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 French terms “Blanc de Blancs” (white from whites) and "Blanc de Noirs" (white from blacks) indicate the cultivars that make up the blend. A Blanc de Blancs is exclusively blended from the principal white grape, the Chardonnay. A Blanc de Noirs is exclusively blended from the two principal black grapes, the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Champagne House Irroy was established in 1820. In 1882 it helped to found the Syndicat du Commerce des Vins de Champagne (now the Union of Champagne Houses). Two hundred years after its creation, the Irroy brand is now enjoying a fresh start as part of the Taittinger stable.
The Champagne Houses