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, site of the first great, record-breaking experiences in flight, now enjoys an international reputation as the cradle of aviation. Much of the credit is owed to the Champagne Houses whose support for aviation dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. As the sponsors of numerous awards and prizes, not to mention spectacular airshows, the Champagne Houses played a pivotal role in encouraging the exploits of early aviators.
The origins of this House date back to 1625 when François Hémart, a contemporary of Henry IV and his successor, settled in the village of Aÿ and began to produce a wine that would enter the annals of Champagne in the following century. In the early 20th century, Léon Giraud, a French cavalryman who fought at the Battle of the Marne, married into the Hémart family and rebuilt the vineyard following the devastation wreaked by Phylloxera and World War I. Claude Giraud is now the twelfth-generation family member to preside over the House’s fortunes.
The Champagne Houses