Champagne holds its breath until the Saints de Glace (Ice Saints) are safely past (11, 12, 13 May), dreading a spring freeze that might destroy the future harvest’s fruitful buds.
Desuckering removes the non-fruitful buds (suckers or gourmands). Any unwanted growth is removed to optimise sugar concentration and encourage good sap flow.
The Champagne month by monthIn spring, the leaves of the Pinot Meunier are covered in a flour-like, dusty white down – hence the name Pinot Meunier, "meunier" meaning "miller" in French.
Bruno and Laurence Mignon, the first generation of the Mignon family, remain at the helm of this House in Epernay, with the next generation already working in the wings …
The Champagne Houses