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 month
In 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.
Louis Roederer inherited this House in 1833 and named it after himself. In the 1920s Léon Olry-Roederer gave it new impetus, followed by his widow Camille from 1932 to 1975. Their grandson, Jean-Claude Rouzaud and his son Frédéric now pursue the work of their forebears, with the same innovative spirit.
The Champagne Houses
