Agrafe

French · clip

An agrafe is the metal clip used to hold tirage stoppers; it was patented by O. Delagrange in 1846.1

The agrafe belongs to the history of closures. Before wire cages, string (ficelle) was tied by hand over corks.1 A tinplate cap, the plaque de muselet, was patented in 1844, and the first wire cages, muselets, were made around 1880.1

Today tirage bottles are sealed with a crown cap.2 The modern crown cap holds a hollow plastic bidule that collects the lees during riddling.2 See history of technique and corking.

See also

Inventions: cork, bottle, riddling, museletHistoryMuseletGlossaryFicelleGlossaryCapsule couronneGlossary

Sources

  1. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The history of the muselet and its collectable plaque
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Tirage or bottling the blended wine

Facts checked on 2026-10-19