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.
Cooper’s son Edouard Brun founded this House in 1898. Some 30 years later he was joined by an experienced winemaker called Edmond Lefevre, who took over the helm when Edouard died, before passing the baton to his daughter, Claude Delescot and her husband. Their two sons Emmanuel and Philippe are now writing a new chapter in the life of the House.
The Champagne Houses