Tour France's 'La Champagne' - the region. Enjoy 'le champagne' - the wine.
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The independent
traveller’s guide
to Champagne:
the region and its wine
A trip to Champagne would be nice,
Go once and you’ll want to go twice;
The countryside’s fine,
The wine is divine,
And the people are awfully nice.
Wine Destination
Publications Ltd.
44, Oakland Avenue,
Droitwich Spa
WR9 7BT UK
Tel: +44 (0)1905 773707
Jeroboam... A double Magnum - three litres or 4 bottles.
Liqueur d'expédition... Solution of cane sugar and wine to
top up after dégorgement.
Liqueur de tirage... Solution of yeast and sugar to provoke
second fermentation in the bottle.
Magnum... A double bottle containing 150cl., the ideal size
for any wine.
Marc... 4,000Kg. load of grapes for pressing. Also the mass of
grape skins left over. This is pressed again for a wine to distil into Marc de Champagne - not for the feint-hearted.
Methusalem... Six-litre bottle holding 8 x 75cl. bottles.
Milésime... Vintage.
Nebuchadnezzar... 15-litre giant containing 20 x 75cl. bottles.
Non Vintage (NV)... Wines made from blend using reserve wines.
Prise de mousse... Second fermentation in the bottle.
Pupitre... Hinged board for holding up to 60 bottles for the rémuage.
Rémuage... Hand riddling bottles to collect sediment in the neck.
Reserve wine... Still wines held over from previous years for blending.
Salmanazar... Nine-litre bottle or 12 x 75cl. bottles.
Sec... Medium-sweet wine with 17 to 35g./litre of
residual sugar.
Terroir... The combined effect of the soils, aspect to sun and microclimate within a vineyard.
Vintage... Champagne from grapes harvested in a single year.
top up after dégorgement.
Liqueur de tirage... Solution of yeast and sugar to provoke
second fermentation in the bottle.
Magnum... A double bottle containing 150cl., the ideal size
for any wine.
Marc... 4,000Kg. load of grapes for pressing. Also the mass of
grape skins left over. This is pressed again for a wine to distil into Marc de Champagne -
Nebuchadnezzar... 15-
Prise de mousse... Second fermentation in the bottle.
Pupitre... Hinged board for holding up to 60 bottles for the rémuage.
Rémuage... Hand riddling bottles to collect sediment in the neck.
Reserve wine... Still wines held over from previous years for blending.
Salmanazar... Nine-
Terroir... The combined effect of the soils, aspect to sun and microclimate within a vineyard.
Vintage... Champagne from grapes harvested in a single year.
Reims cathedral
Champagne
Ruinart
Ruinart
