Jon Catt
Plenty of Products from Pomace
The first three steps of the Champagne making process result in environmentally hazardous waste. Pressing the grapes gives marc or pomace. It consists of skin, pulp, pips and stems. Clarification gives deposits in the must. The first fermentation gives lees. Local distillers will collect this waste and transform it into a wide variety of products.…
Read More
Did Moët & Chandon Make the Wrong Pick?
Moët & Chandon almost did something during the last grape harvest that probably would have had Dom Pérignon spinning in his grave. There’s not been such controversy since gyropalettes were introduced over 40 years ago. On September 20th Moët & Chandon had decided to test mechanical picking on a 2 ha plot outside the Champagne…
Read More
Reserve Wine To The Rescue
The bad weather conditions this year have meant that Champagne makers will have to resort to the reserve stock system that is unique to this appellation. It was begun in 1938 and is now governed by the Comité Champagne. The idea of creating reserves was born out of the reality of the climatic irregularities of…
Read More
Champagne Against Aches & Pains
Before Champagne became a drink it was officially considered as a medicine. Some doctors still recommend it for illnesses probably much to the delight of their patients. It was once believed to help digestion. It was also thought to be a good antiseptic. The list of this natural remedy’s cures also included easing of aches…
Read More
Grape Harvest 2016
The results of the damage caused to the Champagne vineyards by extreme weather earlier this year are having their affect on this year’s harvest. Chardonnay grapes are usually the first to ripen. This year it’s Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Wine growers are saying they’ve never seen this and the cause is unknown. It will…
Read More
Happy Birthday Crémant d’Alsace
A fortieth birthday is important and certainly worth celebrating. This is what the makers of Crémant d’Alsace intend to do. On 24th August 1976 Crémant d’Alsace got official recognition with the creation of an AOC. The story, though, dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century and was inspired by how Champagne is made.…
Read More
Danger in the Vineyards!
On 23rd August a wine grower was crushed to death by his straddle tractor when it overturned in Ludes. This wasn’t the first fatality this year in what’s considered a very hazardous job. If you’ve visited the Champagne vineyards you’ll have seen these distinctive tractors everywhere. In just a few weeks they’ll be transporting the…
Read More
Worst Champagne Harvest in 30 Years
It’s being called the worst harvest in the Aube in 30 years. The vines either have no grapes or a bunch every metre where there would normally be 10. Nathalie Falmet at Rouvre-les-Vignes has decided not to harvest this year. She has 3.5 ha of vines and with an expected yield of around 1,000 kg…
Read More
Disaster for the Côte des Bar
This year is the worst for mildew since 1958 and the vineyards of the Côte des Bar in the Aube have been the worst affected. Vines have either no grapes or grape skeletons. The Aube has 8,000 ha of vineyards , roughly a quarter of the whole Champagne appellation. Heavy frosts and two or three…
Read More- « Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next »