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.
Mary Stuart, by name Mary, Queen of Scots, is certainly a woman who left her mark on the medieval period. She became Queen Consort of France following her husband’s accession to the throne as King Francis II (if only for a few months) and is known to have stayed in Reims with her aunt Renata of Lorraine, Abbess of Saint-Pierre-les-Dames in Reims. Hence, perhaps the name of this House, founded in 1867 and now part of the Groupe Thiénot.
The Champagne Houses