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 monthWith a little over 34,000 hectares of vines, the Champagne AOC represents just 4% of France’s total vineyard area, or 0.5% of world vineyard acreage. It is nevertheless the top producer in terms of turnover.
The House of Delamotte was established in Reims in 1760 by François Delamotte and renamed Delamotte Père & Fils when the company was joined by his two sons, Alexander and Nicolas-Louis (a former Knight of Malta). Operating under the motto, vive et me ama (live and love me), they built their House a reputation that resounded throughout Europe.
The Champagne Houses