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Number of newly designated “Grand Cru” Cavas, the ultra-premium tier of the traditional Spanish sparkler. The new Cavas display the classification term “Cava de Paraje” (Single Vineyard Cava) and the name of the estate on the front label. To qualify, the grapes must be hand-harvested from vines at least 10 years old, and the wine (Brut only) must be aged 36 months sur lie.

In making Champagne and sparkling wine, the dosage is the liquid added to the base wines early on so that a second bubble-causing fermentation will happen in each bottle.

Answer: False.

False. That liquid is a combination of wine, yeasts and sugar and is called the liqueur de tirage. The dosage is the small amount of wine and sugar added at the end of the sparkler’s production process. Depending on the extent of the sugar, the sparkler will either be Brut, Extra Dry, Demi Sec or so on.

“No! We’ve only been growing cab franc here for 900 years. There is still so much to learn.”

—Mathieu Baudry of Domaine Bernard Baudry
Upon being asked if he would consider growing red grapes other than cabernet franc in Chinon (Loire Valley) France.

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