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 month
In 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.
Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët shared a passion for nature and the arts. She was a young woman of culture from a merchant family; he was a skilled winegrower and botanist. They married in 1810 and founded the House of Perrier-Jouët the following year. The House now belongs to the Pernod-Ricard Group.
The Champagne Houses
