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 monthEvery year on 22 January, Champagne celebrates the feast of St Vincent, patron saint of winegrowers. Fancy-dress parades, banquets, church services and traditional ceremonies are held to give thanks for the previous year’s harvest and to invoke the saint’s protection for activities in the coming year.
In the late 1800s, Charles Gardet established his House in Epernay. His son Georges then moved the business to Chigny-les-Rose in the 1930s. The following century marked its acquisition by the Prieux family in 2010, whose members now pursue the tradition established by the House’s founder.
The Champagne Houses