Interesting wine 🍷 titbits

The video available here is taken from our accommodation at Vandeuil in the Champagne region and gives some appreciation of the magnitude of the industry here remembering that Vandeuil is around 35kms from Épernay which I think is regarded as the centre of the champagne universe and there are vineyards all the way from here to there.

Facts:

There are 80,000 acres of vineyards in the appellation 

Each acre produces approximately 5 ton of grapes (strictly controlled to be in the range 4-6 tons per acre)

Each ton produces approximately 750 bottles

Therefore the region produces approximately 300,000,000 bottles of champagne a season

The dates for picking are strictly controlled and picking starts here in Vandeuil on 12 Sep

A list of the days picking can start in each “village” can be seen here

The following was found on the web

The Champagne region of France has announced the start dates for the 2019 harvest, with villages commencing harvest gradually beginning this week and into next week. The start dates vary by each village and grape varietal, ensuring that every plot is picked at the optimal ripeness. Every year, all the grapes are handpicked—part of the Champagne appellation’s strict regulations and one of the key steps to producing the unique, high-quality sparkling wine that comes only from Champagne, France.

Only grapes from specific, delineated plots in the appellation can be used to produce Champagne. Located 90 miles northeast of Paris, the region covers fewer than 80,000 acres. From growing grapes to blending wines, the winemaking process is a carefully orchestrated system of adjustments that all adds up to make the wines of Champagne. The 2019 growing season was punctuated by climactic shocks, including record-breaking temperatures over the summer, underscoring the need for Champagne to develop innovative solutions to adapt to a changing climate. The entire region — from growers to houses to suppliers — understands the importance of working together to respond to the changes taking place in the world while maintaining its commitment to quality.

Today was a quieter day for us. Sam contacted us this morning and gave us a rundown on his weekend away with his family in the South Island celebrating his 40th and that made our day. We had lunch in the apartment before driving into Reims for the afternoon and early evening to take in more of what this city has to offer and also to finish off some shopping .

An early dinner in a restaurant we had booked was not without its challenges - they didn’t intend opening until an hour after our booking, but we resolved that and had a nice meal before driving home.

Having brought our Chromecast with us we have been able to watch some programmes on Netflix and over the past few nights we have been watching a series on Donald Trump’s rise to the Presidency which we will finish tonight (all through his life he has displayed a complete lack of class if the series portrays him correctly)

Kms driven today:37