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Professional catering equipment: The essentials for successful food and wine pairing
Professional catering equipment: The essentials for successful food and wine pairing
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In the world of gastronomy, nothing is left to chance. The quality of the products, the chef's know-how, and the...

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Wine and Food Pairing: 10 Secrets to Enhancing Your Dishes with White Wine and Champagne
Wine and Food Pairing: 10 Secrets to Enhancing Your Dishes with White Wine and Champagne
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Les accords mets et vins sont un art subtil qui, lorsqu'il est bien maîtrisé, permet d'enrichir profondément...

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Champagne vs Italian Wines : Two Worlds of Bubbles and Emotions to Discover
Champagne vs Italian Wines : Two Worlds of Bubbles and Emotions to Discover
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In the world of wine, there are few comparisons as fascinating as that between champagne and Italian wines. On one...

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The perfect glass for champagne: between aesthetics and sensory experience
The perfect glass for champagne: between aesthetics and sensory experience
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Champagne is more than just a sparkling wine, it's a symbol of elegance, celebration and refinement. Yet many people...

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How to recognize a good champagne? The essential criteria
How to recognize a good champagne? The essential criteria
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Champagne is synonymous with celebration and excellence, but not all champagnes are created equal. Some are real...

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Massal and clonal selections in Champagne

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Champagne viticulture is a matter of precision and passion, where every detail counts. Two particular techniques play a crucial role in the production of these world-renowned sparkling wines: massal selection and clonal selection.

La Sélection Massale

Massal selection is a traditional technique that consists of identifying the vines bearing the best fruit. These plants are then used for propagation, ensuring that desirable characteristics are retained in future generations of vines. This method preserves genetic diversity within the vineyard, which is essential for wine resilience and complexity. In Champagne, this technique has enabled winemakers to produce wines with a variety of flavors and aromas that reflect the region's unique terroir.

Clonal Selection

Clonal selection, on the other hand, involves reproducing vine plants from a single individual, or clone. This technique ensures optimum sanitary quality and uniformity in the vineyard.

In Champagne, around 50 clones of the three Champagne grape varieties (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) have been approved after several decades of selection work. These clones are pre-multiplied by the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), which also distributes certified grafts.

Impact on Wine

These two selection techniques have a direct impact on the quality of Champagne wine. Massal selection contributes to the complexity and diversity of flavors, while clonal selection ensures consistent quality.

Ultimately, massal and clonal selection in Champagne is a perfect example of how science and tradition can work together to create something truly exceptional.