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 monthThe marketable yield for Champagne, meaning the quantity of grapes destined for sparkling wine production, is set by the joint body of Growers and Champagne Houses in line with sales forecasts, but capped at 15,500 kg/ha for AOC production.
G.H. Martel & C° was founded in 1869 by a family of owner-growers from Avenay Val d’Or. A century later (1979) it was acquired by the Rapeneau family, who have a long-standing presence in Champagne. The fourth generation is now in charge of brand development.
The Champagne Houses