When Champagne is fermented in the bottle, a sediment of yeast is produced which later has to be removed by the disgorgement before marketing. Before the invention of remuage (shaking), this sediment was not removed, but the champagne bottles were stored and sold with the bottom of the bottle facing upwards (Cul-en-l'air = bottom to the sky). The consumer then had to remove the lees himself.
For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien