Higher temperatures and light intensity trigger the sap to flow anew in the vine. The first buds emerge, covered with a downy coating called bourre, then swell and eventually flower. Bud-burst has arrived!
The year’s fruit-bearing canes are tied up by hand to regulate the growth of the vine.
The Champagne month by month
The marketable yield for Champagne, meaning the quantity of grapes destined for sparkling wine production, is set by the joint body of Growers and Champagne Houses in line with sales forecasts, but capped at 15,500 kg/ha for AOC production.
Claude Moët was the first winemaker in Champagne to focus exclusively on sparkling wine production. The House he founded in 1743 was also the first to make a global impact, helped by the new celebratory rituals introduced by his grandson, Jean-Rémy. Moët & Chandon is now part of LVMH – hence the “M” in the name.
The Champagne Houses
