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 monthChampagne wine enjoys international acclaim and is widely considered the most universally recognized symbol of France, with export markets in more than 190 countries. Some 65% of Champagne House production is destined for export.
In 1932 Parisian politician Pierre Taittinger acquired Chateau de la Marquetterie, the stately home where he had been billeted as a young officer in World War I. Two years later he also purchased one of Champagne’s oldest Champagne Houses, Forest Fourneaux. The foundations were now laid for an adventure in wine that is pursued today by the fourth-generation scion.
The Champagne Houses