Higher temperatures and light intensity trigger the sap to flow anew in the vine. The first buds emerge, covered with a downy coating called bourre, then swell and eventually flower. Bud-burst has arrived!
The year’s fruit-bearing canes are tied up by hand to regulate the growth of the vine.
The Champagne month by month
Such has been the success of Champagne wines that by the early nineteenth century the Champagne name was being misused by producers of sparkling wines from other French regions. In 1844 the Champagne Houses responded by taking joint action in the courts to restrict use of the name to a particular production process specific to the Champagne Region. The Appellation is now officially recognized and protected in 122 countries around the world.
In 1912 winegrower’s son Henri Lhopital decided to create his own Champagne House. In 1952 his own son André devised the brand name “J. de Telmont”, taking inspiration from a particular vineyard plot and adopting the motto, Nec Pluribus Impar (rarely matched). In 2020 André’s grandchildren sold their majority stake to Rémy Cointreau, marking that group’s comeback in Champagne.
The Champagne Houses
