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 2003, Champagne was the first wine-growing region in the world to conduct a carbon footprint assessment – proof of the industry’s early commitment to tackle climate change.
Since then, 50 grams have been shaved off the weight of each Champagne bottle – equivalent to an emissions reduction of 8,000 tonnes CO2 a year, or 4,000 fewer vehicles on the road.
The House of Duval-Leroy was born in 1859 when a merchant called Armand-Edouard Leroy joined forces with a winegrower called Jules Duval. It became a family business when Duval’s son married Leroy’s daughter. Their descendants Carol Duval-Leroy and her three sons now steer the House’s fortunes.
The Champagne Houses