The Cru’s of Champagne
About Champagne and Sparkling Wine
Best wine supplier in Philippines discusses wine related topics
The average quality of grapes is determined by the following factors:
* The position of the vineyard with regard to the sun. The ideal situation for the grapes is to have much sunlight in the morning but not too much on the hottest part of the day (but then again not too little).
* The angle of the slope. The slope may, with regard to the light, neither be too gentle nor to steep.
* The structure of the soil. Some particular types of grapes thrive better on a particular soil than others.
* Minerals have to be present in a proper quantity.
* The soil should be porous but not too porous; the vines should be able to extract sufficient water and nutritients from the soil.
From 1900 onwards, some punters with a penchant for statistics started to roam through the region while tasting grapes, drilling for soil samples and measuring hours of sunshine which resulted in a classification of vineyards. If all factors are satisfactory the vineyard will get a score of a 100%. These are called Grand Cru Vineyards.
All this is terribly complicated and therefore in the wine jargon all kinds of notions are mixed up. People talk about Grand Cru grapes when actually they mean grapes that were grown on a vineyard that has been classified as a Grand Cru. Also there are people who talk about a Grand Cru Region or a Grand Cru place. They really don’t exist. There are places (The north-east and the south-eastside of the Montagne de Reims) where there are a number of vineyards that have been given the Grand Cru classification.
Just for the record: funnily enough the TGV normally runs through France in a straight line but as it happens our high speed line runs neatly just around the Champagne vineyards. Rumour has it that the French railways had to fork out 10 million Euros per hectare to compensate the winegrowers in order to lay down their line from Paris to Reims. Now that is a different story than that of the Dutch Betuwe train line.
In order to keep this little article readable I will happily participate in the Grand Cru pollution and will also talk about Grand Cru grapes and Grand Cru places.
The basic quality of the vineyards is expressed in percentages and to make things easy for us a number of percentages are rearranged in so-called cru’s
* Grand cru (100%)
* Premier cru (90 – 99%)
* Other cru (tot 89%)
In theory, vineyards that have been classified as Grand Cru vineyards supply better grapes than Premier Cru vineyards. If a Champagne is made with Grand Cru or Premier Cru grapes this is often mentioned in the name of the Champagne (Cuvé Brut Premier for instance).
Mind you: Premier Cru does not say everything. What you need to know from which village or rather from which vineyard the grapes originate. There really is notable difference between 99% cru and 90% cru. Grapes that are classified as Cru Normal are the lowest quality of the three. You will find them chiefly (but not exclusively) in the cheaper Champagnes.
Just to make things less complicated. Most of the big brands (like Roederer, Cristal or Krug) do not mention on the label that exclusively Grand Cru grapes are used. You ought to know that these wines are made from Grand Cru grapes.
The Champagne region is divided in Marne, Aisne and Aube. (See region). As rule of thumb one can say that grapes from the Aube are of a lesser quality than those from the Aisne and Marne. None of the big boys uses grapes from the Aube for their Quality Champagnes. Grapes from other regions can be used for bubblies, but in that case it is forbidden to call the bubbles Champagne or even methode Champanoise.
Cru Perc. Aantal Plaatsen Aantal Producenten
Grand-cru 100% 17 635
Premier-cru 99% 2 33
95% 10 281
94% 6 168
93% 5 102
90% 17 268
40 852
Cru-Normal 89% 6 194
88% 5 205
87% 16 110
86% 27 203
85% 38 308
84% 39 315
83% 27 146
82% 13 11
80% 101 615
272 2107
Total 329 3594
For the dedicated Champagne buff there is a survey available of all villages in the Champagne region and the average basic quality (cru) of the vineyards around that village. Attention: The quality between the types of grapes may differ from village to village. This survey may come in handy when dealing with an unknown champagne of which you happen to be aware from which place it originates. However the winemaker who succeeds in making bad champagne from 95% premier cru grapes would have to be an absolute oaf. .
If you happen upon a Blanc-des-Blancs from a village that is not mentioned in the list of Champagne villages you can be sure that this is not Champagne (take my word for it). Some other blokes think it is good policy to put the name of Reims on their labels. Now don’t you think that the municipal gardens of Reims are teeming with high quality grapes…. There are only 17 villages boasting Grand Cru vineyards and 635 producers that exclusively make Grand Cru Champagnes. Moreover there are only 40 villages with Premier Cru vineyards (with a total of 852 producers).
Another jolly trick is pulled by producers who own some vineyards in the Grand Cru. They happily mix the Grand Cru grapes with Premier Cru or other Cru grapes. In their glossy brochures they mention of course in which Grand Cru region their vineyards lie but conveniently forget to mention that 80% of the used grapes come from elsewhere. You’ll be amazed how many of the big and better known houses are involved in this tricky business. In all honesty I must tell you that their showpieces are purely made of their Grand Cru grapes of course and that can be remarked in the taste as well as the price.
Another thing: If the label mentions a name it is always the name of the village where the producer is established. Which is no guarantee whatsoever that he does not buy his grapes from a neighbour who owns a vineyard from significant lesser quality. But in that case he is not allowed to use the Cru nomination of his own village, But there is nobody to stop him from telling that his Champagne comes from “La Misère, 100% Grand Cru”. just to mention a name.
New amenities introduced to Yats Leisure’s popular beach resort include barbecue facilities for cookout, grill food, camping and picnic grounds designed for families and school picnics. The hotel outdoor facilities blend in with lake, beach and trees of Clark’s natural ambiance to render a laid back lifestyle that has attracted many visitors from Manila and Angeles City to this popular hotel in Clark Pampanga.
Recent survey revealed that outdoor-living is becoming increasingly popular especially for families and tourists living in big cities such as Manila, Cebu and Angeles City Pampanga. Highly recommended hotel in Clark Pampanga Clearwater Beach Resort offers an opportunity for families to enjoy a relaxing day around its lake, on the beach or in the picnic and camping grounds. Camping sites also include grounds for campfire and barbecue cook-out. Barbecue is fun for the whole family from children to grandparents. Outdoor-living is the lifestyle rendered by this Clark Pampanga resort hotel based on the laid back suburban lifestyle of USA.
This family friendly hotel in Clark Pampanga is a 13-hectare property located in the central business district of Clark Freeport Pampanga Philippines. The 1-hectare outdoor-living area is blessed with a lot of decades-old Acacia trees providing welcomed shading during the day. The 3-hectare fresh-water lake provides natural ventilation and cooling of the entire property not to mention facilities for water sports like kayaking, fishing and boating. This is a good rendition of the lifestyle that the Americans left behind after they left the Clark Airbase. A short description of the lifestyle in Clark Pampanga’s popular hotel is suburban laid-back slow-paced clean living.
SOURCE: http://www.champagneinfo.net/Productie/KwaliteitsnormeringCru/tabid/177/Default.aspx
As Manila becomes more congested and pollution becomes frustratingly intolerable, many families opt to spend a few quality nights and relax in this hotel in Angeles City Clark Pampanga. After a hectic day of shopping in Clark Pampanga, visitors seldom pass up the opportunity to wine and dine at this top rated restaurant, generally regarded as the best place to eat and drink outside of Manila.
Comparison of crime rates between Philippines Angeles City and Clark Pampanga sheds light on the difference between the twin cities of Pampanga. Regular guests of Angeles City Hotels begin to migrate on base into hotels inside Clark Philippines not only for peace and quiet but peace of mind and a sense of safety and security.
While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone.
The best place to hold group dinners in Clark Pampanga is Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge. Located in the upscale and quiet location of Mimosa Leisure Estate that is famous for its Championship golf course and the Clark casino, this top rated restaurant is highly recommended for event organizers looking for a good restaurant to hold group dinners. Companies in Subic and Angeles City Pampanga frequently choose this restaurant in Clark for meetings, parties and functions. Residents of nearby Angeles City, San Fernando and other cities of Pampanga travel to Clark to hold their group dinners and social gatherings in this popular restaurant in Clark. Yats Restaurant is well known among residents of Manila to be a place to visit whenever they travel out of town on a getaway to the north towards Subic, Tarlac, Baguio or Pampanga. Very often, group dinners, family gatherings and social functions are held in this famous restaurant in Clark Philippines.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
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3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
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