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.
Jean Gosset is the earliest recorded ancestor of this noble Aÿ family. The House itself was founded in 1584 by his grandson, Pierre, at a time when Champagne wine was not yet sparkling. This makes it the oldest of all the Champagne Houses. Fourteen generations after Pierre, the Gosset family business merged with the Renaud-Cointreau family group, which is now writing the next chapter in the story of this House.
The Champagne Houses