Monday 30 November 2015

A Postcard a Day - Tuesday 1 Dec 2015 - T for Champagne

Good Morning Bloggers!

It's Tuesday again and I will link up with Elizabeth at T for Tuesday. Please join us. All you have to do is have something drink related in your post (I bet you have a mug on your desk and that will do).

My drink related things are postcards of champagne making. The following postcards are from my grandmother's collection. She traveled a lot in Europe after WW2 and her cards are all from the late nineteen forties to the early sixties. 
This card shows the pressing room at Moet & Chandon.
Moet & Chandon is one of the world's largest champagne producers and a prominent champagne house in Epernay, France.

After primary fermentation and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second fermentation is induced by adding yeast and sugar. During this time the champagne bottle is sealed with a bottle top like the ones used for beer bottles.
The bottles are then placed in racks called 'pulpitres' .
After ageing, the lees (dead yeast and residual particles) must be consolidated for removal. The bottles undergo a process known as 'riddling' (French: remuage). Every two days the bottles are given a slight shake and turn, alternatively on right then left, and dropped back into the pulpitres, with the angle slightly increased. The drop back into the rack causes a slight tap, pushing sediments towards the neck of the bottle. In 8 to 10 weeks the position of bottle is straight down, with the sediment settled in the neck.
Le Remueur (1889), engraving of a man engaged in the laborious daily task of turning each bottle a fraction.

The lees removal process is called 'disgorging'. Modern automated disgorgement is done by freezing a small amount of the liquid in the neck and removing this plug of ice containing the sediment.

I have seen photos on Trip Adviser of the cellars and they don't look any different to these.

On a personal note: our house is coming on fine. We now have a back door:
Since we took the photo we have made a threshold and covered the gap at the top.

This space, now occupied by building materials, will be the car port. The door opens up to a long staircase  down that connects all four floors.
This is what it looks like on the other side:
The back door is not visible on this photo as it's on the other side. We have a magnificent view from our house.

I finally have my Tangle it! Journal. It nearly took a month to arrive but i have it now!
I have started tangling on the first page. This book is going in my handbag when we travel (we're going to Holland on the 21st) as it is ideal to while away waiting time.
That's it from me for today. Have a great T-Day and see you tomorrow for WOYWW.

Blessings,

Lisca

19 comments:

  1. Thanks for all the interesting information about how champagne is made - the work seems to justify the price. Your house is coming along well, looks so beautiful, great to live so high up and have lovely views. Have fun with your tangle journal. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  2. Such interesting informations and your house looks gorgeous! Have fun with the journal on your trip to Holland!
    Happy T-Day!
    oxo
    Susi

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  3. Lisca, that is a gorgeous door! I like the contrast of the lighter wood with the metal plugs. After reading about french champagne making, I now understand why it is fairly expensive. The tangle journal looks like it will be fun to take on your travels to Holland! Happy T Day!

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  4. I am always interested in how things are made, or how the process is done....so I really enjoyed all the information you gave us this week.

    LOVE the new door and your smile! I don't know if my old knees could take walking up and down four floors daily......but the view from all four must be spectacular.

    Have a great trip, tangling is so much fun and very relaxing too. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
    Happy T-day

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  5. fascinating info and photos of the champagne. I always wanted to tour one of those places as champagne is my very favorite. Your new door looks wonderful and I do hope you'll share your views once you're all settled in-it sounds so lovely! I got that journal book some weeks ago but haven't done anything on the actual pages. Just played with some tangles in my art journal. It'll be a great way to pass the time between travels. Happy T day !

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    1. I bought the tangle journal after I saw it in your blog 'Beach inspired tangles'.

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  6. I had no idea how champagne was made. Fascinating! I like that door. Quite striking. I'm not familiar with tangles, but it looks interesting. Happy T Tuesday!

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  7. what a great post..I dont like champagne but love the photos. What a lovely place to live I love your door and the little squares

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  8. Brilliant photos of the champagne making! Your house is coming on well- what a great view you must have! The tangling journal looks good! Chrisx

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  9. I knew nothing about champagne making. Very interesting. So glad you have your door and it is finished off now, too. Looks like you would have a gorgeous view, yes! Have a great day! Happy T-Day! :)

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  10. It's so nice that you have postcards that your grandmother collected. It's something that connects you to her.

    Have fun zentangling!

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  11. such interesting postcards you have! love your new door...and enjoy your holiday tangling!

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  12. Love your home and the gorgeous view you get from there. Good luck with the new book. Hope you have fun with the zeta going.
    Happy journey

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  13. Love your new home! The door not only looks good but it looks very solid and sturdy. Love the post cards too.

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  14. What incredibly wonderful postcard photos of the old winery. You are SO lucky to have these. They are incredible.

    Glad to see you have a back door now. I know how much work a remodel is. I don't think I want to do it again.

    You asked about eggnog. I have made it before. The main ingredient is milk, with half and half the next ingredient. You cook the milk and beat the eggs into the milk as it cooks. Then you cool it. But, no, the eggs are NEVER raw. Glad you asked, though.

    Thanks for sharing your lovely postcards and your new back door with us for T this Tuesday. I was very impressed with the winery photos.

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  15. I enjoyed the postcard and all the information. Looks like collecting postcards runs in your family. Being fairly new to you blog, I haven't seen your house before. What a fantastic looking location. I hope we will see more of the house as you go along. Maybe I should just look through some older posts to see if it appears there

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  16. nice to follow your steps of the house... the overview you have is fantastic and you seem to have a lot of space. it will be wonderful in the end.
    happy belated t-day!

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  17. Welcome Lisca

    I want to send you a postcard from my country.

    I hope that it will receive. I will send to the following address:

    Lisca Meijer

    Granada Spain

    Happy day.

    Greetings from Poland.
    Lucia

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    1. Do you know the street? Did I give it you? (Granada is a very big province)

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