ABC Champagne
Champagne terminology made simple.
Make sense of the vast assortment of French terms and expressions used for Champagne.
- Agrafe – metal clasp used to hold the cork in place during secondary fermentation and ageing on lees prior to the invention of the metal crown cap called a capsule or plaque.
- Aignes - name for the solid residues left after pressing grapes.
- Anhydride sulfureux – sulphur dioxide (SO
2 ) is sulphur in the state of oxidation that is used in wine making for its antiseptic, antioxidant and clarifying properties. - Aphromètre – instrument that measures the pressure inside a Champagne bottle during secondary fermentation, which is also known as prise de mousse.
- Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) – title awarded by the French authority I.N.A.O. to a quality wine produced in a specifically defined region and respecting precise regulations. Champagne is the only wine that can display the word Champagne on the wine label without the acronym AOC.
- Arbane / Arbanne – rare white grape variety occasionally used in Champagne.
- Arrachage – removal of old vines from a vineyard before replanting with new young vines.
- Assemblage – art of blending different grape musts, base wines of different grape varieties, or wines of different ages to give the specific characteristics desired in a Champagne.
- Autolyse – Autolysis is the breakdown of yeast cells (lees) in the Champagne bottle, after secondary fermentation, while ageing in the cellar. This process has a notable impact over time on the evolution of the flavours, texture and aromas of the final Champagne.
- Bac à glace – bath of salted water chilled to -25°C used to freeze the sediments in the neck of the Champagne bottle before mechanical disgorging.
- Bac de trempage - bath used to moisten the corks prior to being inserted into the wine bottle. A cork has an initial diameter of 30mm while the mouth of the bottle has an opening of only 17mm.
- Bague carrée - square lip, just below the mouth of the bottle, used to hold in place the metal clasp or agrafe that is fitted over the cork for secondary fermentation and ageing.
- Bague couronne - thin rounded lip, just below the mouth of the bottle, used to hold the metal crown cap in place for secondary fermentation and ageing.
- Balthazar - name given to a 12 litre Champagne bottle that holds the equivalent of 16 standard bottles.
- Barrique - most common name for the wooden barrel used in wine making. Dimensions will vary from 200 to 230 litres, depending on the traditions of the region of origin.
- Bâtonnage - art of lifting the lees into suspension during the vinification process. Most frequently carried out in wines that are vinified in wooden barrels, but it can also be done in larger size vats.
- Belon - tank used to collect the grape must during pressing.
- Bentonite - volcanic clay used in the fining (clarification) process of base wines.
- Bidule - plastic basket inserted into the mouth of the bottle used to collect the sediments during riddling (remuage).
- Biodynamie - Biodynamic viticulture applies organic methods, seeks harmony with the surrounding ecosystem and synchronises the working calendar in the vineyards and cellar with the lunar and cosmic calendars.
- Biologique - method of viticulture (organic) that respects the environment, uses organic manures, abolishes the use of non-synthesising antiparasitic products in the vineyard and oenological products in wine making (except for SO
2 ). - Blanc de Blancs - Champagne made from one or more of the 4 white grape varieties (Arbane, Chardonnay, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc) authorised under the AOC.
- Blanc de Noirs - Champagne made from one or both of the two black grape varieties (Pinot Noir and Meunier) authorised under the AOC.
- Bouchage - process used to cork a wine bottle with a cork (bouchon), cover plate (capsule or plaque) and wire cage (muselet).
- Bouchon couronne - metal crown cap used for secondary fermentation and ageing on lees.
- Bouchon de glace - frozen pellet of sediments collected in the neck of the bottle prior to being expelled during disgorging.
- Bouchon en liege - cork stopper made from natural cork.
- Bourbe(s) - name given to residual particles present in the grape must after pressing and made up of the skins, seeds and stalk.
- Bouteille - glass wine bottle of 75cl able to withstand pressure greater than 6 bar.
- Brut - most popular style of Champagne, created to meet the tastes of the UK market, and dosed at less than 12g/l. See dosage for further details.
- Brut Nature -Champagne dosed at less than 3g/l.
- Brut Sans Année (BSA) - also known as NV or Non–Vintage. It is the general name given to a dosed Brut Champagne where there is no predominant year present in the blend.
- Brut Zéro - alternative name for “Brut Nature”. See above.
- Bulle - French word meaning bubble. They can vary in both intensity and size and are subject to attention during professional tastings. Champagnes with lesser pressure and older vintages generally have fewer bubbles that rise more slowly to the surface.
- C.I.V.C. – acronym for the Comité Interprofessionel du vin de Champagne, the trade association founded in 1941 that protects the AOC and use of the Champagne name worldwide.
- C.M. - acronyme pour « coopérative de manipulation ». Il s’agit d'une coopérative qui vend ses propres marques de Champagne.
- Capsule – protective and decorative metal cap placed between the cork and the wire cage.
- Capsule congé – circular shaped paper tax stamp that is usually placed on the top of the foil wrapper covering the cork.
- Capsule couronne – metal crown cap that is used to seal the bottle for secondary fermentation and ageing on lees.
- Cave – general name given to a wine cellar where wines are made and stored for ageing.
- Centre de pressurage – place where grapes are brought to be weighed, registered and pressed. An alternative name is Vendangeoir.
- Centrifugation – technique that can be used to clarify base wines before bottling.
- Cépage – general term given to a grape variety.
- Chablis – one of the four pruning techniques that can be used in Champagne. The name originates from the village of Chablis, which is famous for its Chardonnay grapes.
- Champagne - vin mousseux produit selon les normes de l’AOC « Champagne » et provenant de la région géographique du même nom.
- Champagnisation – process for making sparkling wines with secondary fermentation taking place in the wine bottle.
- Chaptalisation – involves the adding of sugar to grape must to enhance alcoholic fermentation and increase potential alcoholic strength by volume.
- Chardonnay – most famous white grape variety grown in Champagne. Approximately 30% of all the vineyards in the region are Chardonnay, the predominant variety grown in the Côte des Blancs wine district and most “Blanc de Blancs” are made from it.
- Chef de Cave – title given to the cellar master responsible for wine production.
- Clarification – also known as fining involving the removal of solid residues from the base wines prior to bottling.
- Clé – literally means a key. It is a longer handled bottle opener used to remove the metal crown cap when manually disgorging a bottle of Champagne.
- Clos – term used to indicate a walled vineyard that is closed on all four sides. Some very well known vintage single vineyard Champagnes display the name of the Clos on their wine labels.
- Cœur de cuvee – term used to describe the first 20.5 hectolitres of grape must that exit from a 4,000kg press load of grapes. Its literal translation would be the heart of the first pressing.
- Coiffe – part of the final packaging put on a Champagne bottle. It refers to the foil wrapper that covers the Champagne cork on the finished bottle.
- Col - alternative name for bouteille. See Bouteille for more details.
- Collage – clarification technique that involves adding a protein to the base wine that aids in depositing all sediments on the bottom of the cask.
- Collerette – part of the final packaging that can literally be translated as small collar and is the name given to the small decorative label placed around the neck of the wine bottle that holds the foil wrapper (coiffe) in place.
- Confusion sexuelle - believe it or not, is a method used to combat grapevine moth. Female pheromones are released from small distributers placed in the vineyards to make it harder for the male and female moths to recognise each other and therefore reduce the number of matings.
- Contre-étiquette – name given to the optional reverse wine label that the producer can put onto the wine bottle to provide supplementary information about the product.
- Coopérative – in Champagne there are cooperatives of grape growers who sell their grapes whole or pressed to the Champagne houses. Other cooperatives go one step further and produce the wine and sell it collectively under their own brands.
- Cordon de Royat – name given to one of the 4 pruning techniques authorised in the AOC.
- Côte de Bar – one of the four major wine districts that make up the Champagne wine region, situated towards the south in the Aube department.
- Côte des Blancs – one of the 4 main wine districts in Champagne that is famous for its Chardonnay grape and concentration of grand cru and premier cru villages.
- Coteaux Champenois – autre appellation que l’on trouve dans la région pour les vins rouges et blancs produits avec des cépages de l’AOC Champagne. Ils étaient autrefois nommés « vins natures de Champagne ».
- Coup de poignet – terme attribué au geste rapide qu’effectue un vigneron pour retourner une bouteille de Champagne, après la maturation sur lattes, afin de retirer tout extrait de levure qui se serait accroché à la paroi de la bouteille avant le remuage.
- Coupage – another term for assemblage. See Assemblage for further details.
- Courtier – broker who facilitates the sale of grapes, must or partially finished Champagne between the winegrowers, cooperatives and the Champagne houses.
- Craie – sedimentary limestone rock found within the Champagne subsoil.
- Crayères – underground caves that were quarried for Limestone blocks used for the construction of the city of Reims and the cathedral. They are now used as natural cellars by many of the major Champagne houses.
- Crémant – nom anciennement donné au Champagne dont la pression était plus faible que d’ordinaire (3 à 4 bars contre 5 à 6 habituellement). En 1994, ce terme n’a plus été employé pour le Champagne mais a été attribué aux autres vins mousseux ne bénéficiant pas de l’appellation d’origine contrôlée « Champagne », élaborés selon la méthode traditionnelle.
- Cru – signifies a wine coming from the vineyards of a specific village or area
- Cuve – general term for a cask, vat, or tank, used in winemaking for vinification or the conservation of the previous year's reserve wines. Wooden variations are known as fût or foudre.
- Cuve en béton – utilisée pour la vinification, elle est carrelée de céramique ou de verre à l’intérieur. De nouvelles tendances ont permis l’apparition de cuves en forme d'œuf fabriquées à partir de ciment naturel connues sous le nom de « cuves ovoïdes » ou « cuves d'œuf en béton ».
- Cuve en émaillée – metal cask use for vinification painted on the inside with enamel paint.
- Cuve en inox – stainless steel vat which is often temperature-controlled and used for vinification or the storage of the previous years' reserve wines.
- Cuvée1 - generic term given to a type of Champagne within the producer's collection. For example, the producer makes 6 types of Champagne; each cuvée (Champagne) has a totally different style from the other ones.
- Cuvée2 – name given to the first 20.5 hectolitres of grape must extracted from a 4,000kg load of grapes being pressed.
- Cuvée de prestige – title given to a Champagne considered to be of a superior quality to the entry level Champagnes in the producer's collection. It is considered to be of superior quality mainly because it has a high percentage of reserve wines from an important vintage or because it has been vinified in oak barrels.
- Cuverie – zone in the wine cellar dedicated to the vinification vats or cuves.
- Débourbage – action of decanting the grape must before alcoholic fermentation.
- Dégorgement – French term for disgorging which involves the removal of deposits produced by the secondary fermentation that collected in the neck of the bottle during the riddling cycle.
- Dégorgement à la glace – involves freezing the deposits before disgorging by dipping the neck of the bottle in a bath of salt water at a temperature of -25°C.
- Dégorgement à la volée – old method of disgorging manually (opening the bottle with a specially designed lever, letting the cork fly and covering the mouth of the bottle with a thumb to avoid spillage). The technique is still used when the wine grower wants to disgorge a very limited number of bottles each time.
- Demi-bouteille – name given to a half bottle that contains 37.5cl.
- Demi-litre – name given to a bottle that contains half a litre or 50cl.
- Demi-muid – name given to a wooden cask that can hold between 500 and 600 litres. Some producers prefer this size cask because of the greater ratio of wine to wood with respect to a smaller barrel.
- Demi-sec – sweeter style Champagne that has been dosed after disgorging with between 32-50g/l of sugar. This style was much appreciated by the Russian market at the start of the 20th Century.
- Dépointage – activity of stocking the wine bottles neck down after riddling to keep the sediments in the mouth of the bottle before disgorging.
- Dépôt – term given to sediments present in the wine during the various phases of production that will be deposited.
- Deuxième fermentation – secondary fermentation that takes place in the wine bottle that produces CO
2 and thus converts still wine into sparkling wine. It is also known as prise de mousse. - Deuxième taille – 3rd pressing of grapes, after the extraction of 25.5 hectolitres of grape must per 4,000kg load of grapes. This press is no longer used in Champagne.
- Dom Pérignon – Pierre Pérignon was a Benedictine monk and cellar master at the Abbey of Sainte-Pierre at Hautvillers during the 17th Century. He has been credited with introducing various improvements in Champagne. The most significant was to consider each grape variety separately and assemble wines accordingly to optimise results. Dom is an ecclesiastical and academic title from the Latin dominus.
- Dosage – final act of adding the exact quantity of sugar necessary to obtain the desired final style of the Champagne by way of the liqueur d'expédition.
- Doux – sweetest style of Champagne, which is dosed with more than 50g/l of sugar.
- Ebourgeonnage – term for desuckering that refers to the removal of buds that do not produce fruit from the older wood on the vine during spring.
- Échelle de cru – historic rating system for each grape variety in each village, quoted in percentages and used as part of the pricing mechanism for the sale of grapes to the Champagne houses. Grand cru was classified 100%, premier cru 99-90% and cru less than 90%. The échelle de cru was abandoned in 2006 under free market legislation imposed by the European Union, but the names grand cru and premier cru were maintained.
- Élevage – describes the period of time that the base wine, vin clair, is left to evolve in vats or in wooden casks between alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation and bottling.
- Enherber – regards intentionally letting grass grow freely between the vine rows to avoid soil corrosion and enhance microorganisms in the environment. A philosophy applied in both biological and biodynamic viticulture.
- Enjambeur – long legged multi-function tractor that straddles the vines while moving up and down the rows. The tractor is used to treat and trim the vines during the various phases of the growth cycle of the vine.
- Entreillage – process of stacking the Champagne bottles on their sides for ageing.
- Epernay – town in the very heart of the Champagne region, home of many of the well known Champagne houses and the offices of the controlling bodies.
- Epluchage – involves cutting away unripe or unsuitable grapes from each bunch being picked during the harvest.
- Etiquette – term for a wine label. The obligatory information presented on a Champagne label changes from country to country, but will generally include: the name Champagne, the phrase Product of France, the alcoholic strength, the bottle size, an allergen and a health warning, the commercial brand and the details of the producer of the Champagne.
- Extra-dry – style of Champagne originally created to suit the taste of the North American market and dosed with between 12-17g/l of sugar.
- Fermentation alcoolique – regards the transformation of sugar present in the grape must into alcohol creating wine known as vin clair in Champagne. The process is also known as vinification.
- Fermentation malolactique – refers to the transformation of malic acid into lactic acid that will add more subtle notes to the Champagne. The process can be totally or partially blocked at the discretion of the winemaker.
- Feuillette – small size wooden barrel that contains approximately 135 litres that is sometimes used to store the liqueur d'expédition that will then be used to dose the Champagne.
- Filtration – fining technique used to clarify wines by removing any suspended particles. Different filtration techniques include: filtering, centrifugation, collage and cold treatment.
- Foudre – name given to the largest sized wooden casks that are used in Champagne during vinification and the period of élevage. The wine to wood ratio is significantly increased to avoid giving the wine pronounced characteristics that derive from the wood.
- Franc de pied – vigne encore sur ses rhizomes d’origine qui n’a pas été greffée à des rhizomes américains plus résistants. Voir « porte-greffe » pour plus d’informations.
- Fût – general name given to the 200 litre wine barrels. The traditional fût champenois has a capacity of 205l, while the traditional barrels from Bordeaux holds 225l and those from Burgundy 228l.
- Flûte – tall and narrow glass used for drinking Champagne.
- Goût de bouchon – term used to describe a wine when a defective cork has altered the taste and aroma of the wine. Also known as cork taint.
- Goût maison – refers to the style given to Champagne by the Champagne house. By extensive blending of different wines from different vintages, the houses or maisons have developed their own individual style and they are also able to reproduce it year after to year to satisfy the consumer.
- Grand Cru – was the most prestigious rating in the Echelle de cru rating system for the quality of each grape variety in each single village. The rating system has been abandoned, but Champagnes produced solely with grapes that come from one or more Grand Cru village vineyards can display the name on the wine label.
- Grande Marque - until 1997 the term was used to identify the members of the trade association Syndicat des Grandes Marques. The term, which means important brand, is still commonly used to describe the names of the most renowned Champagne houses.
- Grappe – French term for a bunch of grapes.
- Guérite – smallish wooden barrel that has a large rectangular opening on one side and is used in the traditional dégorgement à la volée. The bottle is pointed towards the guérite, and when opened, the crown capsule stopper and the deposits that were released under pressure are fired into the wooden container.
- Guyot – one of the 4 pruning techniques recognised in Champagne. Pruning can be single, double or take the form of an asymmetrical cane.
- Gyropalette – machine used for mechanical riddling that can hold up to 500 Champagne bottles and complete the full remuage cycle in one week. Manual remuage on pupitres takes 4-6 weeks.
- H.V.E. – acronyme qui désigne une viticulture certifiée durable qui respecte l’environnement. Sa régulation est moins stricte que pour une viticulture biologique et signifie « haute valeur environnementale ».
- Habillage – term given for the final packaging of a Champagne which includes adding the wine label, protective foil wrapper over the cork and any other decorative features.
- Huitième – name given to a bottle that contains 9.4cl, ⅛ of a 75cl bottle.
- I.N.A.O. – Institut National pour l'Appellation d'Origine. The governing body that regulates the AOC.
- Jéroboam - name given to a bottle that contains 3l, the equivalent of 4 bottles of Champagne.
- Lattes – wooden slats used to support the bottles when being stacked traditionally on their sides for ageing.
- Levurage – process of adding the selected yeasts to the grape must prior to alcoholic fermentation.
- Levure – yeast.
- Liège à grafe – natural cork with a metal clasp used to hold the cork in place on the wine bottle. A rudimentary form of muselet used as an alternative to the crown cap during secondary fermentation and ageing.
- Lieu-Dit – literally means a named place. In Champagne it refers to a small vineyard plot that has a historic name recorded in the land register. It is estimated that there are more than 80,000 lieux-dits in Champagne.
- Liqueur d'Expédition – mixture of sugar and wine used to dose the Champagne during the disgorging and corking process.
- Liqueur de Tirage – mixture of selected yeast and sugar added to the base wine when bottling to produce secondary fermentation. Tirage is a French term for bottling.
- Lutte Raisonnée – an uncertified method of viticulture that reduces, where possible, the amount and aggressiveness of chemicals used in the vineyard. Literally a reasonable struggle between organic and traditional grape growing.
- M.A. - acronyme pour « marque d’acheteur ». Il s’agit de la catégorie professionnelle indiquée sur l’étiquette du vin et elle s’applique aux « marques maisons » en Champagne. Une maison de Champagne produit un type de Champagne spécialement pour ses clients qui le revendent ensuite sous leur propre nom.
- M.C.R. - acronyme pour « moût concentré rectifié », il s’agit d’un liquide concentré en sucre extrait du raisin qui est utilisé par certains vignerons dans la liqueur d’expédition à la place du sucre de canne ou de betterave.
- Macération - process by which tannins and colouring agents present in the grape skin will colour the grape must when the two (grape must and grape skins) are left in contact with each other for a short period of time in a vat. This method is used to colour Rosé Saignée Champagne.
- Machine à boucher - machine used to insert the cork into the wine bottle.
- Magnum - name given to a bottle that contains 1.5l, the equivalent of 2 bottles of Champagne.
- Maison de Champagne - Champagne house; a prestigious larger scale Champagne producer with a long historical tradition.
- Malolatique - see Fermentation Malolactique.
- Mannequins - name given to the chests used for grape picking that can contain up to 8kg of grapes.
- Marc1 - traditional measure for a 4,000kg load of grapes for pressing.
- Marc2 - name given to the solid residue of the pressed grapes.
- Marc de Champagne - alcoholic beverage made in Champagne from the distilled solid remains of the pressed grapes.
- Masse (bouteille en) - see Dépointage.
- Mathusalem - name given to a bottle that contains 6l, the equivalent of 8 bottles of Champagne.
- Maturation - state of ripening of the grapes (maturity).
- Médium - name given to a bottle that contains 60cl.
- Méthode ancestrale - alternative method of making sparkling wine, where the base wine is bottled before alcoholic fermentation has been completed. The fermentation process then continues in the bottle to generate the CO2 that creates the bubbles in the wine.
- Méthode champenoise - nom donné à la deuxième fermentation en bouteille qui est régulée par l’appellation d'origine contrôlée « Champagne ». Elle ne peut être utilisée que pour le Champagne. Elle est également connue sous le nom de « prise de mousse ».
- Méthode perpétuelle - continual blending. It consists of adding the latest year's wine to the same vat each year. After several years there will be a blend of several years of reserve wines already mixed together that can be directly bottled for secondary fermentation or blended in any proportion with the current year's base wine before bottling.
- Méthode Solera - introduite par la technique utilisée pour le porto et le xérès, elle est utilisée pour le Champagne comme une version plus précise de la méthode perpétuelle (voir ci-dessus). Dans ce cas, les vins clairs,des années précédentes, sont continuellement assemblés séparément par cépage et/ou par parcelle. Cela donne aux vignerons plusieurs petits « Solera » qui peuvent ensuite être assemblés entre eux selon des proportions qui varient ou avec le vin de l’année en cours avant la mise en bouteille.
- Méthode traditionnelle - autre nom donné à la deuxième fermentation en bouteille utilisée pour les vins mousseux ne bénéficiant pas de l’appellation d’origine contrôlée « Champagne ».
- Melchisédech - name given to a bottle that contains 30l, the equivalent of 40 bottles of Champagne.
- Meunier - one of the two black grape varieties grown in Champagne. The other is Pinot Noir. It is the second most planted variety after Pinot Noir and is frequently found in the Vallée de la Marne wine district.
- Mildiou - mildew, a pale coloured fungus that develops during wet periods and attacks both the leaves and the grapes on the vine.
- Millerandage - malformation des grappes de raisins du à un temps froid pendant la floraison. Les grappes de différentes tailles mûrissent à différentes vitesses ce qui réduit les récoltes.
- Millésime - or Vintage Champagne is made with grapes that come from a single year's harvest. A Millésime must age for at least 3 years before being put on sale. The wine label and cork will indicate the year of the harvest.
- Minéralité - term used frequently to describe the mineral characteristics of a Champagne. The principle is that rainwater filters down through the various rock strata in the vineyard subsoil, collecting minerals along the way. These minerals are transferred to the vine via the water absorbed by the vine roots that feed the grapes. The results are supposedly found again in the Champagne.
- Mirage - limpidity control carried out after disgorging to ensure there are no residual particles in the Champagne before sale.
- Mise sur lattes - see Lattes.
- Mise sur Pointes - see Dépointage.
- Mono-cru - name given to a Champagne that is made from grapes that come from a single village or even a single vineyard in the village.
- Montagne de Reims - One of the four major wine districts, located to the southeast of Reims, and mainly planted with Pinot Noir grapes.
- Mousse - froth created by the Champagne when poured into the glass and taken into consideration during professional tastings.
- Mousseux - term for sparkling; vin mousseux means sparkling wine.
- Moût -grape must; the juice extracted from grapes when pressed.
- Muid - very large wine cask that contains 1,200 litres.
- Muselet - wire cage, positioned on top of the decorative metal cap and cork to guarantee that the bottle remains firmly sealed.
- Museleteuse - machine used to apply the muselet to the bottle.
- N.D. - acronym for Négociant Distributeur; a registered trader who purchases bottles of Champagne from the producer and sells them under his own brand.
- N.M. - acronym for Négociant Manipulant, a Champagne house that uses its own grapes as well as purchased grapes in its Champagnes.
- N.V. - acronym for Non-Vintage. See Brut sans année.
- Nabuchodonosor - name given to a bottle that contains 15l, the equivalent of 20 bottles of Champagne.
- Négoce - nom qui regroupe un ensemble de courtiers et de maisons de Champagne qui achètent du raisin et du moût aux vignerons. Par exemple : « J’utilise une certaine quantité de raisin pour faire mon propre vin et je vends le reste au négoce. »
- Non-Dosé - alternative name for Brut Nature. See both Brut Nature and Brut Zéro.
- Œil de Perdrix - Ancient style rosé champagne with a very pale pink colour. The colour is created during the pressing of the grapes as the grape must seeps through the grape skins. The name can be literally translated as eye of the partridge.
- Oïdium - white powdery mildew fungus that can affect both the leaves and the grape bunches. Oidium and mildiou are two of the more frequent fungi that are treated in the vineyards in Champagne.
- Palissage - les plantes rampantes qui poussent sont accrochées sur un treillis pour laisser les rangées entre les vignes dégagées et pour permettre à chaque plante de profiter de la lumière et de l’air. Ce travail est effectué en juin. Voir également « ébourgeonnage », « relevage » et « rognage » pour plus d'informations sur l’activité dans un vignoble.
- Parcelle - term for a single vineyard plot.
- Passage en froid - or cold treatment. One of the possible fining processes to remove suspended particles from the base wine. In particular, it can be used to eliminate the risk of formation of tartrate crystals in the wine.
- Peau - grape skin.
- Pépin - grape seed.
- Perlage - term used to describe the string or chain of bubbles present in the wine glass or flûte. The quantity, intensity and dimension of the bubbles are frequently mentioned when describing Champagne.
- Perpétuelle - see Méthode perpétuelle.
- Petit Meslier - rare white grape variety occasionally used in Champagne.
- Phylloxéra - name of the pest that destroyed vineyards across Europe in the late 19th Century and devastated the Champagne region. As a result, grape varieties were selected to be replanted in single variety vineyard plots. 7 varieties were chosen, but 98% of the vineyards were replanted with the 3 best known varieties: Pinot Noir, Meunier and Chardonnay.
- Pièce Champenois - alternative name for a fût champenois that contains 205l. See also fût.
- Pince à dégorger - see Clé.
- Pinot Blanc - rare white grape variety occasionally used in Champagne. Mainly grown in the Côte de Bar.
- Pinot Gris - rare and unique grey grape variety occasionally used in Champagne.
- Pinot Noir - le plus célèbre cépage de raisin noir de la région Champagne. Environ 38 % de tous les vignobles de la région font pousser du Pinot Noir et il s’agit du cépage le plus répandu dans les zones viticoles Côte de Bar et Montagne de Reims. Il est présent dans beaucoup de « Blanc de Noirs ».
- Placomusophilie - collection of the decorative metal caps held in place by the wire cage, plaque de muselet.
- Plaque de muselet - see capsule.
- Poignettage - method of vigorously shaking the bottle by hand, after disgorging, to blend the liqueur d'expédition with the Champagne before leaving the bottle to rest prior to sale.
- Porte-greffe - term for rootstock. The majority of vines are grafted onto more resilient American vine rootstocks. The most common one used in Champagne is the 41B.
- Premier Cru - anciennement le second niveau le plus prestigieux dans l’échelle de cru, derrière le Grand Cru. Les raisins des villages classés Premier Cru étaient évalués entre 90 et 99 %. Le système a été abandonné mais les Champagnes élaborés uniquement à partir de raisins provenant de villages classés Premier Cru peuvent mentionner ce titre sur l’étiquette de leur bouteille. Voir « échelle de cru » et « Grand Cru » pour plus d'informations.
- Première taille - name given to the last 5 hectolitres of the 25.5 hectolitres of grape must that are extracted from a 4,000kg press load of grapes. The first 20.5 hectolitres are known as the cuvée.
- Pressoir - name given to a grape press. In Champagne the presses can vary from presses for 2,000kg loads up to 12,000kg loads.
- Pressurage - see Centre de pressurage.
- Primat - name given to a bottle that contains 27l, the equivalent of 36 bottles of Champagne.
- Prise de mousse - alternative term for secondary fermentation in the bottle. See Deuxième fermentation.
- Pupitre - “A” shaped wooden rack used to hold the Champagne bottles during riddling (remuage).
- R.C. - acronyme pour « récoltant coopérateur », un cultivateur de raisins qui fournit ses vendanges à une coopérative qui prépare du Champagne. Au lieu d’être payé pour les ventes que fait la coopérative de Champagne, il est rémunéré en bouteilles de Champagne qu'il peut ensuite vendre sous sa propre marque. L’abréviation R.C. sera indiquée sur l’étiquette de la bouteille.
- R.D. - acronyme pour « récemment dégorgé ». Cela concerne un Champagne vieux millésime qui a été laissé sur latte pour vieillir plus longtemps que les autres bouteilles et qui a été dégorgé juste avant d’être mis en vente.
- R.M. - acronyme pour « récoltant manipulant », un vigneron qui élabore son propre Champagne à partir de son propre raisin. Le vigneron peut acheter 5 % de sa production de raisin à fo d’autres vignerons. Cela permet, par exemple, d’obtenir certains cépages pour des assemblages que le vigneron ne possède pas dans son vignoble, ou d’acheter du raisin rouge pour assembler un Champagne rosé. L’abréviation R.M. sera indiquée sur l’étiquette de la bouteille.
- Raisin - grape, the fruit of the vine.
- Ratafia - fortified wine produced in Champagne and made by adding alcohol to the fresh grape must.
- Rebêche - autre nom de la deuxième taille qui n’est plus utilisée en Champagne. Voir « deuxième taille » pour plus d’informations.
- Recouleuse - local term that refers to a small loss of Champagne from the bottle because of seepage around the cork stopper.
- Réhoboam - name given to a bottle that contains 4.5l, the equivalent of 6 bottles of Champagne.
- Relevage - redressement des jeunes pousses de la vigne pour les accrocher au support métallique afin de donner une forme aux plantes. Ce travail est effectué en mai. Voir également « ébourgeonnage », « palissage » et « rognage » pour plus d'informations sur l’activité dans un vignoble.
- Remuage - action de remuer les bouteilles de Champagne pour faire tomber les dépôts crées lors de la deuxième fermentation au fond du goulot de la bouteille pour ensuite les retirer lors du dégorgement, avant de mettre le Champagne en vente. Voir « pupitre », « gyropalette », « dépointage » et « dégorgement » pour plus d’informations.
- Rendement - yield; this regards both kilograms of grapes produced and harvested per hectare of vineyard and litres of grape must per kilo of grapes pressed. Both are extensively regulated by the appellation to guarantee the quality of Champagne.
- Réserve individuelle - the wine maker is obliged to have an individual reserve of quality base wines from the previous years, stored in temperature-controlled vats and kept as an assurance against a future year's low or negative harvest, or to guarantee supply in case of an exceptional increase in demand.
- Rognage - arrachage ou coupe de la végétation environnante au profit des vignes du vignoble. Cette activité est répétée à plusieurs reprises durant l’été, avant la vendange, pour aider les vignes à mûrir au lieu de produire du feuillage. Voir également « ébourgeonnage », « relevage » et « palissage » pour plus d'informations sur l’activité dans un vignoble.
- Rosé - pink Champagne.
- Rosé d'assemblage - pink Champagne that has obtained its colour by blending a small proportion of red wine with the base wine.
- Rosé des Riceys - 3rd appellation recognised in Champagne. It is a still Rosé wine that has obtained its colour by maceration and is produced in the village of Les Riceys, situated at the very south of the Champagne in the department of Aube. Les Riceys is the result of a unification of 3 villages on the border with Bourgogne and it is the village with the largest surface of vineyards in the whole of Champagne.
- Rosé Saignée - pink Champagne that has obtained its colour by maceration. The tannins and colouring agents present in the grape skins, which are left in contact with the grape must in vats for a limited period of time, will give the grape must its pink colour.. See also Maceration.
- Route de Champagne - tourist wine route that meanders through the Champagne vineyards and villages. It is divided into 3 different itineraries. Guides and details are available in the local tourist offices.
- S.G.V. - Syndicat Général des Vignerons della Champagne. The trade association of wine growers in Champagne.
- S.R. - acronym for Société de Récoltants; a company formed by several wine growers who pool their grape harvests. The company then manages the sale of the grapes, grape must or Champagne. It is the equivalent of a small private cooperative.
- Sabrer - sword used to open Champagne on ceremonial occasions. The blunt side of the blade is slid up the side of the Champagne bottle, at a 45° angle, hitting the lip on the neck of the bottle with a certain force, removing the head of the bottle with the cork still inside.
- Saignée - see Rosé Saignée.
- Saint Vincent - patron saint of wine makers. Celebrated in mid January.
- Salmanazar - name given to a bottle that contains 9l, the equivalent of 12 bottles of Champagne.
- Salomon - name given to a bottle that contains 15l, the equivalent of 20 bottles of Champagne.
- Sec - intermediate style Champagne that has been dosed after disgorging with between 17-32g/l of sugar. This style was created along with Extra-Dry to cater for the tastes of the American market.
- Sélection clonale - Clonal selection involves selecting and propagating vines that produce the best quality grapes while also taking into consideration the health of the vine. It adds a further dimension to sélection massale.
- Sélection massale - Massal selection involves selecting and propagating vines that produce the best quality grapes.
- Serre - grapes are pressed gradually; the process can be broken down into steps and with each step the pressure is increased slightly. The name given to each step is serre.
- Sleeve - plastic shrink-wrapped decorative cover placed on the outside of Champagne bottles for marketing purposes. They can be highly decorative and some even glow in the dark.
- Solera - see Méthode Solera and Méthode Perpétuelle.
- Soutirage - concerns the separation of the grape must from the deposits at the end of the decantering period after pressing. The clarified grape must is pumped into new vats so that the grape must can then be prepared for alcoholic fermentation.
- Stabilisation tartrique - processus utilisé pour éliminer le risque de formation de cristaux tartriques dans le vin. Ces cristaux n’ont pas de conséquences particulières sur la qualité du vin mais il est désagréable de les voir accrochés sur la surface du bouchon en contact avec le vin (si la bouteille a été stockée à plat) lorsque l’on ouvre la bouteille. Voir également « passage au froid ».
- Sulfitage - treatment involving the addition of sulphites to grape must to cleanse and avoid the risk of oxidation.
- Sur lattes - see Vieillissement.
- Sur pointe - see Dépointage.
- Taille1 - Il existe 4 différentes techniques d’élagage reconnues par l’appellation d’origine contrôlée « Champagne ». Voir « Chablis », « Cordon de Royat », « Guyot » et « Vallée de la Marne » pour plus d’informations.
- Taille2 - name given to the last 5 hectolitres of grape must that are squeezed out of a 4,000kg press load of grapes. The first 20.5 hectolitres are known as the Cuvée.
- Terroir - extremely generic and frequently used term given to describe the overall environment in which Champagne is produced and the effects it has on the wine. It includes factors such as climate, subsoil, topography and anything else considered to have a positive impact on the wine.
- Tirage - autre nom pour « mise en bouteille ». Il s’agit de transvaser le vin clair dans des bouteilles pour la deuxième fermentation.
- Tonneau - terme générique pour une cuve en bois utilisée dans la vinification. Voir « fût », « foudre », « demi-muid » et « muid » pour plus d’informations.
- U.M.C. - acronym for the Union de Maisons de Champagne. It was founded in 1882, by the Grandes Marques to preserve the reputation of Champagne and promote it internationally.
- Vallée de la Marne1 - pruning technique recognised under the regulations of the AOC that can only be applied to the Meunier grape variety.
- Vallée de la Marne2 - one of the four main wine districts in Champagne. Vineyards are positioned on the left and right slopes of the valley of the river Marne as it flows towards Paris. The area is considered the home of the Meunier grape variety.
- Vendange - French term for grape picking or harvesting. In Champagne, grapes are harvested manually, collected in 8kg mannequins, transported immediately to be weighed, logged and pressed whole. The dates for the vendanges are set by the controlling bodies when the grapes have reached minimum acceptable maturity.
- Vendangeoir - see Centre de pressurage.
- Véraison - coloration du raisin pendant sa maturation. Lorsque le raisin noir mûrit, sa couleur passe du vert au jaune puis devient orange, rouge, violette pour enfin devenir noire. Le changement de couleur varie au sein d’une même grappe, ce qui donne un effet « smarties ».
- Verre - Drinking glass, see also flute./i>
- Vieillissement - période durant laquelle le Champagne est mis de côté pour reposer en cave après la deuxième fermentation, avant le remuage, le dégorgement et enfin la mise en vente. Pendant ce temps, le Champagne gagne en finesse et toutes ses caractéristiques se développent. Le temps de vieillissement minimum est de 12 mois pour un Champagne et 36 mois pour un Millésime. Un autre terme pour définir le vieillissement est « sur lattes ». Voir « lattes » pour plus d’informations.
- Vigne - Vine; a plant that produces grapes.
- Vigneron - Winemaker, or the person that cultivates the vine. The larger producers are more commonly known as Champagne houses, while the vignerons are smaller family run operations that cultivate their own vines and produce their own Champagne. Grower Champagnes are known as Champagne de Vigneron.
- Vignoble - means vineyard, a plot of land where vines are grown.
- Vin Clair - French term for base wine. The wine resulting from alcoholic fermentation of the grape must.
- Vin de réserve - Reserve wine. Reserve wines are the vins clairs of the previous years that have been stored by the winemaker to be used during blending to give character to the future Champagne.
- Vinification - alternative term for alcoholic fermentation. See fermentation alcoolique.
- Viticulture - signifies both grape growing and wine making.
