From the workshop of Artenova in Impruneta, the egg shaped jars used to make Champagne Gallimard

2015/06/11     cellars / champagne / Champagne Gallimard / egg shaped jars / impruneta / La Cote des Bar / la route de champegne / municipality of the Campagne / Terracotta / vineyard / wine cellar

The French portal soyezsurpris.fr has recently dedicated a page to Champagne Gallimard, a client of Artenova’s. The Vineyard has been active since 1930 in the magical Cote des Bars in Champagne. The article describes the egg shaped terracotta jars in which the French company produces its champagne: the egg shaped jars are made in the workshop of Artenova, Impruneta (Tuscany) and then transported to the village of Les Riceys, in the south of the region, where the wine cellar of Champagne Gallimard is located.

Visiting the cellars of Champagne Gallimard – we read in the article written in French – you are immediately surprised by what at first seems to be a giant hatchery of Godzilla eggs! Amazingly, these egg-shaped containers are used to make champagne. The use of terracotta ovoid jars to make champagne now seems unusual but it is in fact an ancient technique, which had almost been forgotten. The containers in terracotta had almost completely disappeared, most of them having been replaced by wood, concrete and stainless steel. Now Champagne Gallimard has resumed this technique taking great care to expresses the authenticity of its grapes and territory. This cellar has been producing champagne since 1930 and is situated in the unique and privileged area of La Cote des Bar, to be precise in the village of Les Riceys in the south of the region. This is the only municipality of the Champagne area that has all three denominations of origin (Champagne, Coteaux Champenois and Rosé des Riceys). The agricultural heritage of Les Riceys, hides another treasure: the “cadoles”, small igloo like constructions in dry stone which can be found dotted everywhere among the vineyards. They were built in the last century to shelter workers from the intensely hot climate.

Champagne Gallimard is in the village of Les Riceys which is the largest wine region of Champagne (866 acres) in the heart of La Cote des Bar. Every year in August (this year on 1st and 2nd August) in the village of Les Riceys there is a great festival dedicated to champagne, La Route de Champagne offering the possibility to sample champagne directly in the cellars by the producers themselves.

The original article on soyezsurpris.fr

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