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 monthIn July 2015, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee voted to include the “Champagne Slopes, Houses and Cellars” on its World Heritage List. In so doing, UNESCO recognized the Outstanding Universal Value of Champagne’s cultural landscapes (both above and below ground).
André Sacy first began making Champagne in 1962, pursuing a family winegrowing tradition dating back to 1633. His son Alain has since developed the estate and was joined by his two children in 2013 – and with that, a new generation set to work.
The Champagne Houses