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 monthIt is a myth that putting a teaspoon in an open bottle of Champagne will keep it sparkling. What does work is a sparkling wine stopper – a specialized reusable stopper thatwill keep the Champagne bubbly for several hours.
He was a cooper, she was a winegrower’s daughter. Out of their marriage was born Champagne Canard-Duchêne – the Champagne House established in 1868 by Victor Canard and Léonie Duchêne in their home village of Ludes. Perched on a hillside on the Montagne de Reims, the Canard-Duchêne Champagne House now stands as a fine tribute to their efforts.
The Champagne Houses