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 monthWith a little over 34,000 hectares of vines, the Champagne AOC represents just 4% of France’s total vineyard area, or 0.5% of world vineyard acreage. It is nevertheless the top producer in terms of turnover.
Champagne House Lallier was founded in 1906 following René Lallier’s marriage into a foremost family of the Champagne nobility. It is located at the heart of the famous village of Aÿ, one of Champagne’s 17 Grand Cru villages, and now seeks to expand its global reach as part of the Italian spirits group Campari.
The Champagne Houses