“Le Pressurage” or the art of pressing Champagne grapes is a critical step in creating the world’s most delicate wines. From the painstaking process of extracting white juice from red grapes to the use of traditional Coquard presses, no expense is spared to adhere to CIVC regulations. Looking deeper into the intricacies of this phase of the méthode champenoise can shed light on the delicacy of the wine as well as its costliness.
White juice from red grapes
Only around 30% of all Champagne grapes are white (Chardonnay). So why is champagne mostly a white wine? Simply because of the delicate pressing which extracts juice from the flesh of Pinot Noir and Meunier, without having any colour from the skins run into the must.
This method is also responsible for the delicacy of the wine, which rarely has any tannins and preserves great acidity.
Each grape variety and terroir is pressed seperately
Once the grapes have arrived at the “pressoir”, each selection of grapes will be pressed and fermented seperately. Chardonnay, Pinot and Meunier are all kept in different presses and will seldom be co-fermented. Each vineyard plot will also be kept seperate and only blended after the first fermentation.
Grapes must be pressed within 8 hours of picking
There are around 1,900 pressing centres throughout the region. This is a high ration per hectare, and is a necessary to keep the elegance of Champagne wines. With minimal distances between vineyards to press, vignerons are sure
This Article was originally published on Champagne Every Day
