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 French terms “Blanc de Blancs” (white from whites) and "Blanc de Noirs" (white from blacks) indicate the cultivars that make up the blend. A Blanc de Blancs is exclusively blended from the principal white grape, the Chardonnay. A Blanc de Noirs is exclusively blended from the two principal black grapes, the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
Alain Thiénot comes from one of Reims’ oldest families. In 1985 following 17 years experience as a wine broker he embarked on the challenge of creating his own Champagne House. His children Stanislas and Garance are now gradually taking over the reins, building on the expert teachings of their father.
The Champagne Houses