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 marketable yield for Champagne, meaning the quantity of grapes destined for sparkling wine production, is set by the joint body of Growers and Champagne Houses in line with sales forecasts, but capped at 15,500 kg/ha for AOC production.
He was a cooper, she was a winegrower’s daughter. Out of their marriage was born Champagne Canard-Duchêne – the Champagne House established in 1868 by Victor Canard and Léonie Duchêne in their home village of Ludes. Perched on a hillside on the Montagne de Reims, the Canard-Duchêne Champagne House now stands as a fine tribute to their efforts.
The Champagne Houses