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 monthThe marketable yield for Champagne, meaning the quantity of grapes destined for sparkling wine production, is set by the joint body of Growers and Champagne Houses in line with sales forecasts, but capped at 15,500 kg/ha for AOC production.
Viscount Florens de Castellane founded his House in Epernay in 1895. A descendant of one of the oldest families in France, he chose to adorn his bottles with the red cross of Saint Andrew – a heraldic symbol that pays homage to the oldest military regiment in Champagne.
The Champagne Houses