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 World War I, the Champagne House cellars were repurposed as shelters for local civilians and military personnel. Makeshift schools, hospitals, chapels and sleeping quarters were set up – even the Reims City Council moved its headquarters there. So began a whole new underground way of life, safe from the bombs that rained down from above.
Founder Joseph Krug’s philosophy still holds sway over these premises at 5 rue Coquebert, Reims – the historic headquarters of the House he founded in 1843 and now part of the LVMH group. Today, Oliver Krug is the sixth generation of his family to curate the legacy of his forebear.
The Champagne Houses