reserved only for premium and above. Wine Styles: Most sparking wines are white, with very little Rose made. Extra brut and dryer styles are most popular. Producers and production: The market leader is Moet Hennessy, responsible for Chandon and Mercier. Pernod Ricard through Mumm also involved. Familia Zuccardi is a local producer of scale. Most sparkling wine is consumed domestically with ~11-12% exported. Key markets are Brazil, Chile and Venezuela. |
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South Africa
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Cap Classique * The South African wine industry has adopted the term ‘Cap Classique’ for South African sparkling wines made by the Traditional Method. The Cap Classique Association founded in 1992 has 86 members (increasing steadily), including some of South Africa’s best wineries. Production is generally small scale. * Most Cap Classique production uses only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay although a very few producers use Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc or Pinotage in the blend. As a category, Methode Cap Classique (MCC) has gone from strength to strength in production, consumption, quality and price, with most producers choosing to focus on the drier Brut styled wines which are still predominantly produced in the region of Stellenbosch. Very few restrictions aside from the Traditional method and a min of 12 months on lees. * While the primary market for both sparkling carbonated and MCC styles remains the local market, exports of both styles have seen significant increases in line with general South African still wine export growth. General Overall climate, * Most producers are located in the Coastal Region, in districts such as Stellenbosch and Paarl, or Constantia, using cooler sites in what is basically a warm Mediterranean climate. * Some producers are based more inland in Robertson, which has a good reputation for Chardonnay. Although Robertson is warmer, it has limestone soils (well suited to Chardonnay) and cooler nights help to preserve acidity and flavour. Topography / Soils / Microclimates * The MCC vineyards of the Cape are planted in a wide variety of locations. * Preference is given to the cooler eastern and south eastern facing slopes as not only do these slopes tend to warm up faster and cool earlier but the vines benefit from the cooling sea breezes that blow in from False Bay to the south east, helping Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes destined for MCC retain their acidity pre-harvest in the warm months of January and February. The Cape’s cool climate influences this process dramatically with vineyards situated closer to the coast being harvested up to two weeks later than nearby Stellenbosch. These cooler, slower ripening vineyards offer MCC producers significant advantages. Grape Varieties * Top producers use almost entirely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. * Various other grapes are used for other sparkling wines (normally non-Traditional Method wines), including Chenin Blanc (South Africa’s most widely grown white variety), Pinot Gris Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc – even Pinotage! Viticulture * Given warm climate active canopy management (in the form of canopy shading) is used to protect the grapes. Vinification * Carbonation is still the most prolific method of producing a sparkling wine. * In the 1990s, most sparkling wine was made by the Tank Method (which is especially suitable for aromatic varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc). * Traditional Method wines are now more widely made and although some are essentially fruity fizz, there is a structure and a delicacy of fruit about Cape grapes that promises well for the future. Styles: * It is up to individual producers to decide on styles: o almost invariably Brut (but at least one producer has a wine with no added dosage in his range) o Pinot and Chardonnay blends with some single variety (usually Chardonnay) o white (normally) or rosé Production: * Around 155,000 hl of sparkling wine was produced in 2014, of which half was exported. Sales of Cap Classique reached 23,700 hl in 2014 – up from around 19,000 hl in 2012 (SAWIS 2015). Influential individual companies * Graham Beck, JC Le Roux, Boschendal, Pongracz, Villiera, and Twee Jonge Gezellen |
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NZ |
With its extreme southerly latitude and cool maritime influence, NZ could be considered as one of the most ideal locations in the southern hemisphere to produce sparkling wine. Products range from clean and fresh fruit driven, to complex autolytic Champagne inspired wines. In the 70’s NZ was without any quality sparkling wines, with most made from hybrids or Muller Thurgau. * In the last 30 years with the increase in plantings of the classic sparkling varieties Pinot and Chardonnay, the quality of sparkling wines has increased. Climate, * Sparkling wine production has been centred in Marlborough, which has a cool maritime climate, with dry sunny summers. Topography / Soils / Microclimates * Soils are free draining and sometime irrigated. Grape Varieties * Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are by far the dominant varieties in premium wines and most Traditional Method wines are likely to be made exclusively from these two varieties. Like Australia, one problem is the lack of specific, dedicated, sparkling wine vineyards. * Ideally vineyards would be with clones suitable for sparkling wine production, trained in the appropriate way. Vinification * At the bottom of the market there still is a demand for simple tank fermented sparkling wines, although the majority of NZ sparkling wine is now bottle fermented. * Given the smaller size of the market, very few producers have there own equipment to produce sparking wine alone. As a result producers will send the still wine off for tirage, then it is returned for the second fermentation and ageing. The wine is then sent away again for disgorging and the addition of dosage. * Most NZ bottle fermented sparkling wine follows the tried and trusted traditional method, with different vintages making up the base wine, it then spending about 18 months on lees and is disgorged via machine of transfer method. Sparkling Sauv Blanc * When NZ was producing more Sauv Blanc then it could sell, it took to producing a sparkling wine from the excess, by carbonating still sauv blanc. While initially derided, it has established a following and is a growing category. As with most of the new world, reliable ripening conditions mean vintage variation is not as marked as it is in champagne. As a result most base wines are from a single vintage. Producers and production: * The largest sparkling wine brand is Lindauer, although apart from the top wine in the range (Lindauer Grandeur), the wines are produced by the Transfer Method. The brand accounts for a third of the New Zealand sparkling wine market by volume. * Other key brands include Riccadonna and Nobilo. * The key premium brand is Deutz Marlborough Cuvée (part of Pernod Ricard) in collaboration with the Champagne house of Deutz (made by the Traditional Method). * Exports of sparkling wine were 17,000 hl in 2014 Note that sparkling and fortified wines combined make up less than 1% of total wine exports Influential individual companies o Deutz, Cloudy Bay Pelorus, Nautilus |
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Australia |
Australia has a large and diverse range of potential sparkling wine areas. The big producers may source grapes from a wide range of areas and this is true not only of the basic wines but also some of the top wines.
For example, grapes for Domaine Chandon’s wines have been sourced from Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. * Fruit for premium sparkling wines are sourced mainly from cool climate regions such as Yarra Valley (Victoria), Tasmania and Great Western (Victoria), which is cool due to altitude. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are by far the dominant varieties in premium wines and most Traditional Method wines are likely to be made exclusively from these two varieties. * More basic sparkling wines will use fruit from the Big Rivers Zone (one of Australia’s largest wine regions and hot – the rivers being the Murray and the Darling). * One problem is the lack of specific, dedicated, sparkling wine vineyards. * Ideally vineyards would be planted with clones suitable for sparkling wine production, trained in the appropriate way. * Established vineyards can be adapted with some success by canopy management and by adjusting yields, but this takes several years and requires a long-term commitment. * In hotter regions, harvesting has to be early to avoid excessive amounts of sugar (and hence alcohol) in the wines and the loss of acidity. Vinification * Most Australian sparkling wine is produced not by the Traditional Method but by the Transfer Method; as you would expect it is the top cuvées that get the Traditional Method treatment. Others, notably Domaine Chandon and Petaluma, produce only Traditional Method wines. They are made in the same way as Champagne but because of the more reliable ripening conditions there is less need to blend across vintages. However, some blending may be used to ensure consistency of style (the usual issue with brands). Yarra Valley * Location: In the state of Victoria, just to the north-east of Melbourne. This is a cool climate region (for Australia). The topography is complex – lots of slopes at varying altitudes between 50 and 470 metres and with very varied aspects. Altitude, as well as ocean influence, helps ensure cool climate conditions. Producers and production: Moët et Chandon established its Domaine Chandon base here in 1987 and 50% of the fruit for the Green Point sparkling wines is sourced from the cool upper parts of the Yarra Valley. But grapes are also sourced from other parts of Australia. Tasmania * Location: Island State to the south of the Australian mainland. It is Australia’s coolest climate State The cool conditions are due to cold ocean currents from the Antarctic, as well as to latitude. * The most important areas are in the north of the island, near Launceston, in the Tamar Valley and in the Pipers River sub-region (which are more or less on the same latitude as Marlborough in the South Island of New Zealand). Tasmania has been seen as a good source of grapes for sparkling wine because of the high levels of natural acidity. * As the wine industry has developed over the last 20 years, Tasmania has produced both sparkling wines in its own right, and grapes and must that is transported to the mainland for use in producing a wide range of sparkling wines. * Producers and production: An early pioneer was Jansz, with which the Champagne house of Louis Roederer was initially involved; Jansz is now owned by the South Australia-based Yalumba company. Jansz’s Tasmania sparkling wine and Hardys’ Arras sparkling wine are high qualy wines with a finesse that only Green Point on the mainland, among other Australian sparkling wines, seems able to achieve. |
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Sparkling Shiraz |
Grapes: Although the style has become known as sparkling Shiraz, in a few cases other black grapes may be used (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot), either as part of a blend or for a varietal wine.
Grapes for premium wines come from regions like MacLaren Vale, Clare Valley (South Australia) and Great Western (Victoria) – all areas fames for their Shiraz. * Fruit from the hot Big Rivers Zone will be used for basic wines. Vinification: The best is made by either the Transfer Method or the Traditional but some basic sparkling Shiraz is made by the Tank method. Wine style: It is a deep purple colour, full-bodied and with some residual sweetness. And it has tannin, which can grate against the mousse. Sweetness is essential to help subdue the tannin and would qualify the wine as Sec or even Demi-Sec, with up to around 35 g/l residual sugar. Alcohol levels are high (as much as 14%). * Ageing on the lees may be relatively short in the more basic wines (under a year) but as long as 8.5 years in the case of the Great Western Show Sparkling Shiraz, giving complexity on the nose and palate. Influential individual companies o Chandon, Accolade Wines (Arras, Hardy’s Yarra Burn), Jansz (Yalumba), Seppelt |
