Debate a Bubble - Champagne News and Reviews

Latest News About The Harvest In Champagne

 

It’s been announced that the first day of the 2009 harvest will be 10^th September for the few earliest areas and 15^th for the rest of Champagne

 

If you are planning to visit during this period to see what the harvest is all about, it’s best to book in advance because it’s the busiest time of the year – in fact many champagne houses are not even open for visitors at all.

Several champagne makers offer a special extended visit to the vineyards to see the harvest taking place, for example:

Champagne Nicolas Feuillate - Nr. Epernay ( the town/village where you can find them)

Champagner Achille Princier – Epernay

Champagne Simon Selosse – Avize

Champagne Lallement – Verzy

Champagne Vesselle - Bouzy

but not many actually allow you to cut the grapes yourself

If you would like to try your hand at actually cutting the grapes, here 3 makers who offer you the chance to do just that:

Champagne Launois Père & Fils – Le Mesnil-sur-Oger

Champagne Bernard Tissier – Chavot Courcourt

Champagne Grellet – Cuis

Don’t forget, take a waterproof and a good pair of boots

Bon courage

If you’re looking for somewhere very special to stay whilst you’re in Champagne, our home is available for rent. For pictures, information and prices go to

www.debateabubble.com/your-place-in-champagne.html

Please e-mail me with comments and questions at

jiles@madaboutbubbly.com

I'd love to hear from you

Try Your Hand at Grape-Picking in Champagne

The grapes in Champagne are almost ripe and the weather, at least was I was there last week, is still warm and sunny. If you've ever wanted to have a go a grape-picking, this year could be the chance you've been waiting for.

Harvest time is the highlight of the year in any wine-making region. It's a hive of activity: tractors and lorries are busy shuttling back and forth between the vineyards and the press houses, whilst in the vineyards, thousands of people are working to get the grapes in as fast as possible. All around is the heady scent of fermentation and alcohol in the making.

Most champagne houses, particularly the bigger ones such as Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot and Laurent Perrier for example, are too busy to welcome any visitors who want to try their hand at the harvest, but an increasing number of the smaller champagne makers welcome small parties to take part in the famous ritual of the harvest.

The harvest is not due to start for a few more weeks yet, so if you want to have a go, there's still time to organise a visit, if you hurry. Do contact me on jiles@madaboutbubbly.com and I can put you in touch with a champagne maker that will be happy to see you.

There are various options, some of which don't involve the actual grape cutting, but all of them take you out into the vineyards to see what's going on, then back to the press house to taste the newly-pressed juice and to watch this important first stage of the champagne-making process. Then, to round things off, there's a traditional lunch.

Don't forget that the weather may not be good, so you need to take a waterproof and a good,sturdy pair of boots. Also don't forget that there's a lot of bending involved; although the vines are not tall, you still have to bend to cut the grapes.

For those of you in the U.K. it's really not far to Champagne - just 3 hours drive south of Calais - so this is something  you can easily fit in and it's an experience to try at least once in your lifetime. For those of you overseas, a little more planning will be needed, but it's still just as much fun.

For accommodation, don't forget that my beautiful home in champagne, is available for rent

Click here for details
http://www.debateabubble.com/your-place-in-champagne.html

Let me know how I can help you

Champagne Gosset gives itself a birthday present

I've just got back from a few days in Champagne, where, I have to tell you, it was delightfully hot and sunny. I've come back with lots of news and stories for all of you who are interested in champagne. 

One thing that did catch my eye was an encouraging story about Champagne Gosset which clearly hasn't heard about, or is ignoring, all the gloom about champagne sales being poor this year. Good for them, I say! Rather than cutting back and lying low, Champagne Gosset has splashed out on a fabulous birthday present for itself.

By way of background, let me explain that Gosset is the oldest wine merchant in Champagne, which is almost, but not quite, the same as saying that it is the oldest champagne house.

In fact, it's Ruinart, founded in 1729, that holds the accolade of being the oldest champagne house.

Gosset was founded in 1584 by Pierre Gosset who was a vinegrower and also mayor of the town of Aÿ, but there are no records that his company traded in anything but still wine until well after 1729. So Gosset calls itself the oldest wine house in Champagne: ' La Plus Ancienne Maison de Vins de la Champagne' rather than Ruinart that calls itself 'La Plus Ancienne Maison de Champagne' - a subtle but important difference.

Anyway, if you're good at maths, you'll immediately have spotted that 2009 is the 425th anniversary of Gosset; a landmark worthy of a special present. So, Gosset has just bought a sumptuous new property in Epernay which they will use partly as offices, partly as a production and storage site ( there are 5 kilometres of cellars under the property), and partly as a hospitality residence to receive visitors: there are 2 hectares of magnificent grounds and gardens around the property. 

This may sound like an extravagant birthday present, but in fact it makes good commercial sense. Gosset, which since 1993 has been owned by the Cointreau family, has been slowly building its reputation and sales to the extent that it is outgrowing its existing premises at Aÿ.

Sales of Gosset champagnes stand at about 1.3 million bottles per year and since the average ageing period for their champagnes is high: 4 years, Gosset needs space to store 5 million bottles + of champagne. They had to find somewhere to do this and in buying the new property they not only gained the much-needed cellar space, but also the magnificent mansion too.

The mansion is called the Château Malakoff and used to be owned by Laurent-Perrier. The château has changed hands several times in the past few decades and there's a whole story to tell you about this, but it will have to wait for another blog. Anyway, I suspect that the name will be changed when Gosset moves in.

Meanwhile, the harvest (vendange) approaches. The recent good weather will be very welcome indeed and may well rescue a crop that for many weeks and months has seemed doomed to be only mediocre. I'll keep you posted.

If you have any questions or comments about this post please e-mail me at

jiles@madaboutbubbly.com

I'd love to hear from you

Jiles